Florida farmers struggle as legal foreign workers worry about immigration crackdown
By the numbers, Florida’s agriculture industry may be the most at risk in the current squeeze, out of all 50 states. While most foreign-born agricultural workers in the U.S. are believed to be in the country illegally, foreign workers can live here and work legally on farms for a period of up to three years if they follow the strictures of the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Workers program. Florida has had the largest number of H-2A workers in the country in recent years. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
Business Beat - Week of October 3rd
Get top news-to-know with Florida Trend's headline-focused video newsbrief, hosted by digital content specialist Aimée Alexander.
Feds reimburse Florida $608 million for Alligator Alcatraz
The federal government reimbursed the state of Florida over a half-billion dollars for its state-run immigration facilities the day before the nationwide government shutdown. The Executive Office of the Governor confirmed late on Oct. 2 that the Federal Emergency Management Agency gave the state $608 million to pay for the construction and management of Alligator Alcatraz and Deportation Depot, which Florida officials say are totally state-run facilities. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Florida ethics bill aims to stop career reprisals
A north Florida lawmaker wants to shield state workers and contractors from retaliation when they report ethics violations, including the misuse of public money, conflicts of interest and abuses of authority. The measure aims to protect people from costly financial reprisals, and risks to their careers after they file a written complaint with the commission, or provide information for an investigation about breaches of the public trust. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Nearly 1 million renters across Florida are just one ‘curveball’ away from losing their housing, study finds
Homelessness among Florida families has surged in the last three years as soaring rents and a shortage of affordable housing push more residents into shelters, motels and the streets, a new University of Florida report says. The study also found median rent for multifamily units climbed about 39% from 2019 to 2023, an increase of roughly $500 a month. [Source: News 4 Jax]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Boynton Beach to county: We won't pursue annexation if you buy our water treatment plants
Boynton Beach has a deal for Palm Beach County: You want us to stop annexing your communities? Buy our water treatment plants. City Manager Dan Dugger unexpectedly appeared before county commissioners on Sept. 30 to offer what he called a solution to the controversy over the city's efforts to annex communities west of Boynton Beach into its boundaries. He suggested the county consider purchasing the city's water utility department.
› St. Petersburg expecting new offer to buy, develop Tropicana Field land
Developer Casey Ellison and investor Cathie Wood are making a run to buy and develop the land around Tropicana Field known as the historic Gas Plant district. St. Petersburg City Council member Gina Driscoll confirmed Thursday that Ellison, who is currently redeveloping the old St. Petersburg Police headquarters, visited her office at City Hall last week to give a digital presentation on his idea.
› Health care providers eye retail spaces as Orlando's 'medtail' trend gains momentum
Health care providers and wellness concepts in Orlando are moving beyond the medical office when opening locations, and that's caught the eye of real estate professionals. Brokers in the retail world are eyeing both medical services in a retail setting — or "medtail" — and wellness providers to serve as long-term tenants.
› Water Street brought urban luxury to Tampa. Will the rest of the city follow?
Water Street rose from the ashes of neglected industrial land to elevate Tampa from a third-tier city to a magnet for development. It attracts young upstarts working in tech, finance, health and social media — the kind of people who wouldn’t have thought twice about Tampa 10 years ago. Now, they have access to all the perks of big-city living: walkable streets, gourmet dining, luxury apartments, high-paying jobs.
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› Orlando restaurants, venues cash in on 'Swiftonomics' ahead of 'Life of a Showgirl' release
An iconic popstar who has become an economy unto herself is giving some Orlando-area restaurants and entertainment venues a leg up ahead of her latest release. An executive for Kavas Tacos + Tequila told Orlando Business Journal the I-Drive eatery experiences more than double its typical reservation count and total sales for weekend brunch when it holds Taylor Swift-themed events.
› Chile Tech Tour brings 16 startups to Miami for innovation showcase
Miami is about to get a taste of Chilean innovation – along with a pour of Chilean wine and pisco, of course. On October 8, Mana Tech will host the Miami stop of the Chile Tech Tour 2025, a weeklong program organized by ProChile to connect Chilean startups with U.S. partners, investors, and industry leaders.
› Norwegian Cruise Line cancels 50+ cruises, redeploys ships
Norwegian Cruise Line is making major changes to its cruise schedule for the 2026 – 2027 season, resulting in more than 50 canceled sailings as the cruise line reworks cruise deployments for four of its ships. Norwegian is swapping deployments for two of its cruise ships sailing from Florida home ports and dropping short Bahamas sailings on two other ships in favor of more diverse cruise itineraries.
› Underwater playground: Old warship in Gulf serves as artificial reef for Lee County
Lee County has the distinction of being the home of the first Veterans Memorial Reef dedicated to all U.S. veterans using a military ship. On July 2, 2012, the USS Mohawk was towed from Fort Myers some 30 miles off of Sanibel Island before being scuttled in 90 feet of water by six strategically placed charges meant to allow it to rest upright.