What Attaches People to Their Communities? What makes a community a desirable place to live? What draws people to stake their future in it? Are communities with more attached residents better off? Gallup and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation launched the Knight Soul of the Community project in 2008 with these questions…
Lakeland CRA: Developers’ Corner – Electric Utility Deposits There are many costs involved in opening or moving a business or office location. One of the costs that sometimes catches business owners by surprise is the electric utility deposit necessary to set up service in the new location. We spoke with David Kus, Assistant General Manager Customer Service, at Lakeland…
Recruiting business is fine, but put a little more love in your city, too What if economic development groups spent as much time and energy recruiting creative and committed individuals — people who love cities, people who make things happen — as they do trying to relocate corporations? This may sound like heresy to business…
Perspectives on Urban Sustainability Sustainability is the capacity to endure, and the capacity for humanity to endure is being tested on a global scale. Population is exploding and becoming increasingly urbanized. It took more than 10,000 generations for the planet to reach two billion humans in the middle of the last century. But someone born…
Littlejohn Engineering Associates (LEA), a leading Nashville, TN engineering, planning, environmental services, landscape architectural and survey firm has acquired Land Design Innovations (LDI) of Orlando, FL. LDI specializes in municipal planning, economic and redevelopment services, civil engineering and landscape architecture and has a rich 12 year history of quality service to clients in the municipal…
House and Senate to Restructure Economic Development Last week was an eventful week in the legislature’s effort to restructure economic development for Florida. Senate bill 2156, the chamber’s bill that creates a new agency to house the state’s job creation apparatus and streamline critical processes was approved by a majority of all senators when it…
Madico Acquisition of Solamatrix Brings Jobs to Pinellas Madico‘s recent acquisition of St. Petersburg, Florida manufacturer Solamatrix, Inc. will result in growth for the company and will create over 60 new, high-wage jobs in Pinellas County, while retaining the existing staff of 52 employees. Rob Comeau, Madico’s Director of Marketing, states, “The acquisition of Solamatrix…
Mapping America: Every City, Every Block Browse local data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, based on samples from 2005 to 2009. Because these figures are based on samples, they are subject to a margin of error, particularly in places with a low population, and are best regarded as estimates.
BayWalk shopping center on the market for $8 million TAMPA – For Sale: A two-story urban shopping court in the heart of prospering St. Petersburg that’s fallen on hard times and become a political lightning rod. On the plus side, there’s plenty of room for new stores, as just five tenants take up only 12…
CRA EXPANDS GRANT PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY AREAS Offers businesses & property owners more help during recession DELRAY BEACH, Fla.—The Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency has expanded the eligibility areas of two of its grant programs to offer more incentives for exterior property improvements throughout a larger portion of the city. At a meeting held on Thursday,…
ICSC pushing reintroduction of Main Street Fairness Act With states strapped for cash, never has the shortfall from uncollected sales taxes from online sales — estimated to total $23 billion this year — hurt more. To redress the imbalance, ICSC is working to revive the Main Street Fairness Act, a measure that would require online…
Around the Capitol: Governor Scott will look at several criteria in determining whether an economic development program is created or retained: 1) How will it work with traditional “community development” programs, and 2) What is the return on investment? Has anyone out there ever found a way to measure the impact of economic development programs (other than…
Naples News: McCabe plans new building, hotel suites off Fifth Avenue South For Naples developer and hotelier Phil McCabe, business is looking up. That’s why he’s putting up a new three-story building at the corner of Fifth Avenue South and Park Street in downtown Naples. The multimillion-dollar project will include more suites for his hotel…
Florida State College at Jacksonville’s (FSCJ) new Aircraft Services Educational Facility at Cecil Field celebrated their grand opening with a ribbon cutting on February 1, 2011. The 104,000 sq. ft. facility consists of one hangar bay capable of housing an aircraft up to the size of a Boeing 767 and two hangar bays capable of housing…
Tampa residents to vote on business tax exemption program TAMPA — When Tampa residents vote on March 1, choosing a new mayor isn’t the only thing they must decide. Voters will choose whether or not to give tax exemptions to new businesses and reward those who expand in the city. “A lot of communities around…
Bradenton Riverwalk a grand plan for downtown revival Bradenton should be proud of the visionary blueprint for the improvement of downtown’s riverfront. The $6.7 million Riverwalk project promises to be the catalyst for the broader revitalization of the city core. With a variety of interactive features and other attractions along the Manatee River from the…
Reducing Your City’s Expenses Without Reducing Services By Ken Small Recently, I was asked to speak at the Florida Government Finance Officers Association and Florida League of Cities Annual Conferences. My normal topic over the years has usually included the education of officials to the various revenue sources available to municipalities outside the traditional ad…
The Mathematics of Budget Cuts and Job Creation written by Scott Paine What it takes for things to add up I’ll happily admit that I would enjoy lower taxes. Who wouldn’t? I am one of those folks who doesn’t mind paying taxes, however, if the money is used responsibly for the greater good. I’m even…
Our deepest condolences to family of James Hughes Villacorta – Miami CRA Executive Director VILLACORTA, JAMES HUGHES, 55, passed away on February 1, 2011. James was born in New York City, attended Christopher Columbus H.S., graduated from U of F, earned his MBA from FIU and his Juris Doctorate from U of M. He was…
Why Invest in Landscape? Arguing the case for investing in landscape. Download new publication. by Paul Lincoln on February 3, 2011 at 10:00am View Paul Lincoln’s blog Why Invest in Landscape? – the new campaign from the Landscape Institute, shows how towns around the UK are seeing a positive bottom line benefit by investing in…
Cape Coral likely to up the ante for jobs Plan is to draw business with increased incentives Written by Don Ruane druane@news-press.com The value of a job created in Cape Coral may go up from a basic $750 to as much as $2,000 for employers who earn an economic incentive from the city. Cape Coral is updating…