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Monday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Goldman Sachs mulls moving asset management HQ to Florida
Goldman Sachs is one of Wall Street’s best-known firms, its identity indelibly tied to New York. Yet it may move at least some parts of a major division to Florida, with costs and the pandemic in mind. It’s not clear how much of the business, which generates about $8 billion in annual revenue, might move. The firm has reportedly looked at areas around Miami, but may ultimately choose to move elsewhere (or not at all). More from the New York Times, Bloomberg, and the Street.
Miami’s small fashion and beauty brands were hit hard by COVID. They pivoted fast
For nine years, Jaimie Nicole Scheiner had built up her namesake jewelry brand, operating out of a Coral Gables office/showroom. Smaller businesses like Scheiner’s felt the impact of the COVID crisis much more than big brands. Scheiner’s quick pivot to online paid off, and fortunately, she hasn’t suffered supply chain setbacks, with 75% of her jewelry created in house. More from the Miami Herald.
Florida gas prices see 13-cent spike in past week
Average gas prices saw a substantial increase in the past week thanks to optimism over pending vaccines to help control the outbreak of coronavirus, according to AAA Florida Auto Club data released Monday. A gallon of gas now costs about $2.15 across the state, which is about 13 cents higher than a week ago. It’s the first serious uptick since early October as prices had been falling for most of the fall months while COVID-19 had started to take its toll in a resurgence not only in Florida, but across the nation. More from Florida Politics.
Ask Gary Siesta Key hotel proposal gets earful at first workshop
The wrangling over a proposed seven-story, 120-bed hotel on Siesta Key officially began last week at a virtual workshop that was so well attended that those hoping to get feedback on the proposal had to turn away latecomers. The development team pitching its plan repeatedly downplayed the size and scope of the project. They also suggested that the developer’s request to change the county’s underlying zoning regulations, which would impact other areas of Siesta Key, wasn’t that big a deal. More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
FedEx Ground wants to open Westlake distribution center
FedEx intends to lease the Stag Westlake building in Westlake Industrial Park as a distribution center. Jacksonville is reviewing a permit application for Emerald C’s Development Inc. to build-out the 231,030-square-foot building at 9779 Pritchard Road in West Jacksonville at a cost of more than $1 million. FedEx Ground is identified as the tenant. More from the Jacksonville Daily Record.
Entertainment
Symphony moves into shopping center for some shows, operations
In the latest example of creative reuse of commercial real estate, particularly in shopping malls, Bell Tower has provided space for the Southwest Florida Symphony. The open-air shopping center, operated by MadisonMarquette, has provided the symphony with the use of a 4,254-square-foot storefront for ongoing artistic and operations activities, according to a statement. The space, which includes a satellite box office for the symphony, will be used for both professional and youth orchestral rehearsals, auditions and small performances, the release adds.
» More from the Business Observer.
Out of the Box
How a solitary cow grazing on a million-dollar property created a beef between a church and a county
At first glance, the lone cow grazing on a nearly two-acre chunk of fenced land next to a church in Broward County seems innocuous enough. But behind those big, brown eyes is a sour controversy. Bambi is something of a sacred cow. She sparked a legal dispute that still rankles county officials. An animal rights group accused the church of cruel treatment. And in the end, Bambi may be the most valuable bovine around.
» Read more from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
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