2024 hurricane season: Yes, we had Debby and Helene, but October is Florida's peak season
A season that went from daunting with Cat 5 Beryl to questionable with an August lull to catastrophic with Helene isn't likely done yet. “The precautionary tale for South Florida is the peak hurricane threat is in October. It’s not August, it’s not September, it’s October,” said Jonathan Erdman, a senior meteorologist with Weather.com. More from the Palm Beach Post.
Miami shark alert! Daymond John bases his team in Wynwood
When Daymond John, the iconic entrepreneur and Shark Tank star, sets up shop, people take notice. But this time, instead of stepping into the tank to negotiate high-stakes deals, he’s chosen a new kind of space to drive his latest ventures. And it’s happening right here in Wynwood. John has selected coworking hub Mindspace Wynwood as his new headquarters. But why Miami? What makes it the ideal backdrop for his latest ventures? More from Refresh Miami.
STARCOM to bring more than 450 military and civilian jobs to Patrick Space Force Base
The first cohort of dozens of STARCOM guardians are on scene at Patrick Space Force Base, working to establish the fledgling military branch's space-warfighting training hub by late 2025. In terms of economic impact, STARCOM — a major Space Force command — will bring in about 350 personnel from across the nation to Patrick by 2026, Col. Mandi Fuller told the crowd during a panel discussion at last month's Space Coast Symposium at the Astronauts Memorial Foundation. More from Florida Today.
$1B terminal expansion to start at Fort Myers airport
The terminal expansion project at Southwest Florida International Airport will launch its second phase Oct. 1, marking the start of what officials expect will be a three-year process. More than $1 billion is budgeted for this phase of the project, which officials say will enable the Fort Myers airport — which served more than 10 million passengers in 2023 — to meet an anticipated increase in demand. More from the Business Observer.
Another record Lake County deal: $165M for Wellness Way land minutes from Disney
A Canadian homebuilder paid a staggering $165 million Friday for 2,300 acres of undeveloped land in Lake County’s Wellness Way area, breaking the county’s previous sale record set just three months ago. The sale nearly doubles the $90 million price Pulte paid to GT USA in July for the 518-acre Schofield property just up the road. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Out of the Box
No ocean needed: Australian developer announces Jacksonville Surf Park in eTown
Rather than wait for a brewing storm to create the best waves along Northeast Florida’s coast, Jacksonville surfers could soon turn to eTown. Aventuur, an Australian-based surf park developer and manager, has selected Jacksonville as the location for its next surf park development.
» More from the Jacksonville Business Journal and the Jacksonville Daily Record.
End of an Era
One last walk around Disney’s Tom Sawyer Island
The days are numbered for Tom Sawyer Island, a longtime Frontierland feature, at Magic Kingdom. In August, Disney announced that the space would be repurposed for two “Cars”-themed attractions. It didn’t say when, exactly, the last chance to visit the island in its current state would be, although the company said work would get into “high gear next year.”
» Read more from the Orlando Sentinel.