SHARE:
Friday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
› Tampa Mayor Castor pushes to explore opening cruise port for the Riverwalk
The idea has long been talked about by downtown boosters: Why not open up a cruise ship terminal when it’s not in use to extend what’s arguably the town’s most popular public amenity — the Riverwalk that runs along the water? Despite enthusiasm from city stakeholders, the idea hadn’t seen much progress. Port officials cited concerns about security, lost revenue, safety, cost, liability and equipment. But Tuesday, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, who sits on the port’s board, pushed forward exploring the idea.
› DIA board advances new agreement to dock USS Orleck at Pier No. 1
With a deadline looming, the Jacksonville Downtown Investment Authority board advanced an updated 10-year licensing agreement for the nonprofit operator of the USS Orleck to move the floating Naval museum to Pier No. 1 at the future Shipyards West Park. The DIA board voted 6-0 on Jan. 18 to sign off on the agreement, which CEO Lori Boyer says could be sent in legislation to the City Council by Feb. 8.
› Sarasota-Bradenton Airport reports record year with 3.87M passengers
The Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport still managed to pull off a calendar-year passenger record by more than 20%, even after two storm-related air traffic hiccups — one in September and one in December. First it was Hurricane Ian. Then a winter storm over the holidays blew through. Yet, still, 3.87 million passengers travelled through the airport in 2022. That's a 21.6% increase over 2021’s record year of 3.16 million passengers.
› South Florida Motorsports announces new renovations to Miami International Autodrome
South Florida Motorsports, the organizers of the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, announced renovations to the stadium that will include a Paddock Club building and the creation of the F1 Team Village in the center of the Hard Rock Stadium’s football field. Along with the new renovations, organizers will repave the 3.36-mile Grand Prix track to increase the amount of overtakes in the 2023 season.
In case you missed it:
