Carter Gaddis

Solar Energy Initiative Begins In Lakeland

By the time SunEdison and Lakeland Electric finish the solar energy project that begins this month with the installation of 1,232 panels on top of the Lakeland Center, enough clean, environmentally friendly energy is expected to be generated to power 7,200 homes. The target for completion is 2018. It started in mid-February with an acre of panels on top of the Lakeland Center and will move on within six months to a 40-acre expanse near the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport. When finished, the addition of the solar panel array is expected to produce 24 megawatts of energy, joining Lakeland Electric's power generation mix of natural gas and coal. SunEdison, the largest solar energy provider in North America, will install and maintain thousands of solar panels throughout Lakeland Electric's service area, and Lakeland Electric customers will purchase the electricity generated. "Environmental stewardship is important to our community, to Lakeland city leadership and to Lakeland Electric," says Jim Stanfield, Lakeland Electric's general manager. "It is vital that every utility consider carefully how to meet customers' increasing demands for electricity and do it in a way that is fiscally and environmentally prudent." Each of the panels atop the Lakeland Center will generate 230 watts of power, and a total of 283,360 watts will be produced from the one-acre array. Installation of the 40-acre array near the airport is scheduled to begin by mid-summer. The program will enable an expansion of the current solar-heated hot water program, which has about 1,000 users now and has a waiting list. When completed, as many as 10,000 homes are expected to have access to Lakeland Electric's solar-heated hot water program, says Kevin Cook of the City of Lakeland. Writer: Carter Gaddis Source: Kevin Cook, City of Lakeland

Waste Collection Center Renovations Include New Public Entrance

As part of an ongoing expansion and renovation at the Hillsborough County community collection center in Apollo Beach, the center's entrance has been moved permanently to Powell Road. The center's main entrance, which is located at 13000 U.S. Highway 41 South, will continue to be used primarily by commercial customers. The Hillsborough Solid Waste Management's South County transfer facility needed to grow in order to accommodate the expanding population base in the area, says James Ransom, community relations coordinator for Hillsborough solid waste management department. "The original site had been there for many years," says Ransom. "The facilities out there were not adequate and were depreciating over time because of age. What had to happen was, we had to, in our long-range plan, come up with a capital improvement project that would improve the facility and accommodate the capacity of solid waste being generated there now and in the future." The county's community collection centers accept collectible waste, non-collectible waste, scrap metal, tires and lead-acid batteries. The new Powell Road entrance for the South County facility is the same entrance currently used to access the household chemicals and electronics disposal facility. Hillsborough County's community collection centers are open weekdays, 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. A similar expansion and renovation project is scheduled to begin this year at the Northwest County facility at 8001 W Linebaugh Ave. A major focus there will be alleviating potential traffic backup on Linebaugh Avenue, Ransom says. The renovation and expansion at the Northwest County facility is scheduled to be completed by the the winter of 2011. Writer: Carter GaddisSource: James Ransom, Hillsborough County

Web Page Enables Oversight Of Public Works Projects In Hillsborough

Hillsborough County residents interested in learning about ongoing public works projects in the unincorporated parts of the county now can find that information on the county's website. Steve Valdez, the county's public works manager, says the object was to provide the public a less-expensive, more-streamlined method of keeping up with ongoing and upcoming projects. "It came together because in the past we were paying each one of our engineering consultant firms to do this, and they all looked different, had different ways of presenting the information," Valdez says. "We needed a uniform approach. We were able to very efficiently put this up much cheaper than it was to pay consultants." The website's project status feature, which went live in January, gives residents a one-stop site for project overviews, construction schedules, traffic shifts and potential delays. Also available are the same informational videos presented during public meetings. In addition, comments or concerns can be submitted via the website up to two weeks after a public meeting. The first two projects to be listed were the Bruce B. Downs Boulevard expansion in New Tampa and the Racetrack Road project in northwest Hillsborough County. The site will include all major Public Works Department projects in the future, Valdez says, including storm water projects, intersection improvements and widening of roadways. Writer: Carter GaddisSource: Steve Valdez, Hillsborough County

Goodwill Superstore Opens In Wesley Chapel

Goodwill-Suncoast has opened the Tampa Bay region's sixth Goodwill Superstore since 2001 at Cypress Creek on State Road 56 near Interstate 75. The 25,000-square-foot store, located at 2390 Willow Oak Dr., employs 45 people and opened for business on Saturday, Feb. 6. It's the fourth Goodwill Superstore to open in the Tampa Bay region in the past three years, joining Oldsmar, St. Petersburg and Spring Hill. All were designed by Tampa architectural firm Lyman Davidson Dooley Inc. and built by Hawkins Construction of Tarpon Springs. The development was handled by the Sembler Company of St. Petersburg. The Cypress Creek superstore, like all of Goodwill-Suncoast's 15 retail centers and three outlet centers across its 10-county area, offers bargain prices on donated items, as well as new and nearly new products. The building also is fitted with a drive-through donation lane. The bright, contemporary design is meant to help Goodwill-Suncoast compete with effectively with other retailers. Goodwill-Suncoast experienced a 5.5-percent increase in same-store sales in 2009, as compared to 2008. The new store also will serve as the Pasco County headquarters for BookWorks, Goodwill's early childhood literacy program. Retail revenue from the sale of items at the stores helps support other Goodwill programs, which includes employment services for people with disabilities. Writer: Carter Gaddis Source: Michael Ann Harvey, Goodwill-Suncoast

Project 3.0 Gains Momentum At Roosevelt Art Museum

Lakewood Ranch Shows Signs Of Economic Rebound

At the bottom of the housing bust in 2008-09, the Lakewood Ranch development had about 850 homes on the market. That number has been reduced to about 215, says public relations manager Candice McElyea, a sign that the 8,500-acre development in Sarasota and Manatee counties is on the verge of an economic rebound. Furthermore, McElyea says, Lakewood Ranch expects to sell 350-400 homes this year, which could signal a resurgence in construction in the development. In January, 24 new home contracts were signed or reservations made and 68 new homes already were under construction. "This is the highest amount of construction activity we have seen on the ranch since 2006," said Lakewood Ranch Communities President Milt Flinn. "We are excited and encouraged by the sales we have experienced in the first month of the year; in addition our traffic is up considerably compared to this time last year." According to figures compiled by McElyea's office, visitors to Lakewood Ranch's models and information center increased by 35 percent in January, with 997, compared to 741 in January 2009. The number of return visitors in January also increased: 387 in January 2010, compared to 256 in January 2009. There have been promising signs on the retail side, as well. Ad Relevancy and Smith and Dine law offices opened recently at Lakewood Ranch's Energy Court Center and Sarasota architect Don Lawson moved his office to Lakewood Ranch. A health and wellness center, operated by physician Harvey Mishner, recently opened in a former bank building on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard. While the real estate activity has not yet approached the level it reached at the height of the housing boom, when more than 1,000 homes would annually be sold at Lakewood Ranch, indications are that the development has turned in a promising direction, McElyea says. "I think, overall, the economy is getting better," says McElyea. "But it's going to recover fastest where people feel their value is protected. We have so many more years of development and growth that are going to happen here. Obviously, the country is suffering now, but there are little pockets of places that are going to come back sooner." Writer: Carter Gaddis Source: Candice McElyea, Lakewood Ranch

Renovations Begin At John B. Sargeant Sr. Park

Renovations and repairs to the floating dock and boardwalk handrails at John B. Sargeant Sr. Park in Thonotosassa began Monday, Feb. 15, and are scheduled to be completed by April 1. The dock and the boardwalk at the park, which is located at the confluence of Flint Creek and the Hillsborough River, will remain closed to the public for the duration of the Islander Construction project. The park's other amenities, such as the small boat ramp, picnic areas and access to the Old Fort King Trail will remain open. "You can still launch your small boat and your kayak and your canoe, but when you launch it from the boat ramp, you have to get in there (rather than from the floating dock)," says John Brill of Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation. "So, it'll be a little bit more inconvenient for a while, but when the work's done on the floating dock it'll be better." The 1,830 linear feet of handrails on the park's boardwalk will be brought up to code, Brill says, and the benches on the boardwalk's observation deck will be replaced. In addition, the decking, rail and bumpers on the floating dock will be replaced. Funding for the approximately $80,000 project was provided by Hillsborough County's Repair, Replacement, Renovation and Maintenance (R3M) program. The park, formerly known as Flint Creek Park, was renamed in 1989 for a member of the Hillsborough River Basin Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Writer: Carter Gaddis Source: John Brill, Hillsborough County

Brooksville Beall’s Outlet Part Of Big Expansion

A larger, brighter Beall's Outlet in Brooksville is part of a general expansion across the Sunbelt for Bradenton-based Beall's and Burkes Outlet. Beall's has 18 grand openings scheduled for Friday, Feb. 26, and Friday, March 19, which follows 18 openings this past fall. Beall's and Burke's Outlet, a division of Beall's Inc., operates in 14 states, including Florida. Of the 18 openings in the fall, 14 filled space formerly occupied by defunct Goody's department store locations. Goody's closed its stores in March 2009. Another round of store openings is scheduled for October, again filling space vacated by Goody's. In Brooksville, the existing Beall's Outlet in South Plaza at 1266 South Broad Street has been expanded into a 21,910-square-foot facility. The store opened for business on Friday, Feb. 12. The ceremonial grand opening that begins on Feb. 26 will include a $5 gift card for the first 300 shoppers on Friday, Feb. 26, and Saturday, Feb. 27. There also will be a drawing for a $100 shopping spree and a weekend coupon will be available. Beall's and Burke's Outlet, with more than 440 stores nationwide, will expand by 900,000 square feet total, a 10 percent increase in floor space. The 36 new stores average more than 25,000 square feet. The Brooksville store employs a dozen associates and one store manager. Writer: Carter Gaddis Source: Patti Alderson, Beall's and Burke's Outlet

Cigar Maker Davidoff Relocates U.S. Headquarters, 90 Jobs To Pinellas Park

The Oettinger Davidoff Group, better known to cigar aficionados as simply, Davidoff, soon will relocate its U.S. headquarters to Pinellas County. The Swiss company chose a 100,000-square-foot building in Pinellas Park instead of a bid from South Carolina and expects to bring 90 jobs to the Tampa Bay region with an average salary of about $56,000. "The Tampa Bay area was quickly recognized as a possible location as a result of its long history and rich heritage in the cigar industry," Davidoff consultant Oscar Avallone says in a statement. Avallone coordinated the company's relocation from its current headquarters in Stamford, Conn. Davidoff is accepting resumes from people interested in applying for one of the jobs at its new distribution warehouse through an email address: jobs@ddcls.com. The company is expected to begin its Pinellas Park operation this year, perhaps as soon as six months. Cigars will be imported from Davidoff's manufacturing facilities in the Dominican Republic and Honduras, then distributed nationwide from the Tampa Bay region. Through Florida's Qualified Target Industry program, Davidoff is eligible for $288,000 in tax refunds from the state. The company will receive an additional $240,000 from the state through the Governor's Quick Action Closing Fund, as well as $20,000 from Pinellas County and up to $64,000 in tax and fee reductions from Pinellas Park. The move was facilitated through a group effort by the Pinellas County Economic Development department, Enterprise Florida, the Governor's Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development, the city of Pinellas Park and WorkNet Pinellas. Writer: Carter GaddisSource: Stacey Swank, Pinellas County Economic Development

Blondie’s Cookies Expands To Tampa Bay Region From Indiana, Adds Jobs

Blondie's Cookies, which started in 1985 with a single store in Kokomo, Ind., and grew to 10 stores in malls throughout the Hoosier State, launched its first out-of-state expansion with the opening February 1 of the first of four planned stores in the Tampa Bay region at the Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel. Blondie's Florida Regional Manager Rosa Jackson says new stores also are planned for three Westfield malls in the region: Brandon (opening in May), Citrus Park (July) and Sarasota Square (October). The stores will bring 45-50 new jobs to the Tampa Bay region. Jackson said the Wiregrass store, which doubles as a regional warehouse, will have about 15 employees when fully staffed, and the other three stores will employ eight-10, including managers and assistant managers. Further expansion in Florida is possible, Jackson says, but not until she and CEO Brenda Coffman get the four planned stores up and running. Jackson, a Dade City native, has moved home from Indiana to oversee operations in Florida. It was a trip home to visit family this past April, along with Coffman's spring trip to her condominium in Sarasota, that spurred the company's leap into the Tampa Bay region. "It's something that we've always wanted to do," Jackson says. "We've talked about it for years, but the timing was never really there. We had no intention of doing it this year, but my boss and I came down on spring break and I said, 'I found a mall.' She said, 'I found a mall, too.' So she said, 'I'm ready.'" Jackson says the turnaround from concept in April to reality in February has been a whirlwind. The company received its building permit at Wiregrass on January 15, Jackson says, and construction that usually takes 60-90 days was completed in about three weeks. Expansion into Florida during a recession might seem counter-intuitive, but Jackson says Blondie's Cookies was never daunted. "The reason for that is, we believe in the product that we sell," Jackson says. "If we can do well in Indiana, in the Midwest, where your general purchaser is very conservative, then we definitely can do very well in Florida, where there's a little bit more discretionary income." Writer: Carter Gaddis Source: Rosa Jackson, Blondie's Cookies