Florida struggles to keep younger workers, creating headaches for employers
The Florida Chamber reports 2023 saw the state's first major decline in net migration (the difference between moving in and leaving) in a decade, largely driven by the outflow of younger residents. The people moving into Florida tend to be older, wealthier and more likely to own a home. That includes a high concentration of 60-69 year-olds relocating to the state, an unsurprising find as the Sunshine State has long been a hub for retirees. But there could be economic implications if the state continues to lose younger people. [Source: South Florida Business Journal]
Florida schools tone down budget concerns after federal funds restored
School board members across the state said they were relieved and grateful that the federal government released millions in frozen federal grant funds before students return to classes in August. During public hearings held Tuesday, the officials said having the money eased concerns that they would have to cut programs and positions to balance already tight budgets. At the same time, some expressed dismay that the discussion over the grants took place at all, calling it an unnecessary distraction. More from the Tampa Bay Times and the Palm Beach Post.
Sargassum piling up at Florida beaches, threatening Caribbean, Gulf
What has been an occasional problem in Florida has turned into an annual scourge as heaps of rotting, stinky brown seaweed pile up every year along the coast during the prime beach months. Sargassum, when it's floating in the Atlantic, is a beneficial resource for marine life, offering habitats and nurseries. But when it hits the beach or travels up the waterways, sargassum piles up, produces a truly epic and harmful stench as it rots, and hosts organisms that can irritate the skin. [Source: TC Palm]
Unpacking Florida’s immigration trends − demographers take a closer look at the legal and undocumented population
In 2023, the most recent year for which the Department of Homeland Security provides publicly available data, an estimated 590,000 immigrants without legal status were living in Florida. This is the third-largest population of immigrants without legal status in the U.S., behind California and Texas. But in contrast to those two states, the number of immigrants entering Florida illegally has been shrinking since 2018. On the other hand, DHS data points to recent growth in Florida’s population of immigrants with legal status. [Source: The Conversation]
How Florida’s downtowns are handling growth pressures
Florida’s downtown districts are major economic anchors, driving employment growth and tax revenue, while attracting new visitors to the Sunshine State. Collaborative efforts like Florida Downtowns, Inc. (FLD) are setting districts up for success at a time dense, urban spaces are being reinvented to draw employers and talent to city cores. Across the country, downtowns typically account for just 2% of a city’s land area, but support about a quarter of citywide employment, according to the International Downtown Association. [Source: Capittal Analytics]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Can JEA tower be saved? JEA gets two bids for it
Two firms with experience in building apartments submitted proposals for acquiring the JEA tower in downtown Jacksonville that's been vacant since the utility moved into a new headquarters building. JEA opened bids July 29 submitted by Simple State Inc. and Live Oak Contracting LLC for the 19-story tower built in the early 1960s on West Church Street. The Jacksonville Historical Society calls it "one of the masterpieces" of downtown Jacksonville's mid-century modern architecture and considers it an endangered building.
› Audit says Visit Orlando broke rules on spending public money
Visit Orlando, which receives tens of millions every year in tourist-tax revenue to promote visitor-dependent Orlando and its attractions, improperly spent some of that public money and lobbied state legislators without county permission, according to a new Orange County Comptroller’s audit. Auditors with Comptroller Phil Diamond raised questions about many Visit Orlando practices and expenditures — including tapping tourist development tax funds to give its top executive a car allowance of $12,210 and also using TDT funds to buy another executive a personal refrigerator.
› Jim Moran Institute accepting applications for upcoming programs
The Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship (JMI), housed in Florida State University’s Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship, is accepting applications for its upcoming programs extending across Florida. As the challenge of operating and growing a small business becomes increasingly complex, JMI remains a source of expertise and executive education. JMI focuses on assisting businesses with a minimum of three employees who have been in business for at least three years for little to no cost.
› Lakewood Ranch tops list of master-planned communities for all ages for eighth year
Lakewood Ranch, a master-planned community in Sarasota and Manatee Counties, holds the No. 1 spot as the nation’s best-selling multigenerational community for the eighth consecutive year, according to a press release from real estate advisory firm RCLCO. The Villages, a central Florida community exclusively catering to residents 55 and older, topped the list as the top-selling community, with Lakewood Ranch coming in second for overall sales.
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› Florida has no formal hurricane plan for Alligator Alcatraz
After weeks of requests from politicians and media, the state of Florida said it has no formal, completed plan for how to handle a hurricane at Alligator Alcatraz, the new immigrant detention site in the heart of the Everglades. Two weeks ago, the Miami Herald requested “the completed hurricane/disaster plan for Alligator Alcatraz” from the Florida Department of Emergency Management. On Monday, department spokesperson Stephanie Hartman confirmed that no such record exists.
› 38 arts, cultural, sports organizations, events proposed for Brevard County grants
The Brevard County Tourist Development Council has unanimously recommended that 38 local arts, cultural and sports organizations and events receive county marketing support grants for the coming budget year. The grants for the 2025-26 budget year that begins Oct. 1 are funded by Brevard County's 5% tourist development tax on hotel rooms, vacation rentals and other short-term rentals.
› From passion to profession: How Sarasota creatives are turning side hustles into legit Florida businesses
Sarasota is known for its sunsets, art walks, waterfront cafés, and breezy charm, but beneath the easygoing exterior is a growing wave of residents turning their talents into something bigger. From jewelry makers at the farmers market to interior designers working from home studios, creatives across Sarasota are transforming their passions into legitimate businesses, and reshaping the city’s entrepreneurial landscape in the process.
› From 200+ entries, 40 startups advance in SPARC South Florida pitch competition
Forty startups were selected as semifinalists in the SPARC South Florida pitch competition now underway. They were selected from a pool of more than 200 startups that entered the local contest, where the big prize is the opportunity to compete in the Startup World Cup for the $1 million grand prize in San Francisco this October.