Florida Trend | Florida's Business Authority

Central Florida & Space Coast Business Briefs - Dec. 2007

DAYTONA BEACH —

» Daytona Beach Community College’s board of trustees voted to rename the school Daytona Beach College as it follows a statewide trend in offering four-year degrees.

LAKE COUNTY —

» Waterman Center, a partnership that includes Orlando developers Beat Kahli, Mary Demetree and Ron Schwartz, has sold 35 acres on U.S. 441 in Tavares to Partners in Ministry for $4.04 million.

MAITLAND —

» CRSHotels.com, an online hotel reservations system, launches a new website this month that focuses on Florida vacation resorts.

MELBOURNE —

» Melbourne International Airport’s board of directors has approved plans for Kindred Healthcare of Louisville, Ky., to build a 60-bed acute-care hospital on the site of a former World War II Naval Air Station hospital.

» Harris Corp. (NYSE-HRS) has won several new contracts to supply equipment for the Army, including $146 million for Falcon II high-frequency radios and accessories.

» Aircraft manufacturer Liberty Aerospace has secured financing that will allow the company to expand its production. The deal was arranged by Kuwait Finance House (Bahrain), which manages Liberty’s major shareholder, Fernas Europe.

ORANGE COUNTY —

» Orlando and Orange County have adopted measures for lowering greenhouse gas emissions, including using alternative fuels in government vehicles and incorporating green standards into municipal buildings.

ORLANDO —

» A University of Central Florida team of six engineers came up short in a national robotic-car competition in California after their self-navigating Subaru Outback had to exit the race after two hours. The UCF team was one of 11 competing in the finals.

» Regional transportation agency MetroPlan Orlando has given a nod to two concepts proposed for central Florida: Optional toll lanes down the center of I-4 and accepting private investments for transit projects. Neither idea is officially in the works.

» Walt Disney World and Disney Worldwide Outreach have donated $10 million to Florida Children’s Hospital, which will carry the Disney name. The move puts Florida Hospital into the fray with Orlando Regional Healthcare’s Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Nemours, which is pushing to build a children’s hospital in Orlando.

» The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has awarded a $112,000 grant to UCF Technology Incubator client NeoCytex Biopharma to develop a drug that will speed recovery for patients with brain damage caused by stroke.

» Three area organizations are partnering to host a Community Leadership Conference Jan. 18-20 to coordinate on the region’s plans for growth: The Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission, the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce. The event will be held at the South Seas Island Resort on Captiva Island.

» Jacksonville-based Solantic is doubling its presence in central Florida by opening three healthcare facilities in Apopka, Orlando and Lake Mary and expanding its current clinic inside Wal-Mart on East Colonial Drive.

» The Army Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation, headquartered in Orlando, has granted an $83-million, one-year service contract to General Dynamics Information Technology to support Air Force training. The contract has four one-year extensions available with a ceiling of $146.5 million.

» National City Corp.’s wealth management unit, Private Client Group, opened an office downtown.

» The University of Central Florida’s Center for Energy and Sustainability has released a report detailing how the school consumes energy and measuring its “carbon footprint” created by carbon dioxide emissions. The report gives recommendations on how the university can go “green” and reduce its energy consumption up to 20% by 2011.

Go to Links Links: The Center for Energy and Sustainability’s “Greenhouse Gas Report”
For more articles this month with extra links, go to the Links page.

OSCEOLA COUNTY —

» Kissimmee developer Thomas Chalifoux is planning Poinciana Parke, a $100-million project in Poinciana Office & Industrial Park. It’s expected to employ 2,000 and include retail, restaurants, banking, office space and medical facilities, with construction starting in late 2008.

» Jordan Development Group expects to start construction in mid-2008 on a $24-million retail center at County Road 545 and Teascone Boulevard called Shoppes at Windsor Hills.

SANFORD —

» Insight Financial Credit Union has donated $1 million to Seminole Community College.

WINTER PARK —

» The city has started a $3.5-million streetscaping project along Orange Avenue from U.S. 17-92 to Holt Avenue.