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Northeast Business Briefs - Sept. 2007
GAINESVILLE —
» South Carolina-based developer Windsor/Aughtry will build the first hotel downtown — a $15-million, six-story Hampton Inn and Suites across from Union Street Station.
» City commissioners ended five years of debate over a new, coal-fueled power plant, specifically prohibiting coal and voting instead to seek bids on a new power plant fueled by wood or municipal waste.
» Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan testified before a congressional committee on global warming that Gainesville will fall short of its goal to cut carbon dioxide emissions below 1990 levels by 2012 without federal help.
» The city commission passed a ban on panhandling and other transactions between motorists and pedestrians on public roadways.
JACKSONVILLE —
» After an investigation by the Florida Times-Union newspaper, State Attorney Harry Shorstein blasted the Jacksonville City Council for “a culture of blatant disregard” for the state’s open-meetings laws. A grand jury has agreed to investigate.
» Jacksonville-based Fidelity National Information Services bought eFunds Corp. for $36.50 a share, or $1.8 billion. Arizona-based eFunds, with $552 million in revenue last year, provides payment-processing services for financial institutions and other businesses.
» Boston-based private venture capital firm Summit Partners spent more than $100 million to acquire 85% of Jacksonville-based financial services company Life of the South Corp.
» Jacksonville’s Website Pros is merging with competitor Web.com in a $129-million cash and stock deal that will nearly double Website Pro’s size.
» Peterbrooke Chocolatier, a family-owned, high-end candy retailer based in Jacksonville, has sold a company record 31 franchises in 18 months. Peterbrooke began offering franchises in 2005 and has expanded into Orlando and Tampa as well as Atlanta and Nashville and most recently Alabama.
» Jacksonville officials approved a $360,000 tax refund for EverBank if it brings 120 jobs to the city with an average wage of $45,539. The bank’s request came following its acquisition of NetBank, still pending regulatory approval. The acquisition would make EverBank the third-largest Florida-based bank.
» NewCom Development launched a project off Greenland Road that it touts as the largest non-public-funded green development in Florida so far. The spec project, planned for gold certification with the U.S. Green Building Council, includes 174,000 feet of office/warehouse space, 31,000 feet of retail and 10,000 feet of business office space.
» NASA chose Reynolds, Smith & Hills’ Jacksonville-based space and defense division to design the escape system for Orion — the next-generation space vehicle expected to launch in 2014. The escape system should take a year and a half to design and is part of a $10-million contract for the consulting firm.
» The Alfred I. duPont Trust broke ground on a $20-million headquarters building downtown on Jacksonville’s riverfront.
ST. AUGUSTINE —
» Graham & Co./CORFAC International broke ground on a 1 million-sq.-ft. speculative industrial park in St. Augustine, the First Coast Distribution Center. The 208,000-sq.-ft. building is expected to be finished next year; three additional buildings are planned.
» City officials are considering restricting weddings on St. Augustine Beach based on residents’ complaints about crowds and traffic problems related to surfside nuptials.
