Missy Kavanaugh

Missy Kavanaugh's Latest Articles

Mosaic To Build Resort On Reclaimed Land In Polk

By Missy Kavanaugh

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Development News

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November 17, 2010

A Central Florida phosphate producer is breaking ground in more ways than one.The Mosaic Company announced plans to build a resort in Polk County that will include two 18-hole golf courses, 140 guest rooms, five villas, a full-service spa, conference center, three restaurants, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, bass fishing, a sporting clays range and hiking and nature trails. It is Mosaic's first official real estate undertaking.Dubbed Streamsong Resort, the vacation destination is to be built on 16,000 acres of reclaimed land that was formerly used to mine phosphate. "Reclamation is an ongoing effort for the Mosaic footprint," says David Townsend, assistant VP of public affairs for Mosaic in making the announcement on Wednesday, Nov. 17. "It's an ongoing way of life for us."Townsend says much of the Lakeland area is formerly mined land, reclaimed and redeveloped as part of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 that requires all mining projects submit a reclamation plan before mining the land."Much of Lakeland is reclaimed land," continues Townsend. "Its housing communities, golf courses, commercial areas, shopping centers, parks such as Alafia River State Park. Vast areas of Polk County are located on reclaimed land."Although Renaissance Golf Design has already begun work on the two golf courses, completion of the resort itself is planned for 2013. Alberto Alfonso of Alfonso Architects is the lead architect for the resort, which is expected to provide 200 permanent jobs to area residents and help fuel Polk County's economy through bed taxes and other tourism opportunities.Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: David Townsend, Mosaic

What’s Next For Tampa Transportation?

By Missy Kavanaugh

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Development News

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November 16, 2010

Hillsborough County voters rejected a one-percent sales tax increase to fund improved transportation throughout the county, including the construction of a light-rail system. But supporters of the initiative are not giving up."We're taking stock of what occurred, what the voters told us, the lessons we've learned and what we can do differently," says Stuart Rogel, president and CEO of Tampa Bay Partnership. "We are looking at a variety of opportunities in front of us. The need for and importance of transportation to our future is still very, very important. Forty-two percent of the electorate voted for the one-cent tax to fund transit improvements and thought it was important enough to our future."Rogel says he feels collaboration has strengthened the push toward transit improvement funding and has helped to educate county residents and business owners about their options regarding transportation."We've established relationships among people who have never worked together before," says Rogel. "People who had never thought about what transit meant to our future are now thinking about it. Pinellas and Pasco counties are now looking at this issue. The Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority  (TBARTA) now has a master plan in place. We're starting to tie people together collaboratively."And Rogel emphasizes that a high-speed rail route is looming on the horizon. "I just spent time with people from all over the world meeting about the Florida high-speed rail project," he says. "We can't lose sight of that and what it means to our community." Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: Stuart Rogel, Tampa Bay Partnership

Clearwater Office Park Gets Gold LEED Certification

By Missy Kavanaugh

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Development News

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November 16, 2010

A Clearwater office park has obtained gold LEED certification.The Phase II building at the Offices at Park Place, located just north of State Road 60 and east of U.S. Hwy 19 in Clearwater, has been awarded gold LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Paul Engelhardt of Hallmark Developers, the company that developed the office park, says that striving for environmental excellence is the right thing to do. "The image is that developers and builders are nasty," he says. "We like nice products and positive community reception. We like people to say they like what we've done for the community. We believe in environmental responsibility for the community. For our children's future."The building's green design features include a cool roof, insulated windows, low-toxicity/recycled building materials, and efficient mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems.Engelhardt says that this is one of several Hallmark properties to embrace environmentally responsible building efforts. The first building at Offices at Park Place was built out to reflect environmentally responsible objectives, and while the initial costs were steep, Englelhardt says he has noticed a decline in costs as the trend toward sustainable building practices has taken hold. "The first building was very expensive because it was the first, and the contractors and subcontractors were not programmed into the processes and elements involved in environmentally responsible construction," says Engelhardt. "It was a learning curve, so they automatically charged more. That first building cost 8 percent more than a building without environmentally responsible elements would have. But this second one cost just a couple percent more than usual."The new building houses Brown & Brown Insurance, Ultimate Staffing Services and a federal government office. Another building next door soon will be ready to lease.Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: Paul Engelhardt, Hallmark Development of Florida, Inc.

New Walks, Curbs Tidy Up N. Tampa Neighborhood

By Missy Kavanaugh

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Development News

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November 16, 2010

Tampa's 22nd Street North corridor now has sidewalks, curbs and gutters running along both sides of the street. Its newly meandered design and speed tables slow the traffic that once raced through the neighborhood. Streetlights and security cameras protect drivers and pedestrians from danger."We're the most densely populated area in Hillsborough County; and one of the most densely populated areas in the state," says Julian Garcia, Jr., executive director of the University Community Redevelopment Corporation. "What we've done with redevelopment of this corridor is part of an overall plan to rejuvenate the whole area." According to Garcia, 158 small- to medium-sized businesses started in the city's university section last year, which created 189 jobs. The  Prodigy Cultural Arts program promotes literacy, personal enrichment and the arts to members of the community, who also enjoy accessible and affordable health care through the University Area Healthcare Center.Garcia says pre-planning studies were critical to redevelopment success. "We've taken a holistic approach to what we gathered through a housing condition survey and an assessment of attitudes about crime in the community," he says.Garcia says the studies were done with support of the Jim Walter Partnership Center at the University of South Florida and Shimberg Center for Housing Studies at the University of Florida. Garcia and his team have since developed a manual of best practices for community redevelopment and have conducted five symposiums throughout Florida to share what they've accomplished and to show what is possible for other areas in need of rejuvenation. Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: Julian Garcia, University Community Redevelopment Corp.

Nancy’s BBQ Invests Anew In Sarasota, Opens Store

By Missy Kavanaugh

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Development News

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November 9, 2010

An itinerant Sarasota caterer has finally found a home.Nancy's Bar-B-Q is opening a store at 301 South Pineapple Drive in downtown Sarasota. Nancy Krohngold, the owner and proprietor of Nancy's Bar-B-Q, is partnering with five brothers: Mark, John, Rob, Anthony and Paul Caragiulo, who are known for owning and running Sarasota restaurants Caragiulos and Owen's Fish Camp. "I'm over the moon," says Krohngold. I grew up here and I've always been a downtown person -- my father owned a business downtown. I feel fortunate that I have a place where my customers can find me. The Caragiulo brothers have a long and wonderful reputation here and I feel totally comfortable and honored to have them partnering with me." Krohngold began her barbecue business by providing catering services to private parties. As her slow-cooked North Carolina barbecue fare gained popularity, Nancy's Bar-B-Q evolved into a full-time business on wheels.  Krohngold says Facebook helped her marketing efforts with "a lot of chatter ... wondering where I'd show up next." Nancy's Bar-B-Q has enjoyed critical success in Tampa Bay magazines. In April 2010, Sarasota Magazine recognized Nancy's Bar-B-Q in its "The 52 Restaurant Dishes We Love Most This Year" feature. Creative Loafing named it the "Best Underground Restaurant" for its Best of the Suncoast 2009 Critics' Pick. and Krohngold had the honor of catering the green room during President Bill Clinton's appearance at Ringling College's Town Hall Lecture Series at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in 2009.In addition to her signature pulled pork, Nancy's Bar-B-Q restaurant menu will include oak-smoked chicken, pork spare ribs, beef brisket, and oak-smoked salmon with cucumber-dill yogurt sauce along with edamame succotash, potatoes au gratin, macaroni and cheese, baked beans w/ pulled pork, cole slaw, red skin potato salad, and a new chopped salad, pineapple-rum upside down cake, brownies, banana pudding and bread pudding. Nancy will continue catering and delivery. Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: Nancy Krohngold, Nancy's Bar-B-Q

Mercedes-Benz Of Tampa Goes Green In New Place

By Missy Kavanaugh

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Development News

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November 9, 2010

Mercedes is cruising down the street to an environmentally friendly destination.Mercedes-Benz of Tampa is moving from its current location at 4600 N. Dale Mabry Highway to 4400 N. Dale Mabry Highway, where a new building is scheduled to be completed in January 2011. According to dealership General Manager Frank Cuteri, the construction project gives the dealership an opportunity to install amenities to increase the building's sustainability and decrease its environmental footprint. "We're using LED lighting on the outside lot to reduce electricity consumption," explains Cuteri. "The building is situated and laid out to minimize temperature needs. All windows face northeastward. We're installing  fans to move the air and further reduce air conditioning. We figure that's another 25 percent reduction in energy use."But according to Cuteri, there's more the dealership did to protect the environment. "Most dealerships use hydraulic oil, which ends up in the groundwater," Cuteri continues. "Our hydraulics are self-contained and use vegetable oil. We had some cleanup to do on the new lot regarding that from an old dealership that was there before. We had to dig up the ground and actually take the soil and burn it to keep it out of groundwater."Cuteri says new service department workshop requirements standards set by the Mercedes-Benz company prompted the construction and related move. "There are probably 50 different design elements that are required," says Cuteri. "These requirements cover everything from fixtures, paint and furniture to tool boxes. The new standards were started three years ago and now 90 percent of Mercedes service centers have been converted, upgraded or built according to the standards." Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: Frank Cuteri, Mercedes Benz of Tampa

St. Petersburg Floats Central Avenue Makeover

By Missy Kavanaugh

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Development News

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November 9, 2010

Central Avenue in St. Petersburg stretches almost seven miles between Tampa Bay on the east side of the Pinellas peninsula to the Gulf of Mexico on the west. And the city of St. Pete has begun discussions to organize the diverse businesses along it.According to Paul Stellrecht, the city's economic development coordinator, the conversation has just begun."There is no plan at this time to do anything, be anything or create anything," explains Stellrecht. "The impetus for what we call a Conversation on Central was to bring together all interested businesses along the avenue from bay to bay. "There are so many different unique, diverse areas along the Central Avenue—and all of them are doing their own thing. Business owners who had never met the business owner across the street. So we wanted to come together and introduce all these areas to each other and kind of get an idea of what some of the assets of the avenue are. "There are a lot of unique activities going on along the avenue," continues Stellrecht. "The idea was to first explore the feasibility of a collective, collaborative vision while maintaining each area's individual characteristics. And the meetings revealed that it is possible."According to a news release, approximately 190 participants have gathered during four meetings to discuss the avenue's options. Guest speakers include members of the city's Police and Safety department, its Transportation and Parking department, business owners from the Grand Central Main Street district and representatives from the Artist Enclave of the 600 Crislip Arcade block.Improvements discussed include better lighting, coordinated curb appeal and security upgrades, to name a few."For me it's an exciting opportunity because we just don't know what's going to become of it," says Stellrecht. Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: Paul Stellrecht, City of St. Petersburg

New Sarasota Fitness Classes Boast Quick Results

By Missy Kavanaugh

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Entrepreneurship

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November 9, 2010

Twenty minutes is all it takes. That's what Rick Wisotzke says. And he hopes to prove it to Tampa Bay clients with the opening of his Ninja CrossFit classes in Sarasota. Housed at the Extreme Fitness facility at 2383 Industrial Blvd., the classes are held mornings and evenings and taught exclusively by Wisotzke, a certified CrossFit trainer. Classes combine weightlifting, sprinting and gymnastics that work several fitness domains in a fast-paced environment. "You work really fast so you're working anaerobically," says Wisotzke. "It's training that transfers into every day life. Not just for looks but for fitness you use in everyday life. It can help with osteoporosis for older women, everyday lifting for moms or training for weekend athletes."Wisotzke hopes to build more than a thriving business. It is his goal to create a community of people devoted to fitness and healthful living."What I'm trying to build here is a community rather than just a workout facility," he says. "It's about a general lifestyle. I currently take shopping trips with my clients, pushing organics and nutrition. I'd eventually like to build a community garden to get a community going."Originally from Rochester, NY, Wisotzke discovered CrossFit after two accidents that doctors said would leave him permanently disabled. "They told me I'd be in a brace and using a cane for the rest of my life," he says. "But here I am teaching. I love it down here. I'm in flip flops all the time, so I'm an old Florida boy now."Prices begin at $10 per class, or $110 a month for unlimited classes. Wisotzke also offers individual training for $50 per hour.Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: Rick Wisotzke, Ninja CrossFit

St. Pete Installs Pay-By-Phone Parking Meters

By Missy Kavanaugh

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Development News

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November 2, 2010

Tampa drivers set aside their quarters last month in favor of electronic meters, and now St. Pete drivers can enjoy easier and more efficient downtown parking.Pay-by-phone meters have been installed along downtown St. Petersburg streets and avenues, allowing drivers to pay with plastic through their phones instead of digging around for quarters."The goal of the program is to provide an opportunity for those without quarters to enjoy downtown," says Joe Kubicki, director of the city's Parking and Transportation division. "It's been an important part of our program for a while now and we're happy to have implemented it this week, on Oct. 27, 2010. It makes it more convenient for people to be downtown."After receiving a number of responses to its official request for proposals, the city elected to contract Parkmobile to facilitate its transition from traditional to pay-by-phone meters. ParkMobile's Director of Marketing Sara Engle shares Kubicki's enthusiasm for the ease and efficiency the technology provides."ParkMobile is a very forward-thinking company," says Engle. We're constantly updating parking technology. We offer mobile apps for smart phones, but there are several ways you can use our technology: online on your personal page, or by dialing into our Miami call center or by using an app."Engle says ParkMobile provides PCI Level 1 compliance to protect users from credit card fraud and identity theft. "That's a critical part of our technology," she says. Kubicki says that after traveling to Fort Lauderdale to investigate their pay-by-phone program, the city decided to implement its own. And it was cheaper than the alternative requested by St. Pete residents. "We had a lot of requests for change machines," explains Kubicki. "But those machines turned out to be more expensive than pay-by-phone. And pay-by-phone takes less than a minute to do."Writer: Missy KavanaughSources: Joe Kubicki, City of St. Petersburg; Sara Engle, ParkMobile

Tampa Bay Campuses Offer Bike Programs

By Missy Kavanaugh

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Innovation News

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November 2, 2010

Tampa students, faculty and staff don't have to fight traffic or prowl lots for that ever-evasive parking spot. They can get a bicycle. For free.The University of Tampa (UT) joins the University of South Florida (USF) in offering free bike rentals to those living, attending classes or working on campus. According to UT's Assistant Director of Campus Recreation Katie White, the Tampa campuses are merely following what other campuses across the country are doing."It's definitely a trend," says White. "More and more universities are going this way as they're trying to minimize auto traffic and encourage sustainable transportation."According to White, students, faculty and staff can rent a bike for free on a daily basis by signing one out in morning and afternoon time slots. Bikes must be returned by dark to avoid a late fee. White says that although students didn't ask for the service, it's caught on nevertheless."This is a pilot program," explains White. "So far, the response we've gotten has been great. I'd like to expand the types of bikes we offer. Right now they're all mountain bikes. But I would like to add cruisers and road bikes. I'd also like to add a maintenance program for those who own their own bikes, as well as a safety program."The University of South Florida's Borrow Our Bikes (BOB) program has a similar operational structure. "Our program started in August 2010," says Chris Marks, USF's associate director of Campus Recreation. "We have 30 bikes, locks, helmets and lights—and it's enjoyed a positive response. We're getting close to 1,000 total check outs so far."Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: Katie White, The University of Tampa; Chris Marks, University of South Florida