SHARE:
Monday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Record-breaking travel predicted for 4th of July in Florida
If you haven't finalized your Fourth of July travel plans yet, it might be time to nail them down as record-breaking Florida travelers narrow down their own trips for the weekend. AAA expects more than 2.8 million Floridians will take at least one trip of 50 miles or more over the holiday weekend, an increase of 87,000 more holiday travelers than the previous record set last year. According to their travel forecast, 2.4 million Floridians will be hitting the roads with their cars while the other 340,000 is split up among those flying or taking other means of transportation. More from the Gainesville Sun and the Fort Myers News-Press.
Desk rates for coworking space rising fast in Miami-Dade, Broward
Miami-Dade and Broward counties have among the fastest average desk rates for coworking space in North America, according to a workspace consulting firm. According to a recent report from The Instant Group, a London-based digital listing service for flexible office and meeting rooms, average desk rates in the first quarter of 2023 for Miami-Dade County was $666, an increase of 6% from the previous year. More from the South Florida Business Journal.
UCF wants to double enrollment in high-wage fields like engineering, computer science, more
The University of Central Florida wants to grow its engineering, computer science and related program enrollment over the next decade. UCF's Board of Trustees on June 29 will review the school's proposed legislative priorities for fiscal-year 2024-25 — including a request for over $40 million in recurring funds to boost the total enrollment in those programs by 8,307 students, or by 50%. More from the Orlando Business Journal.
Tampa-based pet health company receives $5 million investment
An Oldsmar-based pet health and wellness company has something to celebrate after receiving a $5 million investment from Alphia, a U.S. custom pet food manufacturer. Better Choice Company Inc., a publicly traded company on the NYSE, plans to use the investment to eliminate debt from the company’s subsidiary brand Halo, Purely for Pets Inc., while also improving its liquidity, according to a statement. More from the Business Observer.
Miami-based baby products company Frida opening Jacksonville distribution center
Frida, the Miami- based “born in Sweden, made in America” company that calls itself the brand “preparing parents for the unfiltered realities of parenthood,” is leasing a 270,716-square-foot distribution center in Westlake Industrial Park. The city is reviewing a permit application for a $1.7 million project for Frida to install pallet racking in the building at 11007 Development Way, which is Building 1 at Becknell at Westlake Industrial Park. Apex Storage LLC is the contractor. More from the Jacksonville Daily Record.
Arts Business
One big display, 365 spigots: Art exhibit taps into South Florida’s water woes
It was early April, and colossal floodwaters were ravaging parts of Broward County, engulfing streets and displacing residents. Just as the floods surged through Fort Lauderdale, sisters Dana Kleinman and Ruth Avra were debuting their art exhibit highlighting a different water crisis. “It was sort of art coming to life,” Avra said. They took it as a sign. Titled “Boil Notice,” their interactive art installation at the Pompano Beach Cultural Center illuminates chronic water quality issues, specifically the prevalent issuance of boil-water notices.
» More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Innovation
Connecting seniors
After spending time with his grandparents, who live in the Villages, Lyman Starmer, 19, of Jacksonville started to think about the online platforms that connect residents of adult communities. At age 17, he started an online platform called Perspective with the goal of connecting people on bipartisan issues. He decided to shift into a platform where residents of 55+ and multifamily communities could connect socially, and managers could use the platform for practical purposes such as for announcements or planning events.
» Read more from Florida Trend.
In case you missed it:
