In Florida, the rich are getting richer while the poor get poorer
The Iran war is driving a surge in gasoline prices that's further widening the gap between the haves and have-nots across the country. Nowhere is that so-called "K-shaped economy" divide — where the rich get richer and poor get poorer — more evident than in Florida. "Florida continues to attract those at the very, very top of the K, which only further widens the divide," said Peter Atwater, the economist credited with popularizing the term "K-shaped economy" to describe the growing income disparity in the United States. More from Florida Today and the Palm Beach Post.
Tampa among hottest housing markets in U.S. for new building permits, sales
After years of intense demand, Tampa now ranks as one of the top metro areas in the nation for building a new home, according to a new report. The report, from ConsumerAffairs, ranks Tampa No. 11 out of 150 of the largest U.S. cities in the nation for both buying and selling newly built homes. The consumer news and advocacy organization analyzed new building permits and new construction home sales, through U.S. Census Bureau and Zillow data, across 150 of the largest U.S. cities from January and February. More from the Business Observer.
UCF received nearly $20 million of revenue from Big 12 in second season
UCF received close to $20 million in revenue from the Big 12 Conference in its second season with the league. According to the most recent 990 tax documents obtained by the Sentinel, the conference reported a record $610 million in total revenue for the 2024-25 fiscal year. Those figures were up from the previous year, when the Big 12 posted $493.82 million. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Funds to keep Tri-Rail operating appear to be in proposed Florida budget
Tri-Rail’s long road to restoring a full state subsidy to its operating budget appears to be nearing a positive end after Florida legislators included its full $60 million funding request in the forthcoming state budget, a member of the railroad’s governing agency said Tuesday. A Tri-Rail spokesman declined to comment, saying the railroad’s parent will speak when the final budget “hits the desk” of Gov. Ron DeSantis. More from the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Pickleball was to make Palm Beach County city boom. Plans went bust.
Greenacres isn't getting the complex it hoped would make it a "destination" for pickleball players. What's more, officials in this central Palm Beach County city now must decide what to do with the 5-acre site where the complex would have risen, now that the plans have fallen apart. The city is working through how to use the property and may issue a request for proposals. More from the Palm Beach Post.
Sports Business
New Allapattah soccer fields sought as World Cup matches arriving
Two abandoned Allapattah properties could soon be transformed into soccer fields that double as community service hubs under a plan calling for immediate activation timed to coincide with the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer, kicking off a larger phased redevelopment connecting sports, education, food assistance and affordable housing.
» More from Miami Today.
Florida Trend Exclusive
Eyes in the sky
Satellite imagery has become so advanced that tire tracks in snow, for example, can now be photographed in high resolution from hundreds of miles above the Earth's surface. It was such a photo that led to an epiphany for Derek Tishler, the founder and CEO of Melbourne-based BoxMica, a "space intelligence startup," as he describes it.
» Read more from Florida Trend.