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Monday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida's iconic palm trees threatened by invasive disease
Florida's iconic palm trees are under attack from a fatal disease that turns them to dried crisps in months, with no chance for recovery once they become ill. Spread by a rice-sized, plant-hopping insect, lethal bronzing has gone from a small infestation on Florida's Gulf Coast to a nearly statewide problem in just over a decade. Florida's official state tree — the tall, broad-leafed sabal palm — is especially susceptible and Florida nurseries, businesses and homeowners are taking a financial hit as they scrap infected palms. More from WUSF.
Vacant since the ’90s, last slice of the old Orlando Naval annex is for sale
More than a decade after it was pulled off the market, the last vestige of the McCoy Naval Annex in Orlando is once again for sale — this time attracting national interest. Since the 1990s when the U.S. Navy pulled out of the city, the remaining 126 acres of the old training base have sat vacant, as other parcels around it have been developed, including 200 acres of former military housing converted to duplexes in what’s now Villages of Southport and 1,100 acres that became upscale Baldwin Park east of downtown Orlando. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Clearwater-based Pinch A Penny named a top franchise for women
Clearwater-based chain Pinch A Penny Pool Patio Spa was named among FranchiseBusinessReview's "Top 50 Franchises for Women." Pinch A Penny was No. 8 on the list. "Our independent franchisee satisfaction reviews measure the health of franchise systems that participate in our research based exclusively on the feedback of franchise owners," the ranking said. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Florida-bound Norwegian Encore gets first taste of water
One of the newest cruise ships in the world got its first taste of water when Norwegian Encore was floated out for the first time. The latest and largest in the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet, Encore will make its way to Miami for Caribbean sailings this November. It appeared under the daylight for the first time from its enclosure at Meyer Werft Shipyard on Saturday in Papenburg, Germany ahead of its fall debut. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Jacksonville’s historic Florida Theatre in line for city funding for restoration
The Florida Theatre first opened on a spring day in 1927, a seven-story wonder with a rooftop garden joining other movie palaces lining Forsyth Street with elegant names like the Savoy, Empress, Imperial, Palace and St. Johns. The historic 1,900-seat Jacksonville theater, home to everything from summer movie festivals to holiday Nutcracker ballets and major musical acts, is the only one left. It could see its first major renovation since the 1980s. More from the Florida Times-Union.
Business Profile
Cambridge Innovation Center
In a city known for a plethora of co-working spaces, standing out becomes a challenge. But since landing in Miami two years ago, the Cambridge Innovation Center has done so. Sitting just west of I-95 inside the complex previously known as the University of Miami Life Science and Technology Park, CIC sticks out as the tallest building in the area. Today it is called the Converge Innovation District.
» More from the Miami Herald.
Luxury Trends
Revvies Luxury Transportation
A 1947 Cadillac may be the future. Justin Norwood thinks so. He has started a Sarasota-based business — Revvies Luxury Transportation — with his wife, Tammy, that offers chauffeured drives to weddings, anniversaries and other special occasions in vintage automobiles. Their carefully curated fleet includes a 1947 Cadillac, 1959 Rolls-Royce and 1965 Rolls-Royce. The cars are sourced domestically, and local craftsmen do extensive renovation — taking months to get the vehicles into showroom shape.
» Read more from the Business Observer.
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