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Central Florida
Orlando airport prepares for rail connection
LAKE COUNTY — The county government, city of Clermont, local businesses and property owners are working to coordinate plans for eventual development of an estimated 16,000 acres in the southeast corner of Lake County. Proponents of what is being called the Wellness Way Sector say the area could be promoted as a hub for high-tech, health care development and residential communities targeting active lifestyles, with extensive amenities for bicycling, walking and outdoor activities.
MELBOURNE — The Florida Institute of Technology has established the Indian River Lagoon Research Institute to bring together university scientists, engineers, coastal resource managers, educators and community organizations to improve the health of the Indian River Lagoon.
OSCEOLA COUNTY — Photon-X, a 3-D imaging company, is moving to Osceola County and has pledged to generate 110 jobs paying an average of $62,000 a year in return for state and local incentives. The Huntsville, Ala., company develops imaging technologies for the entertainment, health care, military simulation and other industries. >> A 399-acre Twin Oaks Conservation Area, on the north side of Goblet’s Cove on Lake Tohopekaliga, opened to the public in October, offering fishing, hiking, horse trails and birding opportunities. The land once was part of the historic Heart Bar Ranch founded by the Osceola pioneer Partin family.
ORANGE COUNTY — The Orange County Children’s Advocacy Center has been awarded a grant of nearly $1 million to develop prevention, education, advocacy and treatment services for child victims of sexual assault. The CAC, which is part of the Howard Phillips Center for Children & Families, will receive $992,255 over three years from the Office on Violence Against Women. >> Garmor, a graphene oxide manufacturing startup using licensed technology from UCF, moved to a 10,000-sq.-ft. facility near Orlando International Airport. McCraney Property is acquiring the 39-acre Bent Oak Industrial Park, with more than 1,200 feet of turnpike frontage, scheduled for a third-quarter 2014 buildout of warehouse space. University of Central Florida physics professor Daniel Britt won a $6-million grant to start a Center for Lunar and Asteroid Science for NASA. The center at UCF will help identify key robotic and human missions in the solar system.
SEMINOLE COUNTY — Central Florida Regional Hospital opened an 11,000-sq.-ft. freestanding emergency room in Oviedo.
PROFILE: CompDesigns Mobile/UCF
Former Air Force Staff Sgt. Chris Preisler was one of the first participants in a University of Central Florida program that helps military veterans become entrepreneurs. Preisler says the FastTrac New Venture for the Veteran Entrepreneur course gave him more confidence to start an entertainment gaming company, CompDesigns Mobile, in 2013. “It gave me insight on how to market a business, my competition, finances, legal requirements and other aspects that we’re normally not exposed to in the military,” Preisler says. The UCF program is helping veterans at a reduced rate of $100, thanks to sponsors and donors. Licensed through the Kauffman Foundation, the 30-hour workshop will run this year from Jan. 13 through March 24.
