SHARE:
Monday's Afternoon Update
Cattle ranchers want Florida to preserve their land. Will DeSantis, Legislature fund the programs?
Cattlemen are banking on Florida’s leaders to fund the programs that allow the state to purchase development rights. Those programs are underfunded and last year a planned $100 million investment was vetoed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Meanwhile, ranchers grapple with whether to sell their land to developers for millions and watch the area they farmed turn into concrete structures, or sell development rights to the state and keep their cattle ranch in the family. More from Phys.org and the Orlando Sentinel.
Tampa manufacturer to acquire PGT Innovations for $3 billion
The largest publicly traded company in Sarasota County and one of the region's biggest employers, PGT Innovations, has been sold. In a Monday morning statement, Masonite International, a Tampa-based manufacturer and distributor of interior and exterior doors, says it will acquire PGT, a Venice-based designer and manufacturer of impact-resistant patio door and window systems. Masonite will pay $3 billion in a combination of cash and Masonite shares, according to the statement. More from the Business Observer.
Train-tunnel fight not over, Fort Lauderdale mayor says: ‘I have a city to protect’
A screaming headline topped a blistering 2,141-word message sent to thousands by Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis: “County seeks monster train bridge. Downtown future at stake as bridge-tunnel debate comes to head regarding New River Crossing.” The tactic worked. People noticed. One observer said it was like throwing gas on an already raging fire, a reference to the ongoing battle between Broward County and Fort Lauderdale over the best way to get commuter trains across downtown Fort Lauderdale’s New River. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Pensacola misses passenger rail grant, but not giving up on bringing Amtrak back
Pensacola was not on the grant list of 69 passenger rail routes announced by the federal government that will be studied for future expansion, but Pensacola is not giving up on its goal to bring Amtrak back to Northwest Florida. Last week, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration announced the award of 69 corridor identification study grants across the country, including the route from New Orleans to Mobile, Alabama, and routes in Florida that would connect the cities of Jacksonville, Orlando, Miami and Tampa. More from the Pensacola News Journal.
Jacksonville will hire firm for "preconstruction" help on stadium deal
The city of Jacksonville is moving closer to hiring a firm that will help crunch the numbers on construction costs for a massive renovation of EverBank Stadium as talks between the city and the Jaguars move forward. The city will open bids next Wednesday from firms interested in working on "preconstruction and planning of these potential future improvements," according to the request for proposals issued by the city Public Works Department. More from the Florida Times-Union.
Transportation Trends
Sarasota County’s on-demand Breeze transit service gains thousands of riders
An increasing number of Sarasota County’s public transportation riders rely on a system that looks a lot like a private ride-sharing service but with one big difference: who pays for most of the ride’s actual cost. Since the summer of 2021, the county has operated an on-demand transit service alongside its slimmed-down fixed-route bus and paratransit network. And the on-demand component is gaining traction of late, county documents show.
» More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Out of the Box
‘Surfing Santas’ will congregate at Cocoa Beach on Christmas Eve
Santa has a lot of stops to make on Christmas Eve, but first, he’s making a trip down to Florida to enjoy some fun in the sun before a busy night of delivering gifts. Surfing Santas returns to Cocoa Beach on the morning of Dec. 24, bringing thousands of Kris Kringle look-alikes and festive Floridians together for an annual event that’s always merry and bright.
» Read more from Orlando Sentinel.
In case you missed it:
