SPOTLIGHT
Florida’s 350-mile coral reef experienced its record-worst coral bleaching event last summer. Prolonged hot water temperatures — 5 degrees warmer than usual — starved corals across South Florida, killing many. Scientists warn that such events may grow more frequent and more devastating with climate change.
To help Florida’s coral reefs recover, the Florida Aquarium in Tampa and the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science are teaming up.
Researchers traveled to Honduras, where corals have fared better amid warm ocean temperatures, and collected coral DNA samples and live fragments. Back in the U.S., the team will attempt a “genetic rescue” by breeding the Honduran corals with Florida corals in hopes of raising a stronger, more resilient generation.
If successful — and with state and federal approval — they’ll plant the young corals in Florida reefs to revitalize marine ecosystems for years to come.
“The corals from Honduras have acclimated well to their new home, and we are anticipating being able to cross them with Florida corals and raise those offspring,” says Keri O’Neil, director of the aquarium’s Coral Conservation and Research Center.
BUSINESS
- St. Petersburg ranks fourth among mid-sized U.S. cities for its economic growth, according to a Coworking Cafe market study. It saw 81% more business applications in 2022 than in 2018 — the third highest jump among analyzed cities. Its exports nearly doubled in that timeframe, and its GDP rose by 36.1%. Tampa ranked seventh among mid-sized cities. To save on costs, shoe retailer Foot Locker will relocate its global headquarters from New York City to St. Petersburg in 2025. The move is expected to create 175 new jobs in the city by 2026. New Jersey real estate investment firm Saxum Real Estate Partners has purchased Net-Park Tampa Bay for $45 million. Spanning about 1 million square feet, it’s Tampa Bay’s largest office building. It was originally the East Lake Mall before being converted to offices in the 1990s.
TRANSPORTATION
- Lake Wales was awarded $22.9 million from the federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity program for a new bike lane, expanded sidewalks, underground high-speed fiber and other streetscape upgrades for four roads.
DEVELOPMENT
- St. Louis-based developer Summit Real Estate Group has broken ground on a 318,000-sq.- ft. industrial park in Lakeland. The project will include two buildings — one totaling 135,000 square feet, the other 183,000 square feet.
- Developer ZOM Living has sold Azola South Tampa, a recently developed luxury rental community, to Miami-based Momentum Real Estate Partners for $64.3 million. The 214-unit community spans nine acres near Westshore Plaza and Hyde Park Village.
- The Bradenton City Council agreed to sell its City Hall property for $14.1 million to L&L Development Group. The West Palm Beach-based developer aims to buy the land in 2026. Its plans include a 20-story building with 95 condos, a 14-story hotel with 130 rooms, an eight-story building with 350 apartments, an eight-story parking garage and retail, restaurant and green spaces.
HIGHER EDUCATION
- Florida Polytechnic University is partnering with the Fulbright Commission Brazil program to allow Brazilian researchers and scholars to collaborate with students and staff at the university. The Fulbright Program, led by the U.S. Department of State, has worked with 160 nations and 400,000 scholars since 1946.
HEALTH CARE
- Tampa General Hospital will use a donation from philanthropists and business leaders John and Susan Sykes to pay for a new colorectal cancer center at the TGH Cancer Institute. Hospital officials called the donation “substantial” but haven’t revealed its value.
- Bartow Regional Medical Center, southeast of Lakeland, is undertaking a $110-million expansion. It will grow from 72 to 90 beds, and its ER will add 27 exam rooms and a second floor. The project is slated for completion by the end of 2026.
NONPROFITS
- The Haven, a Sarasota-based nonprofit supporting people with disabilities, has purchased a three-acre property in Sarasota’s University Town Center for $1.05 million. It intends to build a supportive living community that includes two-to-four-bedroom homes.
RESTAURANTS
- Bloomin’ Brands, the parent company of restaurant chains like Outback Steakhouse and Bonefish Grill, has named Delta Airlines COO Michael Spanos as its new chief executive. Current CEO David Deno will stay on in a transitional role until the end of this year.