In The News

Let The Rays Go, For Sake Of Downtown St. Pete

Tampa Bay Times Tuesday, March 05, 2013

Community and business leaders in St. Petersburg are beginning to look at Tropicana Field through a new lens.

Rather than focusing on forcing the Rays to stay in downtown St. Pete till the end of an existing contract, visionaries see a huge opportunity for development of property just off the Interstate and near All Children's Hospital as well as new arts districts connecting to the business end of the city.

Read the complete story.

Tampa Bay Times: Calling For A Better Florida

Tampa Bay Times Tuesday, March 05, 2013

Campaign finance and election reform are top priorities being pushed by the Tampa Bay Times editorial board in its annual legislative preview going into the March start of the Florida Legislature.

More transparency and less influence by monied interests are key starting points for financial and ethical reforms, the Times opines.

Read the complete editorial.

New Men At Helm Of Economic Development In Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay Times Tuesday, February 26, 2013

It's taken about two years to get new men settled at the helms of some of the Tampa Bay region's top economic engines. The question now for some observers is whether they will stay.

The new guys in charge include Joe Lopano at Tampa International Airport, Rick Homans at the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development and Paul Anderson at the Tampa Port. A search has reopened for a new person to lead Tampa Bay & Co. after the abrupt departure of the last guy.

Read the complete story.

Bass Pro Shop Coming To Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay Times Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Hillsborough County commissioners voted 6-1 to provide $6.25M in incentives to Bass Pro Shops to open a new sporting goods shop east of Tampa in Brandon.

The lopsided vote came after controversy over the kinds of new jobs being created whittled the incentive package by a couple million, which now may be funneled into support for startups and higher-paying jobs.

Read the complete story.

Columbia Restaurant Plans To Open At The Lens, St. Pete

The Tampa Tribune Tuesday, February 26, 2013

The Columbia Restaurant, one of Florida's premier Spanish restaurants, reached agreement with the City of St. Petersburg to open a new bar and grill as part of the Lens, which is the planned replacement for the Pier.

Owner Richard Gonzmart and Mayor Bill Foster announced some $3 million would be invested in the new seafood-themed dining spot.

Read the complete story.

HART Plans New Smaller Buses, Quicker Trips

The Tampa Tribune Tuesday, February 26, 2013

HART will launch a new MetroRapid bus service with smaller buses making quicker trips as part of its efforts to use advanced technology and more efficient transit while saving money on conventional buses.

The new service plans to launch in June and eventually will have 59 stations.

Read the complete story.

Cigar City Brewing Gets Its Props, Opening Brew Pub In NW Tampa

The Tampa Tribune Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Bern's Steak House and Bern's Fine Wines in Tampa debut a limited edition "Legacy'' label from Cigar City Brewing shortly before the West Tampa brewery opens a new pub in Carrollwood.

A pioneer in local breweries, Cigar City owner Joey Redner also operates a small tavern serving Tony Jannus Pale Ale airside at favorite flyer Southwest Airlines.

Read the complete story.

Florida Trucking Shifts To Natural Gas, Tampa

Tampa Bay Times Tuesday, February 19, 2013

The natural gas boom echoes in Florida with private companies and public providers converting trucks and other vehicles to natural gas because it's cheaper, more fuel efficient and burns cleaner than traditional fuels.

High gas prices and limited supplies help drive the shift to natural gas.

Read the complete story.

FirstWaVE Venture Center Takes Shape, Tampa

Tampa Bay Times Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Tampa Bay startups are moving into new coworking space at Rivergate Tower as part of the FirstWaVe Venture Center funded with a $1M federal grant.

USF, Tampa Bay WaVe, Tampa Bay Technology Forum and the Tampa Bay Innovation Center are partnering on the project.

Read the complete story.

Demand For Fresh Eggs Behind Proposed City Ordinance Favoring Chickens In Tampa

The Tampa Tribune Tuesday, February 19, 2013

The Tampa City Council is again considering allowing residents to keep chickens in their backyards.

The change is being sought by people interested in a fresh supply of eggs.

Read the complete story.

Hillsborough Joins Tampa In Push For Recycling

Tampa Bay Times Tuesday, February 12, 2013

The unincorporated parts of Hillsborough County -- everywhere except Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City -- are about to become part of a new effort to encourage recycling among residents who now through everything in the garbage.

The county will soon distribute two cans, one for waste / one for recycling, to each household, making it easier to sort and pickup waste. The long-term goal is for the investment to pay off in sales of recyclable material as well as reductions in garbage disposal.

Read the complete story.

Downtown Market Elevates "Cool'' In Lakeland

The Tampa Tribune Tuesday, February 12, 2013

The Downtown Lakeland Market is part of a larger effort to bring attention to the Polk County city's growing community of creatives and young professionals.

The city, about halfway between Tampa and Orlando, is on the coveted I-4 Corridor connecting east and west Florida with innovative research and acting as a bellwether for the nation when it comes to poltiics.

Read the complete story.

Port Of Tampa Grows Container Traffic, Shipping

Tampa Bay Times Tuesday, February 12, 2013

New business -- including the increase shipment of aircraft parts -- will position the Port of Tampa as the gateway to South and Central America from the U.S. and Florida. At least that is the goal.

The growing Port is gaining recognition as a destination for containers as well as cargo.

Read the complete story.

Starkey Ranch Sale Means Big Changes In Pasco, Florida

The Tampa Tribune Tuesday, February 12, 2013

More than 5,000 homes and the accoutrements of a community -- retail, medical, office spaces -- are planned where the Starkey Ranch once housed nothing but cattle, birds and few rattlesnakes.

The ranch's sale to Wheelock Street Capital of Boston and Greenwich, CT means the end of an era of cattle ranching in that part of Florida. The Starkey family intends to keep about 90 acres to grow blueberries.

Read the complete story.

Gates Grant Results In Hillsborough Get Mixed Reviews

Tampa Bay Times Tuesday, February 05, 2013

Mid-way through implementing changes made possible by a $100 million Gates Initiative, the reviews are mixed for its effectiveness in improving education in the Hillsborough County school district.

Teachers, students and parents weigh in on Empowering Effective Teachers and what it means for kids.

Read the complete story.