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Southwest Florida Roundup
Bolstering Opioid Recovery
SPOTLIGHT
The Pasco County Board of Commissioners awarded $8.1 million to nine organizations that aid people struggling with substance abuse and mental health disorders. The money comes from a global settlement with opioid manufacturers and distributors and will be used for mental health support, medical supplies, transitional housing, case management and community outreach.
BayCare Behavioral Health received the biggest share of that funding — $3.57 million — for its Advancing Opiate Treatment and Recovery Program. The urgent care center will service 1,100 individuals in crisis or in recovery. It’s the first such facility in the region.
“The urgent care will fill the in-between space,” says Tracey Kaly, director of ambulatory clinical operations for BayCare Behavioral Health. “It can help individuals who aren’t sure what they need. They may need to simply talk with someone. They may have suicidal thoughts. They may need detoxification services. We will help them figure out what they need and immediately connect them to those services.”
The facility, which will be constructed from an existing building, is scheduled to open in December.
MANUFACTURING
- Texas-based Dakota Premium Hardwoods, a hardwood and lumber supplier, has opened a 72,000-sq.-ft distribution center at Enterprise Charlotte Airport Park in Punta Gorda where it will employ up to 50 workers. The company’s decision to expand into the market was fueled by home construction and rebuilding following hurricanes Ian and Idalia.
- America Industrial Guide, a manufacturer of biodegradable cleaning products for industrial machinery, opened a 10,000-sq.-ft. facility in east Tampa where it looks to add 12 to 15 jobs over the next two years.
- Coca-Cola is closing its Dunedin plant and laying off 198 workers, according to a WARN notice filed with the state. Operations will be transferred to Peace River Citrus, a third-party co-packer in Bartow.
PHILANTHROPY
- Bayfront Health in St. Petersburg, an Orlando Health hospital, received a $2-million donation from Tom James, chairman emeritus of Raymond James Financial, and his wife Mary. It is the single largest gift in Bayfront Health’s history and will be used to fund a cardiac hybrid operating room, which allows for multiple procedures to occur simultaneously.
HOSPITALITY
- The St. Regis Longboat Key Resort, the largest development by acreage on the island in over 50 years, will open this summer. The 168-room resort along 18 acres of beach includes a 20,000 sq.-ft. spa, four restaurants, multiple pools and a saltwater lagoon with stingrays and Galapagos turtles.
DEVELOPMENT
- Countryside Golf and Country Club in Naples recently broke ground on a $14-million renovation project that will double its dining room capacity as well as add an outdoor dining terrace, a covered outdoor café and bar, an updated lobby and increased parking. Construction is slated to be complete in early 2025.
PARTNERSHIPS
- Tampa Electric has designated the University of Tampa as its “preferred education partner.” Starting fall 2024, qualified TECO employees enrolled in a UT graduate program will receive a TECO Partnership Tuition Grant of $50 per credit hour for select degree and certificate programs.
SPORTS
- The United Soccer League is creating a professional team in Naples. USL Naples will have a home base at Paradise Coast Sports Complex and will begin playing in 2025. The team’s name, crest and colors will be decided through listening sessions in the community throughout 2024.
TRANSPORTATION
- Spirit Airlines launched a non-stop flight from Luis Muñoz Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Southwest Florida International Airport. The route comes as Spirit Airlines celebrates its 30th year of service in Fort Myers.
EDUCATION
- Pasco County schools are offering a free mental health text service to all middle school and high school students. The Central Florida Behavioral Health Network partnered with Cope Notes, a Tampa-based text-based intervention service, to send one randomly timed message a day to students to help combat negative thoughts and encourage resiliency.
INFRASTRUCTURE
- The Florida Department of Transportation and Lee County are working on a $13-million project at the busiest intersection on Estero Island in Fort Myers Beach. Enhancements will include upgraded traffic signals and an expanded pedestrian path. The project is slated for completion in November 2025.
IN MEMORIAM
“Helping others succeed is one of my greatest joys in life. We can truly make a difference in people’s lives when we give back.”
— David Pizzo described how working with non-profits inspired him in a 2020 interview with the Nonprofit Leadership Center. Pizzo, Florida Blue’s market president for West Florida since 2008, died in February at age 64 from pancreatic cancer. Formally trained as a pharmacist at Rutgers University, Pizzo began his tenure at Florida Blue in 1997 after serving as senior vice president at Ogilvy Common- Health. He volunteered with United Way Suncoast, served as chair of the Tampa Bay Partnership and chaired the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council. He was a board member for United Way Suncoast, Tampa Bay Thrives and the Straz Center for Performing Arts.
