April 2025 | Brittney J. Miller
SPOTLIGHT
The Dunedin Golf Club originally opened on Jan. 1, 1927, and was home to the PGA of America from 1945 through 1962. Now, it’s owned by the City of Dunedin, which completed a $6.2-million restoration of the property in late 2024.
Among the renovations was the complete transformation of the course’s Highland House restaurant, turning the scene from an old men’s card room into a chic dining experience. Tampa Bay restaurant management company Feinstein Group leads its food and beverage operations.
Green fronds now climb up fresh wallpaper, the backdrop to new velvet-upholstered seating and decor that the restaurant deems “totally Instagrammable.” It features affordable food options — including $5 happy hour deals — along with pricier entrees like a $22 16-oz. pork chop and $24 steak frites. The renovations were designed to create a more inclusive golf destination for younger, co-ed crowds.
“We’re excited about appealing to a younger demographic, just as the PGA did in their time. Highland House was designed to stand out from traditional country clubs,” says Christina Feinstein, chief marketing officer and co-founder of The Feinstein Group. “I’m hopeful that the renovation of Highland House, along with the restoration of the course, will bring (PGA’s) attention back.”
TRANSPORTATION
- In a yearlong pilot project, Tampa introduced its first bus route to go fare-free in Hillsborough County in hopes of increasing ridership and speeding up service. Nearby, Dunedin officials approved another year of the city’s Freebee shuttle service.
- After 16 months of work, the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport unveiled its new Concourse A — a $72-million addition featuring five additional gates, three new food options, expanded seating areas and modernized amenities.
HIGHER EDUCATION
- Saint Leo University President Ed Dadez retired in February for personal reasons after two and a half years in the role. He worked for the school for 25 years, holding a number of leadership roles, and will be named president emeritus during the university’s May commencement ceremonies.
ENERGY
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded $1.3 billion to Tampa-based Seminole Electric Cooperative to develop 700 megawatts of utility-scale solar and battery energy storage projects in rural areas, creating around 3,400 jobs.
DEVELOPMENT
- A 56-acre portion of Tampa's Big Cat Rescue property, which rose to fame on the 2020 Netflix series Tiger King, was sold to Clearwater-based Boos Development for $19.5 million to develop 280 townhouses. The remaining 11 acres will be sold to a different developer for new apartments.
HOUSING
- Houston-based developer Morgan Group closed on about 74 acres in Tarpon Springs to construct a 404-unit riverfront apartment complex using a $67.7-million loan.
- The Viridian, an age- and income-restricted apartment tower in downtown St. Petersburg, will receive a $73.2-million makeover and be renamed Skye Isle Apartments.
LOGISTICS
- Riverview-based BlueGrace Logistics is acquiring Palm Harbor-based FreightCenter, an online transportation solutions provider ranked among the largest software developers in Tampa Bay.
AGRICULTURE
- Following a 73% decline in citrus production over 10 years, Fort Myers-based grower Alico will not spend additional money on citrus operations after its current crop is harvested, pointing to hurricane damage and citrus greening disease.
ENTERTAINMENT
- The Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art at Lakeland’s Florida Southern College has opened its 14,000-sq.-ft. and $8-million expansion, which adds seven galleries, educational spaces, a creativity lab and renovations to the original 1988 structure.
- Legoland Florida is laying off 234 employees, around three-quarters of whom are performers.
INVESTING
- Tether, the largest company in the cryptocurrency industry, has purchased $775 million in shares of Rumble, a Longboat Key-based alternative media and streaming platform.
- Amazon will purchase up to $160 million in shares of St. Petersburg electronics giant Jabil to strengthen ties between their cloud-related businesses.
CANNABIS
- Tampa cannabis company Cansortium has closed its $150-million merger with New York’s RIV Capital, establishing a multistate cannabis platform in four of the top U.S. cannabis markets.
BANKING
- Winter Haven’s SouthState Bank acquired Texas-based Independent Bank for $2 billion. The deal formed a super-regional enterprise with more than 340 branches across 12 states, making it the largest bank headquartered in Florida.
EDUCATION
- University of South Florida President Rhea Law, 75, announced plans to retire after a national search is conducted and her successor is chosen. Law has been USF’s president since 2021. Under her leadership, in 2023 USF became the first public university in Florida to be invited to join the Association of American Universities in nearly 40 years.