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Monday's Afternoon Update

SpaceX, Blue Origin have Florida's Space Coast poised for change

Space-industry officials say this year could be one of the more important in recent memory because of the need to execute on planned major projects. The year will be marked by the Florida coming-out party of Jeff Bezos’ rocket company Blue Origin, which recently completed a massive 750,000-square-foot manufacturing plant near Kennedy Space Center. More from the Orlando Sentinel.

Also in the news:
» SpaceX can't test fire Falcon Heavy rocket because of government shutdown

Florida pump prices jump 10 cents, highest in four years

Gas is off to an expensive start this year — the most expensive start since 2014. Florida pump prices jumped 10 cents in the past week to hit $2.54 per gallon Monday, 18 cents more than last month, according to a news reelase from AAA. More from the Tampa Bay Times.

Where are South Florida's 8 Amazon headquarter sites? Real estate experts identify potential candidates

With South Florida as a finalist to be the home of a second Amazon headquarters, real estate experts have identified potential candidates for a site, which would bring 50,000 new jobs and a $5 billion investment. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Orlando airport begins construction of $2.1 billion South Terminal

As Orlando International Airport tries to keep up with passenger growth, its main project this year is construction of a new terminal that will rank as one of the most costly public-works projects ever in Central Florida. More from the Orlando Sentinel.

Small Business Advice
A big under-the-radar cost for your business

Some have labeled it "the worst problem in the retail industry." It may be a bit of hyperbole, but the costs of employee turnover are not to be discounted. One national study estimated the cost to find, hire and train a single “minimum wage” employee to be approximately $3,300, or 15% of annual salary. Read Gray Poehler's full column here.

Housing
The hidden side of Miami's housing crisis

 In some parts of South Florida the word "efficiency" has come to mean rooms with baths or other small spaces within single-family homes — sometimes not even a kitchenette — that owners rent to make ends meet. Such rentals are often illegal because of housing codes that ban multifamily rentals, so the owners try to hide the arrangement.

» More from the Miami Herald.

See also:
» What renters love and hate about life in South Florida, according to new survey

 

Profile
Fat Dog Spirits

florida originalsCraft beer still grabs the headlines. But in the Tampa region, vodka revivals are all the rage. Consider Ram Ramcharran, who recently breathed new life into Fat Dog Spirits, an artisan distillery founded in 2003 in Ybor City by investment banker Nick Carboni.

» Read more from the Business Observer.