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Northeast Fla., Jacksonville Business Briefs - Aug. 2008
ALACHUA COUNTY
» Commissioners approved a comp-plan amendment for the much-debated Newberry Village, which will bring about 900 homes, 180,000 square feet of retail space and 60,000 square feet of office space to the already-crowded Newberry Road area west of Gainesville. Key to approval was Miami developer New Urban Works’ pledge to help provide a rapid-transit system for the area.
GAINESVILLE
» Plum Creek Timber Co. has proposed a 1,890-home development on 1,778 acres it owns on the northeast side of the city. City commissioners approved the timber company’s initial step, a land-use change, which now goes to the state Department of Community Affairs.
» The University of Florida accidentally posted 11,000 current and former students’ personal information, including Social Security numbers, on the internet where it could be seen by anyone. UF officials notified students who were affected.
» UF trustees approved a 15% tuition hike for freshmen and sophomores. Trustees also are considering a flat tuition rate to entice students to take more classes each semester. Many full-time students now take 12 credit hours a semester, which means it takes them five years to earn the 120 hours required for a bachelor’s degree.
JACKSONVILLE
» Former LandMar executives Edward Burr and Roger Postlethwaite, along with former JEA CEO Walt Bussells, have launched a community-development company called GreenPointe Holdings that will build environmentally sustainable communities in the Southeast.
» The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined three contractors nearly $193,000 and cited them with nine safety violations for last year’s collapse of a Jacksonville parking garage under construction. The accident killed one worker.
NASSAU COUNTY
» In an effort to stimulate growth, county commissioners suspended impact fees for six months and slashed building permit fees by 50%.
