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Monday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
› Florida Senate approves bill to ease craft distillery restrictions
In a unanimous vote, the Florida Senate has given a thumbs up to a bill that would ease restrictions on craft distilleries in the state. Republican Sen. Travis Hutson is the sponsor of Senate Bill 46, which he says levels the playing field. “Senate Bill 46 attempts to put our craft distilleries on the same playing field nationally as other states,” Hutson was quoted by Florida Politics as having told the Senate Rules Committee.
› Blackstone is doubling down on Miami. It bought the 2 and 3 Miami Central office buildings
Two office towers sold for $230 million in Downtown Miami to New York private equity firm Blackstone, signaling the firm’s ongoing belief in the potential of Miami’s business environment. The acquisition of 2 and 3 Miami Central comes just months after Blackstone said it would be opening a tech office at 2 Miami Central totaling 41,000 square feet. Although the two announcements are not directly related — Friday’s acquisition is by funds managed by Blackstone Real Estate, a separate group from Blackstone’s tech unit — they are driven by the same confidence in Miami’s future.
› Disney World union says theme park employees deserve the vaccine now
Inside the Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland, Estefania Villadiego cannot escape the reality of being a frontline theme park worker during the pandemic. “I go home every day scared,” said Villadiego, 30, of Orlando. Can she kiss her daughter when she comes home from work? What if today was when she finally got the dreaded coronavirus? Now, Villadiego is demanding to be allowed to get the vaccine with her fellow Disney World employees.
› Icemen complete $6 million Jacksonville Ice & Sportsplex purchase
A Jacksonville Icemen hockey team affiliate completed the $6 million purchase of the Jacksonville Ice & Sportsplex on March 15 as a $7.5 million incentive package to aid the deal nears a final City Council vote. JICE LLC, managed by Icemen majority owner Andrew Kaufmann, bought the ice rink facility at 3605 Philips Highway from PSF I Jax Metro LLC, according to Duval County Clerk of Court Records. Records also show Kaufmann issued a $6.1 million mortgage to JICE LLC on March 15.
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