- December 15, 2025
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Hotel occupancy up
Hotel occupancy in the Tampa-St. Petersburg market increased 6.1% to 55.3% in 2010, only slightly lagging the national average, according to Henderson, Tenn.-based Smith Travel Research. However, average daily rate and revenue per available room declined over the year.
Local ADR decreased 7.2%, ending the year at $91.43. Tampa-St. Petersburg was among only three markets posting room rate decreases of more than 5% last year, along with Detroit and Phoenix.
Revenue per available room was 1.5% lower for the year at $50.56, with the local market being one of only two nationally to post a decrease with Houston.
Nationwide, hotel occupancy increased 5.7% to 57.6%, while ADR remained at $98.08 and RevPAR rose 5.5% to $56.47, STR reported.
STAR TEC, USF link
Largo-based STAR Technology Enterprise Center signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of South Florida to collaborate on an “entrepreneurial ecosystem” for startup technology firms in the Tampa Bay region.
STAR TEC, a business accelerator/incubator that serves early stage manufacturers and tech-based companies, will join USF's Tampa Bay Technology Incubator Network and USF Connect program. The collaboration will seek to create new technology businesses, develop public/private research and business relationships and support economic development.
Elements of the collaboration include creating an entrepreneurial support system for local tech startups, encouraging research collaborations for USF faculty and clients, delivering and promoting entrepreneurship seminars, and providing opportunities for faculty and student assistance to clients.
Orchestra cuts prices
In an effort to fill more seats, the Florida Orchestra is reducing ticket prices for this season's concert schedule to $15, $30 and $45. Tickets normally range from $20 to $67.
At least half of this year's tickets will cost $30 or less, while student tickets remain $10. Prior season-ticket holders are being asked by the orchestra to donate the price difference between the old and new packages.
The orchestra, which operated with a $500,000 deficit last year, hopes to drive revenue by selling more tickets at lower price points. Attendance at last year's concerts in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater averaged at least 60%.
Naples home prices rise
Existing single-family home sales fell 10% in December compared with the same month a year ago as median prices rose, according to the Naples Area Board of Realtors.
In Naples, Realtors helped sell 313 single-family homes in December, down from 347 they sold in the same month a year ago. The median price was $217,000, a 9% increase over December 2009.
Median prices of existing single-family rose in every category except in the $500,000 to $1 million range, which fell slightly less than 1% in December compared with December 2009.
Airport numbers rise
An increase in airport traffic at the Fort Myers airport suggests this winter's tourism may turn out to be better than last year.
In December, 694,399 passengers traveled through Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers, a 2.7% increase over the same month last year. For 2010, traffic was more than 7.5 million passengers, a 1.3% increase compared with 2009.
The leading airlines in Fort Myers in December were Delta, AirTran, JetBlue, Southwest and US Airways.
Tice joins Fed board
Gary Tice has been appointed to the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta's Miami branch.
Tice is a longtime Naples banker who built First National Bankshares of Florida, which was acquired by Fifth Third Bank in 2005 for $1.6 billion. At the time of its sale, Naples-based First National had 77 branches from Orlando and Tampa to Naples with $5.3 billion in assets.
Tice is a founder of First National Bank of the Gulf Coast, which opened in October 2009 and has $278 million in assets. Tice is the bank's chairman and CEO.
County considers fees
Manatee County Administrator Ed Hunzeker plans to ask county commissioners to extend cuts in impact fees imposed on builders and developers.
The county initially adopted the cuts — 50% in transportation impact fees and 100% in educational impact fees — in May 2009. Those cuts are set to expire by the end of July.
Hunzeker, however, thinks the cuts should be extended to July 2013 because the housing recovery hasn't been strong, even with the decreased fees.
Manatee County commissioners were scheduled to hear Hunzeker's proposal, and from opponents of an extension of the cuts, at a Jan. 25 meeting.
Foundation hires executive
The Community Foundation of Sarasota County named Roxanne Jerde president and CEO.
Jerde was previously the senior vice president for the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation. The Sarasota foundation, founded in 1979, is a public charity that aims to connect individuals with community causes. The group manages $182 million in assets.
Jerde replaces Stewart Stearns, the longtime foundation CEO who retired last year. Jerde will join the foundation in March, after she moves to Sarasota with her husband Michael, a retired attorney.
Unemployment drops
Holiday and seasonal hiring gave employment numbers in Manatee County a boost at the end of 2010.
The unemployment rate in the county in December fell nearly a percentage point from November, from 12.6% to 11.8%, according to the Agency for Workforce Innovation. The December rate was also a drop from the 12.6% in unemployment the county reported in December 2009. The 11.8% in unemployment translates to 17,100 people out of work, according to state data.
Manatee County was one of 65 Florida counties to report lower unemployment rates in December due to retail seasonal hiring and agriculture jobs. Florida's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in December, meanwhile, was 12%, same as November.
