NEW PORT RICHEY — Elizabeth Villanova gets dejected on her daily treks to and from her children’s schools in Land O’Lakes. “It’s been depressing to watch the complete degradation of U.S. 41 specifically,” she told Pasco County commissioners Tuesday. Villanova started a Facebook page and an online petition seeking stepped-up code enforcement and other beautification…
GADSDEN CO., Fla. (WTXL) – Florida’s Secretary of State has selected Chattahoochee Main Street as the Florida Main Street Community of the Month, and community leaders say they have big plans in store for the area. The Chattahoochee Main Street was selected because it brought in $25,000 in public/private reinvestment, three new businesses and 10 new…
West Palm’s code-enforcers have been testing their new noise-meters prior to issuing any fines to bars or restaurants that blast their music. And the results are in: A lot of Clematis Street venues can expect fines if they don’t change their tune when the city commission votes Nov. 9 to start enforcement and calm the…
CRESTVIEW — Two of Crestview’s oldest churches inadvertently shackled from future growth will be unfettered if two re-rezoning ordinances pass a second Crestview City Council reading. The council last week unanimously approved the first of two required public readings of two ordinances amending the city’s comprehensive plan to revert downtown churches to their original zoning.…
With lingering uncertainty about the future of the Santa Rosa County Courthouse, the city of Milton is continuing its efforts to keep the judicial center downtown. The city will update the Santa Rosa County Commission on Monday on property acquisitions that may be used in the construction of a new downtown Milton courthouse — if the county chooses…
A plan for a multimillion- dollar investment in the Eastside neighborhood by a Georgia foundation that builds affordable housing has fallen through. Paces Foundation, a developer of affordable housing projects in Smyrna, Ga., was under contract to buy from Manna Food Pantries the razed site of the former J. Lee Pickens School at 2501 N.…
A train stalled on the train tracks in downtown Lakeland, causing traffic problems for commuters this morning. The Lakeland Fire Department issued an alert via its Twitter account at 8:22 a.m., warning motorists a train was blocking Massachusetts Avenue and South Florida Avenue and advising them to take the US 98 overpass into downtown Lakeland.…
Marc Valero | Highlands Today Published: October 18, 2015 LAKE PLACID — The town of more than 45 murals is looking into building or providing one public restroom facility for visitors and tourists who make the rounds to view the colorful artwork throughout the downtown. Keep Lake Placid Beautiful member Bill Brantley noted that he is on…
The Loews Don CeSar Hotel on St. Pete Beach was recently named the “Best Historic Hotel” in its size category by the Historic Hotels of America organization. The 277-room “Pink Palace,” which has been an icon on St. Pete Beach for decades, was built in 1928. The hotel was recognized for its history and restoration.…
SAFETY HARBOR — Downtown merchants said they were excited a year and a half ago when the Jolley Trolley came to town, expecting an increase in foot traffic. But has the trolley service helped Safety Harbor’s businesses? One concern raised by city commissioners and business owners: Trolley riders aren’t coming to Safety Harbor because they…
TEMPLE TERRACE — A bit of sunshine may have broken through the cloud that has hung for years over the effort to create a true downtown in this city. Roy L. Eriksson, a longtime resident and founder of a growing engineering and software design firm called Eriksson Technologies, told the City Council in a work…
A company that manufactures special medical devices announced Thursday that it plans to locate its headquarters in downtown Kissimmee, where it eventually hopes to employ hundreds of people. Infinity Medical Engineering will initially employ 10 people when it opens its 10,000-square-foot facility on Church Street within the coming months, CEO Michael McDaniel said. Then, over…
Built 15 years ago, the city of Miami’s Oak Avenue parking garage was meant to bolster surrounding Coconut Grove businesses, but as the village went into a long decline, half its 402 spaces sat unused most days. Now, amid a roaring Grove revival that’s drawing crowds of workers, visitors and customers to new offices, shops…
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) is awarding grants to several area communities to improve housing, streetscapes, and water and sewer projects in those areas. In total, DEO is awarding more than $21 million to 32 communities across the state with Small Cities Community Development Block Grants, which assist with economic development, housing rehabilitation,…
BOYNTON BEACH — Boynton Beach officials will get a refresher on decorum at Tuesday night’s Community Redevelopment Agency board meeting. Listed on the agenda are nine recommended rules. The list includes to “refrain from attacking a member’s motives,” “refrain from disturbing the assembly,” and “be seated or back away from the microphone during an interruption…
LAKE WORTH – Say bye-bye to theInvitation to Negotiate process, the controversial method the city used to solicit developers for the Lake Worth Casino project. “The process was started to bring some creative solutions to some of the more challenging areas of the city…but it was a major failure,” Mayor Pam Triolo said at this…
On a recent Saturday, as Ithaca celebrated the official opening of its newly designed outdoor pedestrian mall, the Commons, Mayor Svante Myrick strolled through the crowd on the plaza, collecting congratulations every few feet. At one point, a pizza shop owner rushed out from his storefront to thank the mayor profusely, exclaiming that his business…
BOYNTON BEACH — Before a project is even close to coming out of the ground, there tends to be technical amendments that need to occur if the development doesn’t fit in with what the land is designated for. Boynton Beach staff says it can turn the developer away, in search of a place that has…
With the help of great local leaders like Andy Anderson and Linda Weatherman who have a passion for Economic Development, I have no doubt we’ll be seeing more from the Governor. News coverage: Marketwatch.com News 13 WESH TV
The Power Plant Business Incubator is expanding. Just north of the plant, workers are putting the finishing touches on a former credit union building that soon will house health-related start-ups. Just east of the plant, Hyper.Directory, a successful start-up, has settled into new quarters in what’s known as “the pump house.” And the main building…
Downtown Ocala is one step closer to adding a hotel. City staffers this week agreed to recommend that the City Council allow Downtown Ocala LLC to build and operate a hotel on the former chamber of commerce site. Downtown Ocala LLC is owned by Ocala hotelier Danny Gaekwad, who already owns several area hotels and…