Will falling mortgage rates give boost to Florida's housing market?
Mortgage rates dropped below 6% for the first time since September 2022, potentially boosting Florida's housing market. The decline in rates can significantly lower monthly payments, making homes more affordable for buyers. Realtors report increased activity and pending sales in Florida, especially among first-time homebuyers. Experts believe the ultra-low pandemic-era rates of 2-3% are unlikely to return. More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and the Gainesville Sun.
Seminole leaders blast Orange County over McCulloch Road project
A plan by Orange County to widen a two-lane road near the environmentally-sensitive Econlockhatchee River has riled officials in neighboring Seminole County who said they were kept in the dark about the project, though the thoroughfare sits partially in their county. The east-west thoroughfare serves as the dividing line between both counties, with Seminole maintaining the northern half and Orange the southern portion. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
IPIC Theaters files for Chapter 11; 214 South Florida workers affected
IPIC Theaters has filed for bankruptcy for the second time in seven years, saying it plans to pursue a court-supervised sale of its assets as it moves toward permanent closures and layoffs. The Boca Raton-based luxury dine-in theater operator, IPIC Theaters, LLC, announced Feb. 26 that it had filed for Chapter 11 protection a day earlier in the West Palm Beach division of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida. More from the South Florida Business Journal.
Jacksonville issues ‘final and largest’ Stadium of the Future permit, topping $696 million
Renovations are fully in gear at the Jacksonville Jaguars’ “Stadium of the Future” now that the city issued a permit Feb. 27 for $696.5 million of work on the project, the largest portion of the at least $1.4 billion renovation. The latest permit boosts the construction project costs to more than $1.33 billion. City records show that permits totaling almost $640.14 million had previously been issued since Dec. 10, 2024, when the foundation was approved. More from the Jacksonville Daily Record.
Mystery aerospace company, Project Autobahn, eyes new Melbourne airport site
An undisclosed major aerospace-defense corporation continues to target Melbourne Orlando International Airport as a possible site for a mystery economic-development undertaking: Project Autobahn. This secretive venture publicly emerged in October 2023. That's when the Melbourne Airport Authority approved lease options for 111 acres across four parcels at the northeast area of the airport, in case the confidential project became reality. Nearly 2½ years later, Project Autobahn remains ongoing behind the scenes. More from Florida Today.
Out of the Box
AI glasses give blind woman a new way to navigate the world
She bounced into the conference room, beaming. “I’m so excited!” Jordan Reiche told the teacher as her yellow Lab settled under the table. “I’ve been wanting this for so long.” It had been a week since she’d learned she had been chosen for a pilot program at Dogs Inc. Six months had passed since she first heard of the technology that could change her life. But in a way, Reiche, 33, had been longing for this day since she was 12 — when doctors declared her legally blind.
» More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Business Profile
Nakery Beauty built a $21M business by listening to women over 50
Liz Folce starts product development with a phone call. She asks one question, then listens. “What is one thing this brand must be?” she asks. The answers come in women’s own words, real, raw and unfiltered. That listening-first approach has turned Nakery Beauty into a $20 million business built for women over 50. The company generated $21 million in sales last year and expects to hit $25 million this year.
» Read more from Tampa Bay Business & Wealth.