In The News

More College Grads Study Science, Math, Technology

The Tampa Tribune Tuesday, May 21, 2013

College degrees awarded in the Tampa Bay region this spring reflect the changing workforce and demand for more graduates in science, technology, engineering and math.

The trend is away from the arts and humanities, and toward courses of study such as psychology and other sciences, nursing and other medical degrees, business and finance.

Read the complete story.

New Restaurants, Coffee Shops Add Jobs In Local Economy

The Tampa Tribune Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Tampanians love to eat out as evidenced by the number of restaurants and coffee shops opening on the front end of economic recovery.

Among the latest:

Florida Cracker Cuisine, a new concept created by Greg and Michelle Baker, the owners of the popular and award-winning Refinery. Read the complete story.

Yummy Grill, apparently the Tampa Bay region's first fully Kosher deli. Read the complete story.

Visions, Dreams Emerge For Tampa Neighborhoods

Tampa Bay Times Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Big plans are in the works for properties north of the Tampa Bay Times Forum and in the West Shore neighborhood in and around the Tampa International Airport as well as along Westshore Boulevard.

Both plans take advantage of existing infrastructure while adding more to the landscapes. And both will take mega private investments as well as public financing.

Jeff Vinik is the man behind what could happen in downtown Tampa. Read the complete story.

Ron Rotella and the Westshore Alliance are the backers of redevelopment on the west side of town. Read the complete story.

Tampa Reopens Talk Of Nebraska Avenue Redo

The Tampa Tribune Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Among the Tampa neighborhoods getting a new look and possibly a redo is the Nebraska Avenue corridor extending north of downtown all the way to area around the University of South Florida.

City planners and neighborhood leaders are seeking public input to shape the main thoroughfare's future.

Read the complete story.

Mapping Social Media Activity In Tampa Neighborhoods

Tampa Bay Times Tuesday, May 14, 2013

The City of Tampa has teamed up with researchers at Carniegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh to map social media activity in downtown Tampa.

The idea is to get a better idea of where people meet up, intermingle online and chat up the town and what they are doing.

Read the complete story.

New Ferry Service Idea To Connect Tampa, Apollo Beach

Tampa Bay Times Tuesday, May 14, 2013

The latest proposal to provide ferry service connecting MacDill Air Force Base to the Apollo Beach, Riverview and Brandon communities of south and east Hillsborough comes from an Indiana company represented by former County Commissioner Ed Turanchik, now a lawyer with Akerman.

If successful, such a ferry could take hundreds of automobiles off local roads each day as military and non-military workers commute into South Tampa to work.

Read the complete story.

Tampa Bay Stakes A Claim For Disruptive Innovation In Healthcare

Forbes Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Dave Chase, CEO of Avada and one of the speakers at MediFuture 2023 in Tampa, blogs about why Tampa Bay's pursuit of disruptive innovation in the delivery of healthcare matters.

Chases says staking a claim will go a long way toward success.

Read the complete story.

Planning Begins To Replace Howard Frankland Bridge

The Tampa Tribune Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Planners with the Florida Department of Transportation are studying how best to build a new span for the Howard Frankland Bridge connecting Hillsborough (Tampa) and Pinellas (Clearwater-St. Petersburg).

The plan is to seek public input as well as ideas from engineers and transportation experts, including the option for mass transit and pedestrian-bicycle traffic.

Read the complete story.

Tampa Theatre Goes Digital, Enhances Sound

The Tampa Tribune Tuesday, May 07, 2013

A new digital film system installed in Tampa Theatre means a whole new viewing and listening experience for movie and concert goers.

Every seat, even those under the balcony, now feature near perfect acoustics thanks to donations that made it possible for the theater to purchase a new projector, new speakers, new wiring, etc. More donations are being sought to finish paying for the new system.

Read the complete story.

Greening Poses New Threat To Florida Citrus

The Tampa Tribune Tuesday, May 07, 2013

Greening, the latest threat to Florida's citrus industry, is spreading faster than agriculture can recoup from diseases and bad weather during past seasons.

Grove owners fear this latest outbreak may mean unreparable harm to orange and grapefruit trees, forever changing Florida's landscape.

Read the complete story.

Tampa Asks Residents To Invision Future Nebraska Avenue

WFLA Tuesday, May 07, 2013

Never mind what Nebraska Avenue looks like today. Rethink it for the future. How can the City of Tampa meld old with new to create new spaces and a new sense of place.

That is the challenge as the Envision Tampa process focuses on Nebraska Avenue north of downtown.

Read the complete story.

Medical Device Manufacturers Arrive In Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay Times Tuesday, May 07, 2013

Medical device manufacturers gather for a conference in St. Petersburg just a week before MediFuture 2023 in Tampa.

The medical device industry is a major economic engine in much of Tampa Bay, including the fostering of new startups by places like CAMLS and Tampa Bay WaVE in downtown Tampa.

Read the complete story.

Convergent Capital, Liberty Group Led By Youthful Entrepreneurs

Tampa Bay Times Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Real estate investor Santosh Govindaraju and hotel developer Punit Shah are the entrepreneurs taking a deep dive into reviving the Channelside Bay Plaza with new retail, offices and a hotel.

They are working with the Tampa Port Authority to also expand public amenities, such as an elevated, covered walkway to reach parking for the Plaza.

Read the complete story.

Ignite Tampa Bay Lights Fires Of Passion

Tampa Bay Times Tuesday, April 30, 2013

The pressure is on as Ignite Tampa Bay participants take to the Tampa Theatre stage to tell a packed house what turns them on and why others should engage their passions. Presenters get just five minutes and 20 automatically advanced slideshow images to tell their stories.

Applause and spirited enthusiasm were in rich supply as a result.

Read the complete story.

Bicycle Trail To Link Florida's East, West Coasts

The Tampa Tribune Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Read the complete story.

Tampa Bay Area Apartments In Hot Demand

The Tampa Tribune Tuesday, April 30, 2013

The supply of clean, urban housing -- especially apartments and condos -- falls short of demand in the Tampa Bay region as more families and singles opt for renting over buying a home.

As a result, at least five apartment complexes are now being built near and in downtown Tampa; additional projects are under construciton in St. Pete.

Read the complete story.

Bright House, Tampa Bay WaVE Collaborate For Startups

The Wall Street Journal Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Bright House Networks Business Solutions donated the technology necessary to provide online access to Tampa Bay WaVE, an incubator for more than 100 Tampa Bay startups.

The donation means startups will have the latest, greatest high-speed Internet connections possible to work in the Rivergate Tower in downtown Tampa.

Read the complete PRNewswire story.

Parking, Bicycle Lanes Add Safety To Ashley Drive

The Tampa Tribune Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Ashley Drive in downtown Tampa will soon gain parking spaces and bicycle lanes under a redesign aimed at making the street more pedestrian and two-wheel friendly.

The changes are part of Mayor Bob Buckhorn's priorities in attracting investments and people into downtown.

Read the complete story.

Channelside Attracts More Investors, Downtown Tampa

The Tampa Tribune Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Additional investors are exploring their options when it comes to redoing the Channelside deveopment project that is in need of a little TLC.

The Liberty Group and Convergent Capital Partners along with Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik are among those considering possibilities.

Read the complete story.

Tampa Bay Likes To Eat Out, Chefs Know

Tampa Bay Times Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Three new restaurants by three established restaurants in the Tampa Bay region reflect growing interest in reinvesting in the region's emerging new economy.

The dining out spots are among many to pop up in 2013, indicating a rebound in the local economy.

Read the complete story.

Florida Ranks #1 For Innovation, Says Fast Company

Fast Company Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Florida earned the No. 1 ranking for innovation by Fast Company because of its high level of new business development, fundable venture capital rankings and annual revenue per startup.

Florida was followed by Texas and Maryland. California ranked No. 7, North Carolina ranked 25 and Massachusetts came in at 42.

Read the complete story.

Making Tampa Bay Safer For Riding Bicycles

Creative Loafing Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn is making bicycle and pedestiran safety in Tampa a higher priority for his adminsitration by calling attention to designing streets that accommodate multimodal transportation options.

Part of that effort included a recent visit by U.S. Secretary of Transportaton Ray LaHood.

Read the complete story.

USFSP Entrepreneurship Program Creates Buzz

The Tampa Tribune Tuesday, April 16, 2013

USF St. Petersburg's entrepreneurships studies program is winning national accolades for creativity and innovation when it comes to getting college students engaged in launching startups.

The relatively new program expects to attract even more top students as a result.

Read the complete story.

Tampa Bay Times Wins Pulitzer For Commentary

Tampa Bay Times Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Editorial Page Editor Tim Nickens and Columnist Dan Ruth shared the Tampa Bay Times' ninth Pulitzer Prize, awarded for commentaries on flouride being removed from the Pinellas County water system.

The commentaries called for flouride to be returned to the public water system and county commssioners to be ousted.

Read the complete story.

Hillsborough Hack-A-Thon Attracts 97 Hackers

The Tampa Tribune Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Techies and university students jumped at the challenge to rewrite code and develop creative solutions for government data as Hillsborough County opened its data for a massive Hack-a-thon.

The idea is to get the smartest code writers and app developers to use technology to improve government services.

Read the complete story.

Florida DOT Picks Westshore For Transit Hub

Tampa Bay Times Tuesday, April 09, 2013

The Florida Department of Transportation cited the amount of traffic that already converges in the Westshore business district in Tampa for identifying four sites where a future transportation hub could be built.

The idea is to pick a convenient place where mass transit vehicles -- primarily buses and possibly trains traveling on light rail -- can load and off-load passengers in the future.

Read the complete story.

Florida's Universities Expand Online Degrees

Tampa Bay Times Tuesday, April 09, 2013

Non-traditional college students, especially those raising children or working fulltime jobs, are finding it easier and easier to complete online degrees, thanks to Florida colleges and universities finding innovative ways to increase access via online courses and degree completion.

Online higher ed may not be for everyone, but for those who need it, it can be the only means to degree attainment.

Read the complete story.

Florida Lawmakers Push New Online Degree Programs

The Tampa Tribune Tuesday, April 09, 2013

Bills pending before the 2013 Florida Legislature would make it easier for Florida college students to complete degrees online.

The goal is to increase college attainment as well as improve access for busy students.

Read the complete story.

Wine By The Keg? How About An Intravenous Feed?

Tampa Bay Times Tuesday, April 09, 2013

Seriously -- about the keg, not the feed -- wine by the keg is common in most other states; Florida would simply be catching up under a bill before the Legislature that would allow the sale of wine by the keg and on tap in restaurants.

If you've visited Napa Valley, Willamette Valley or other wine production valleys thoughout the states, you know wine is already being processed in mega stainless steel containers, which keep the flavors, freshness and consistency of taste much better than old wooden barrels and corks.

Read the complete story.

GED Exams Will Soon Be Offered Online

Tampa Bay Times Tuesday, April 02, 2013

Floridians interested in taking the GED exam to qualify for better jobs and/or higher edcuation will soon be able to take the test online, making it a bit more costly but also potentially easier for those used to working and composing thoughts on computers.

The trend toward digial already is taking place across the nation and will be required by 2014.

Read the complete story.

Tampa Bay Leads Florida In Job Creation

Tampa Bay Times Tuesday, April 02, 2013

Florida's unemployment rate dropped in February with the Tampa Bay region leading the state in job creation.

Some 10,000 jobs were added in the Tampa Bay region.

Read the complete story.

Ten Years Since Richard Florida Visited Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay Times Tuesday, April 02, 2013

It's been 10 years since the Tampa Bay Partnership and local business leaders invited Economist Richard Florida to the Tampa Bay region to talk about his book, "The Rise of Creative Class.''

Since then, a variety business and economic groups have focused on attracting and retaining talent while encouraging creatives and innovators as key elements in the new economy.

Read the complete story.

Tampa Mayor Rallies Support For Economic Recovery

Tampa Bay Times Tuesday, April 02, 2013

Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn delivered a rousing speech touting the new economy, expanded mass transit and neighborhood improvements in his annual State of the City address.

Buckhorn chose to deliver his message to a standing room only crowd inside the historic but vacant Kress building in downtown Tampa to encourage urban reuse and rebuild of unused and underused properties.

Read the complete story.

Investors Buy Tampa Bay Homes To Use As Rentals

Tampa Bay Times Tuesday, March 26, 2013

The mobility of Florida's workforce attracts all kinds of investors and the latest trend shows big-name investors from out of state spending billions of dollars on thousands of homes to turn them into rental properties.

The Tampa Bay Times takes a look at the extraordinary number of sales and what it means for access to housing in the Tampa Bay region.

Read the complete story.

Tampa Couple Carry Out Vision For Riverwalk

The Tampa Tribune Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Elizabeth and Roger Kurz are the long-time married couple behind the marketing of the Tampa Riverwalk. They produce a newsletter and seek donors as well as get the word out about activities that engage residents to enjoy the riverfront.

The Riveralk, having taken shape over more than 30 years of planning and slow progress, now regularly features concerts, art fairs, food fairs and outdoor activities popular with all kinds of people.

Read the complete story.

New Growth Emerges In Pinellas Beach Towns

The Tampa Tribune Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Developers and residents of Pinellas County beach towns have long clashed over how growth should take shape, but disagreements may be lessening as both become more sensitive to each other's perspectives and value.

The new economy is attracting tourists back in droves and cities looking for part of that economic boost are finding ways to accommodate growth without turning their backs on the natural environment.

Read the complete story.

Planning For Improved Highway Safety, Tampa Bay

The Tampa Tribune Tuesday, March 19, 2013

The Metropolitan Planning Organization examines the most crash-prone intersections and worst traffic congestion in the Tampa Bay region to plot strategy on making roads and highways safer.

A study makes recommendations like adding turn lanes and intentionally slowing traffic.

Read the complete story.

Seminole Heights Eyes Possible New Walmart

Tampa Bay Times Tuesday, March 19, 2013

The popular Seminole Heights neighborhood may become home to Hillsborough County's newest Walmart. The corporate giant based in Arkansas is looking to expand in Florida.

Property being considered once housed a former Chevrolet dealership.

Read the complete story.

Apartment Building Boom Hits Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay Times Tuesday, March 19, 2013

A mini construction boom is underway in Tampa Bay with the emergence of more than a dozen new apartment buildings rising in urban neighborhoods.

Downtown Tampa and Downtown St. Petersburg are seeing the most action as cranes return to dominate the city skylines.

Read the complete story.

Tampa Launches Bike Sharing Program

The Tampa T