Florida State University has signed on to a plan to create more attractive and accessible roadways between Tallahassee International Airport, the school’s southwest campus and downtown Tallahassee.

Kevin Graham, executive director of FSU’s Real Estate Foundation, proposed merging the Airport Gateway plan — a project of the Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency, composed of Leon County and city commissioners — with the university’s plans to further develop its 900-acre southwest campus, which lies midway between the downtown core and the airport.

“The idea was to work collaboratively with Blueprint and expand the Airport Gateway plan to include additional infrastructure improvements that route from our main 475-acre campus to the southwest campus,” says Graham.

As a result of the FSU-Blueprint partnership, the new plan — now called the Gateway District project — focuses on developing multiple traffic routes from downtown to the airport.

“We’re now looking at the whole southwest Tallahassee area as our Gateway District, and we think it’s going to bring a pretty exciting level of economic development to that area,” says Autumn Calder, planning manager for the Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency.

The expanded Gateway District, one of 27 projects approved by Leon County voters, is estimated to cost $78.8 million. Blueprint’s share, derived from local option sales tax revenue, totals $57.8 million. The remaining money will come from FSU’s contribution of about $12 million in rights of way within its southwest campus and $2 million in cash, along with additional anticipated funding from the Florida Department of Transportation.

Business Briefs

DEFUNIAK SPRINGS — After standing vacant for two years, the century-old Hotel DeFuniak held a grand reopening in December. The refurbished hotel, which features the Tropicana Club restaurant, is owned by Damon Becnel, a Destin-based developer and hospitality manager.

GULF BREEZE — Michael Murdoch, CEO and co-founder of cybersecurity firm AppRiver, says Marlin Equity Partners, a California-based private investment firm, has acquired a majority interest in AppRiver. The deal allows AppRiver to expand its international network of cybersecurity services. AppRiver will remain headquartered in Gulf Breeze, Murdoch says. Atlanta-based hotel developer Banyan Investment Group has purchased 2.1 acres adjacent to the Sea Shell Collections shopping center for $1.3 million. The 87,125-sq.-ft. retail shopping center was bought by Publix last fall for $18.6 million.

PANAMA CITY — Construction of Port Panama City’s east terminal is underway. The warehouse project will add 206,000 square feet to the port’s dry storage inventory and is expected to be completed in early 2019.

PENSACOLA — Frontier Airlines will begin non-stop service from Pensacola International Airport to Denver International Airport in April and Chicago O’Hare International Airport in May.

Tampa-based residential developer Southport Financial Services has purchased two acres in west Pensacola for $800,000. Tentative plans call for multifamily residential development. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement plans to build a four-building operations center in downtown Pensacola. Jacksonville-based architecture firm Rolland, DelValle and Bradley has filed an application with the Pensacola Architectural Review Board seeking conceptual approval for the $29.3-million, 85,000-sq.-ft. project.

TALLAHASSEE — Amid an FBI investigation into alleged corruption in local government and a surge in violent crime, the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce is conducting a study on consolidating Tallahassee and Leon County governments. The study is expected to be completed and released to the public by early February. In February, American Airlines is starting twice-daily flights from Tallahassee International Airport to Washington, D.C.

VALPARAISO — Coca-Cola Bottling Co. United has opened a $5-million bottling plant. The 24,000-sq.-ft. facility features a distribution center, warehouse, fleet maintenance center and administrative offices.

Innovation: Mouthwash from the Tap

Florida State University alums Nick Telford and Mike Bracciale are developing a concentrated liquid that can be mixed with tap water to make mouthwash. Telford, 25, and Bracciale, 22, received a $100,000 angel investment that has given their Fly Mouthwash startup the working capital to complete product development and take it to market early this year. The all-natural concentrate will be packaged in two-ounce containers that will create more than 30 single applications.

Heidi Otway, a vice president and partner with the public relations firm Salter- Mitchell, is the new chairman of the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce.

 

See other stories from Florida Trend's January issue.

Get Florida Trend's January magazine – print or digital. Select from these options:

* offer valid for new subscribers only