Clearwater

As locals and visitors famously enjoy fun in the sun here, the city of Clearwater focuses development efforts on beachfront luxury resorts and on downtown projects. Waterfront Aqualea Resort and Residences, a $105 million coral-colored luxury hotel and condominium development, opened in 2009 adjacent to the high-end Sandpearl Resort and Sandpearl Residences. New projects downtown include Station Square, a 15-story residential tower, the Strand at Clearwater Centre and Water’s Edge.

Westfield Countryside Plans New 12-Theater Cinema In Clearwater

By Missy Kavanaugh

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Arts

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June 1, 2010

Clearwater's Westfield Countryside shopping center is getting a new movie theater. An agreement has been reached between city officials, representatives of Cobb Theatres and the Westfield Group that pushes forward plans to build a 12-auditorium, 2,000-seat venue on the Westfield property located at 27001 U.S. Hwy. 19 N. The estimated completion date is the spring of 2012.Pending further city approvals, construction on Countryside Cobb 12 is scheduled to begin in 2011. The facility will feature stadium seating; state-of-the-art digital projection with 3D capabilities; Dolby surround sound; curved floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall screens; fast-food concession stands and convenient ticket kiosks. The theaters also will provide rear-window captioning for hearing impaired patrons and descriptive video for visually impaired guests.A theater once sat behind the current shopping center, which was then known as the Countryside Mall. The building that housed the old theater has since transformed into a Lifestyle Family Fitness facility. According to Westfield Regional Marketing Director Tara Martin, the new theater will sit on the southwest corner of the Westfield Countryside shopping center campus and follows a $12 million revitalization that includes a remodeled food court, upgraded escalators and increased seating areas. "The addition of Cobb Countryside 12, coming on the heels of our recent revitalization, underscores our commitment to continually reinvest in our centers and give shoppers the most sought after options available," says Martin. Westfield Countryside features four major department stores: Macy's, Dillard's, Sears and JCPenney, as well as other popular brands such as Chico's, Gap, Zales and Build-A-Bear Workshop.Writer: Missy KavanaughSoure: Tara Martin, Westfield Group

Tampa, Clearwater Naval Academy Athletes Sail Into National Competition

By Matt Spencer

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Buzz

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June 1, 2010

Sara Burke of Clearwater and Robert Vann of Tampa are competing in the Intercollegiate Sailing Association nationals held in Madison, Wisconsin on Lake Mendota Burke and Vann are part of the Navy's intercollegiate sailing team. Burke serves as a skipper for the women's team and Vann is an A Division skipper on the co-ed team. Read the complete story.

Boaters, Marinas To Get $1.9 Million To Keep Gulf, Lakes Sewage-Free

By Missy Kavanaugh

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Economic Development

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May 25, 2010

Oil isn't the only threat to our coasts. Sewage is, too. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) plans to run a campaign this summer that encourages recreational boaters to use pump-out stations along the coasts of Florida as well as in lakes throughout the state.The DEP administers grant monies from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Clean Vessel Act of 1992. This year Florida received $1.9 million to fund the construction and installation of sewage pump-out facilities and floating restrooms, to purchase pump-out boats and to provide educational programs for recreational boaters, as they have been since the program's inception in the early 1990s. To date, the seven counties that comprise the Tampa Bay region have received a total of $2.2 million, with Pinellas receiving the largest portion at $1.1 million. According to Kristin Lock, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, any marina can apply for a grant that will reimburse 75 percent of the building and installation costs of pump-out facilities."Untreated sewage from boats contains disease-causing microorganisms," explains Deas Bohn, DEP's director of Sustainable Initiatives.."If discharged into the water, these organisms can impact our environment as well as human health. Sewage can spread disease, contaminate shellfish beds and lower oxygen levels necessary for aquatic species to survive. Proper disposal and treatment of boater sewage is essential to protecting Florida's waterways." Federal and state law prohibits discharging raw sewage in all fresh water or within nine nautical miles in the Gulf of Mexico. Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: Kristin Lock, Florida Department of Environmental Protection

2010 Super Regional Leadership Conference Unites Tampa Bay, Orlando

By Nancy Vaughn

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Technology & Innovation

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May 11, 2010

The 2010 Super Regional Leadership Conference, a collaboration between the Tampa Bay Partnership and the Central Florida Partnership, will be held on May 26-27 near Orlando.The event will be at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee and sessions will include: Connecting for Global Competitiveness presented by Professor Jonathan Barnett and members of his Urban Design Studio class, and Global Space Activity: A Florida High Tech Opportunity. Keynote speaker Secretary Ray Lahood with the U.S. Department of Transportation will discuss the high-speed rail planned to connect Tampa and Orlando, and how good transportation leads to sustainable communities.Ever since President Obama came to Tampa for a town hall meeting at the University of Tampa on Jan. 28 to announce Florida's award of $1.25 billion for a high speed rail, the Super Region is said to be the envy of the nation as we obtain opportunities for job creation and global competitiveness. The conference will serve as an opportunity for businesses to discover how to take advantage of the merging of two regions.This year's conference will have a Pecha Kucha challenge, making use of the rapid fire presentation style of 20 images for 20 seconds, which makes for a 6 minute and 40 second presentation. Applications for presenters will be accepted until Friday, May 14, from anyone who has "an initiative that leaders in the 14-county super region should be aware of as far as economic and/business excellence, coordination of assets, innovation or job creation." Brief proposals may be emailed to Chris Steinocher, COO-SVP marketing & business development, at the Tampa Bay Partnership. His email address: csteinocher@tampabay.orgConference participants who register before Saturday, May 15, will save $20. For more information on the 2010 Super Regional Leadership Conference, click here.Writer: Nancy VaughnSource: Chris Steinocher, Tampa Bay Partnership

Pinellas County Leads State In Incumbent Worker Training Grant Awards

By Matt Spencer

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Buzz

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May 11, 2010

Pinellas County is leading the state of Florida in Incumbent Worker Training grants for the sixth year in a row. The purpose of IWT is to provide training to workers to maintain their competitiveness in a global economy and to encourage growth within the company. The program has trained 2,100 employees in more than 30 Pinellas companies this year.Read the complete story.

U.S. Foodservice Seeks Salespeople, Drivers In Tampa Bay Region, Hiring

By Brad Stager

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Technology & Innovation

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May 4, 2010

Dining outside the home in the Tampa Bay region offers a lot of choices as far as cuisine and location. Whether it's Thai food in a strip mall family restaurant, meat-and-potatoes at a stand-alone chain eatery or institutional fare at a hospital or school, someone has to transport the food from market to table and that's what the professionals who work for U.S. Foodservice, Inc. do for their customers. Three of the national food supply company's 60 distribution centers are in Tampa, Lakeland and Clearwater. Marilisa Henderson, a recruiter at the Tampa office, says fulfilling the appetites of Tampa Bay region gourmands requires hiring people who can select the best food products, fulfill and manage sales orders and deliver the goods. "We have an ongoing need for salespeople and drivers," she told an audience of job seekers during a networking event at Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance. Henderson says she also sometimes has openings for IT professionals and people who can provide financial analysis reports. If there's a corporate creed that employees of U.S. Foodservice work by, it would probably be "go beyond the plate." Company spokesperson Christina Koliopoulos cites that as a commitment to communities as well as customers. "We do much more than deliver the groceries and each of our employees plays a critical role in protecting the safety of the food supply," she says. "We are also pasionate about giving back to our community. For example, the Tampa division was recently awarded recognition by Feeding America of Tampa Bay for its dedicated support in the fight to end hunger in West Central Florida."Writer: Brad StagerSource: Christina Koliopoulos, U.S. Foodservice, Inc.

New Report Details Economic Growth in Pinellas County

By Missy Kavanaugh

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Economic Development

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May 4, 2010

Pinellas County Economic Development has released a new report on property conversions and new construction throughout the county. Here's a quick snapshot of projects that can be found on Yahoo's flickr and are presented in the report:Largo's Airco golf course and St. Petersburg's Toytown landfill are undergoing transformations in May. The former golf course will become a mixed-use aviation and business park. Toytown is to become a retail, office and residential space. SRI is moving into a 30,000-square-foot St. Petersburg facility and cigar maker Oettinger Davidoff is moving into the former Hunter Douglas facility in Pinellas Park. Palm Harbor's Geographic Solutions is moving downtown and Suncoast Hospice added a Community Service Center to its location on Tampa Road in Oldsmar. Tourists can chose between the Hotel Zamora on St. Pete beach, a Holiday Inn in Largo or the Hyattt Regency on Clearwater Beach. Medical businesses are expanding as well. St. Pete's All Children's Hospital, Largo Medical Center, and Gulfcoast Cancer Center have expanded their facilities recently, and Morton Plant Mease is adding a breast health facility. Bay Pines Veterans Administration is adding an eye treatment and surgery center, and new medical centers are now open at the Curlew Medical Center in Oldsmar along with the Trilogy Medical Center on McMullen Booth Road. "Pinellas County is very fortunate to have begun planning aggressively for redevelopment several years ago," says Cindy Margiotta, senior manager of operations at Pinellas County Economic Development. "Listening to the needs of our growing businesses, discussing land use best practices with our builders and working collaboratively with our citizens has allowed Pinellas to persevere with improvements." Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: Stacey Swank, Pinellas County EDC

2010 Fortune 500 List Includes 4 Tampa Bay Companies

By Matt Spencer

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Buzz

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April 27, 2010

Fortune 500's ranking of America's largest corporations for 2010 included 16 Florida-based companies, including Publix Super Markets (Lakeland), Tech Data (Clearwater), Jabil Circuit (St. Petersburg) and WellCare Health Plans (Tampa). Publix was also ranked 86th on the list of the Best Companies to Work For. Read the complete list.

Clearwater Boomer Conference Draws Attention To Evolving Demographic

By Matt Spencer

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Buzz

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April 27, 2010

The New York TImes reports on the importance of the Florida Boomer Lifestyle Conference that occurred April 15 at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater. The conference aimed to inform business owners of the evolving needs of the Boomer age group. Some topics covered in the conference include lifestyle options, how to target your business toward boomers, retirement opportunities and financial preparation.Read the complete article.

Magnetic Research Facility Moves To Clearwater

By Missy Kavanaugh

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Economic Development

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April 20, 2010

Pico-Tesla Magnetic Therapies opened a Clearwater office in April to facilitate its research for Parkinson's and Type II Diabetes. The location, at 4500 140th Ave. N., was chosen for some interesting reasons. "Certainly demographics played a part," explains Allen Braswell, Pico's CEO. "The St. Petersburg Clearwater Airport puts us in the middle of those demographics. If you want to pull people from Tampa as well as Clearwater and St. Pete, this location is perfect for that." Once the geographic location was settled, a building that fit the company's unique requirements needed to be found. Because the company houses magnetic equipment, the building's position was critical. Hallmark Development of Florida stepped in to help. Paul Engelhardt, Hallmark VP, describes how interesting the experience was for him. "When I was first contacted by Allen, he said his treatment rooms needed to be positioned so they run north to south. He was originally interested in another property, but it was diagonally positioned, so I knew that wouldn't work. But this property I knew would work. " However, Braswell makes it clear demographics and building position weren't the only deciding factors. Braswell grew up in Clearwater. "I grew up here and am familiar with the area and the people," he says. "In some ways I feel like I never left. My father and I started a business that is now part of Jabil Circuit, which was the Tampa Bay Chamber's Business of the Year in 1993." Braswell is also happy to be back for other reasons. His favorite hangout is Capogna's Dugout, just down the street from his alma mater, Clearwater High School. When asked why Capogna's, he replies, "You've never had their pizza if you have to ask that question."Writer: Missy KavanaughSources: Allen Braswell, Pico-Tesla; Paul Engelhardt, Hallmark Development of Florida.