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Thursday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
In 2023, Florida insurers turned first profit in seven years
In 2023, Florida’s domestic insurers turned a net profit for the first time in seven years, a new report by marketing intelligence company S&P Global said. The study of “around 50” Florida-based insurers credited the turnaround to investment income, a mild hurricane year, and tort reforms that took effect in March 2023. The group reported $147.3 million in net income for 2023. More from the Orlando Sentinel and S&P Global.
Florida Semiconductor Institute could land in Jacksonville
Jacksonville is the front-runner to become the future home of the University of Florida's Florida Semiconductor Institute that Gov. Ron DeSantis calls the next step in building the state's growing semiconductor industry. UF has not yet made a site selection but at a board of trustees meeting this month, board Chairman Mori Hosseini said putting the Florida Semiconductor Institute in Jacksonville would be in addition to the ongoing work toward building a UF graduate campus in the downtown area. More from the Florida Times-Union.
Can a $150 million makeover revive a Miami mall? Shopping is just a part of it
Shopping malls are changing in South Florida. They’re no longer just corridors with store after store. They’re becoming town squares, with fitness centers, residential towers, arcades and amusement centers — alongside the traditional retail. A Northeast Miami-Dade mall, with roots over six decades, is the latest to join the trend in moving from shopping center to lifestyle center. More from the Miami Herald.
Pay to park? Gainesville commissioners to discuss downtown parking
After suspending paid parking in downtown Gainesville in February 2022 amid public outcry from residents and local business owners, then-City Commissioner Harvey Ward cautioned it wasn't a dead issue. “I want everyone to be aware that this is something we are going to take on," Ward said. "It won’t go away." It appears that time has finally come with Gainesville city commissioners scheduled to take up the issue of paid parking during Thursday's general meeting. More from the Gainesville Sun.
Tampa Bay area’s greenhouse gas emissions estimated for the first time
For the first time ever, a local agency has taken inventory of greenhouse gas emitted by the Tampa Bay area — quantifying how much the region contributes to climate change. The verdict: 31.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent were produced by Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando counties in 2021, according to the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Profile
John Wood: Steering the twists and turns of dark rides
John Wood helped cut the ribbon March 1 at the Circus Circus Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas to open “SpongeBob’s Crazy Carnival Ride,” the latest animated interactive attraction his company, Sally Dark Rides, designed, built and installed. The company started in Jacksonville in 1977. Since then, Sally has installed hundreds of animatronic characters and nearly 80 dark rides at dozens of theme parks and other large-scale attractions.
» More from the Jacksonville Daily Record.
Florida MBA Programs
Tackling global challenges
Marina Lopez enjoyed all the benefits of a global MBA program without leaving home. The University of Miami’s Global Executive MBA program attracts executives and senior managers from all over the world — Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, the Caribbean, Spain, Germany, Israel, India, to name a few — as well as from the United States. Lopez, the director of global solution management at Avnet in Miami, at first set her sights on a global MBA program abroad, but UM’s program checked all the boxes not only because of the mix of students but the courses were globally strategic and culturally relevant.
» Read more from Florida Trend.
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