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What you need to know about Florida today
Industry reps invoke Florida’s pioneering film history in call to resurrect state incentives program
Will this be the year Florida resurrects its dormant film and television productions incentives program? Industry members who call the state home sure hope so, citing billions in forgone revenue and the state’s pioneering history in motion pictures. On Thursday, longtime entertainment pros beseeched members of the Miami-Dade County legislative delegation to support bringing the program back, telling attendees at a public hearing downtown it’s a no-brainer. More from Florida Politics.
Space Florida expects humans in space will double in next decade
A total of 639 humans have flown to space. Space Florida CEO Frank DiBello expects that number to double in the next 10 years. “More people will have flown to space than in the last 70 years,” he predicted about the coming decade. And he anticipates Florida will remain the most popular port of launch, as it has been since NASA started launching rockets from Cape Canaveral. More from Florida Politics.
Orlando hotel demand hits pre-pandemic levels. What’s ahead.
Central Florida's 2023 travel season is kicking off on a positive note, based on industry data. Visit Orlando data released on Jan. 5 showed leisure and meeting-related booked trips are stronger this January than the same month last year. Booking activity was up 17% year-over-year, although no exact booking figures were disclosed. More from the Orlando Business Journal.
St. Petersburg Chamber endorses Rays’ Tropicana Field proposal
A longtime business ally of the Tampa Bay Rays has thrown its weight behind the team’s proposal to redevelop St. Petersburg’s Tropicana Field site. The St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce on Thursday endorsed a plan for the 86-acre site pitched by Rays and global real estate firm Hines, calling it “a vision of our future that provides a thoughtful distribution of opportunity” in a column signed by chairperson Sandra Braham and president and CEO Chris Steinocher, published Thursday by the Tampa Bay Times. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Jacksonville approves $10 million to raise power lines as JaxPort tries to regain Asian cargo
Jacksonville's port is set to get another round of money from the city of Jacksonville and state of Florida for attracting jumbo-sized cargo container ships. But behind the scenes of huge ships sailing up the river, JaxPort is trying to rebound from a drop in Asian cargo coming through Jacksonville since hitting a high-water mark three years ago. More from the Florida Times-Union.
Business Beat - Week of January 13th
Get top news-to-know with Florida Trend's headline-focused video news brief, hosted by digital content specialist Aimée Alexander.
Sports Business
headline
The city of Jacksonville budget approved in September had about the same expectations of the Jaguar's winning their division and hosting a playoff game as Las Vegas oddsmakers did. Now that the unlikely scenario has become reality, City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to authorize shifting $692,132 into an account for the firm managing city-owned TIAA Bank Field to cover expenses for the Saturday night playoff game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
» Read more from the Florida Times-Union.
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