Can Florida's commercial real estate market moderate without breaking?
Florida has weathered a storm that has wreaked havoc in San Francisco, Chicago and New York. The value of some office buildings in those central business districts has plummeted in recent years as companies made hybrid work permanent, vacancies increased and higher interest rates made refinancing mortgages more expensive. The foundation of Florida's strong property market is a growing population. However, some of the source of that population growth is shifting.[Source: WLRN]
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» Florida’s single-family rental market is resilient, but not without risk
Saharan dust on the way: what that means for Florida
Saharan dust is making a comeback. The first plume of the season is projected to near Florida and the Gulf this weekend and early next week. Saharan dust is not new. Each year, wind from storms in Africa kicks dust into the air. The good news about the dust is that dry air helps suppress tropical development, which is helpful as we approach hurricane season. Hurricane season kicks off on June 1. [Source: WINK News]
Drones, AI help Florida's farmers save money, protect the environment
A new University of Florida study shows how drones can do more than just take aerial pictures and videos—they can help farmers assess the health of their crops with some artificial intelligence assistance. Researchers at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Tropical Research and Education Center (TREC) in Homestead used drone-based imaging to help determine how much nitrogen fertilizer hemp plants need for optimal growth and flower production. [Source: UF News]
Insurance crisis deepens in Gulf states
Homeowners in Gulf Coast states are facing a tightening home insurance market marked by soaring premiums, rising foreclosures, and growing coverage gaps, according to new findings from the Insurance Fairness Project. The data points to a worsening crisis in Louisiana, Florida, Texas, and Georgia – regions frequently impacted by hurricanes and other extreme weather events. [Source: Insurance Business Magazine]
DeSantis says MLB wants the Rays in Florida, but no state money will go toward a stadium
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday said Major League Baseball has told him the Tampa Bay Rays will not be allowed to leave the state, but wherever they call home, no state tax dollars will be used to build a new stadium. Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state would only help with infrastructure. He also wouldn't back the Rays playing in Tampa Bay or Orlando, but suggested different ownership could help the team succeed. [Source: WUSF]
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ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› What keeps the safety director in the Florida Keys up at night?
No place is more vulnerable to hurricanes in the 50 U.S. states than the Florida Keys. Overseeing safety for the more than 80,000 inhabitants of the Conch Republic — the nickname for the islands after denizens declared a tongue-in-cheek secession from the United States in the early 1980s — is Shannon Weiner, director of emergency management for Monroe County, Florida.
› Tallahassee-based WeatherStem collaborates with Disney in new monitoring partnership
WeatherStem has inked a deal with Disney SyncLink to help the worldwide entertainment conglomerate monitor major weather-monitoring effort to make its cruise operations safer. WeatherStem CEO Ed Mansouri said the technology is used to monitor conditions before, during and after a major weather event like a hurricane.
› Sarasota, Fort Myers marketing firms merge
Two marketing firms in the region have merged. Avenue Media of Sarasota and Vectra Digital of Fort Myers are joining forces to represent construction, home services and building product brands in Florida. Avenue Media focuses on construction, home services and home improvement as well as building supply companies. Vectra Digital offers website design and development, SEO, lead generation, social media, paid search, branding and logo design as well as email marketing services.
› Miami vacation rental startup files for bankruptcy
Roami, a Miami startup that matches travelers with short-term rentals, filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy two years after raising millions of dollars in capital from investors. Founded in 2016, Roami focuses on providing short-term rentals for groups of travelers in spaces that are at least six times larger than a typical hotel room. The units are located in buildings entirely operated by the company, giving the brand complete creative control over guest experiences.
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› Florida’s Slide Insurance files for initial public stock offering
Four years after it was founded, Florida-based Slide Insurance plans to go public. The holding company for the Tampa-headquartered company, which has more than 343,000 policies in Florida, last week filed registration paperwork with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. A projected share price, to be listed as SLDE on the Nasdaq exchange, was not published in the SEC filing.
› Delray Beach vets win years-long fight to reclaim historic Black American Legion Hall
After more than five years of legal wrangling and community outcry, members of Delray Beach's historically Black American Legion Post 188 have won back control of their longtime meeting hall from the city. The hall has long stood as a pillar of Black civic engagement and veteran leadership in Delray Beach. Over the decades, it became a gathering place for community meetings, celebrations and civic action — serving not just veterans, but the broader Black community in Delray Beach.
› Fee for residential trash hauling to increase in Jacksonville
Over opposition from several residents, the Jacksonville City Council voted May 27 to increase the city’s trash removal fee for the first time in 15 years. The 11-7 vote raised the monthly fee for 2025 from $12.65 to $27, part of a stepped increase designed to take it to $29.50 in 2026 and $32 in 2027. The increases in 2026 and 2027 will both require separate Council votes and opportunities for residents to comment.
› Bradenton breaks ground on $35M police headquarters
The city of Bradenton has broken ground on the new headquarters for the Bradenton Police Department. At $35 million, the project is “probably the highest cost vertical construction project the city has ever done,” City Administrator Rob Perry said at the May 20 groundbreaking. After more than 25 years in its current space, the police department had outgrown the location, which was also not designed to meet the needs of modern-day policing.