More News

Business Observer Staff
February 15, 2008

Commercial Real Estate Briefs

Island Development buys Venetian Towers landCenterco Properties buys Naples GoodyearTruck & Van Works relocates north on MetroHubbard brothers bowling for landSarasota area hotelierbuys U.S. 41 vacant lotSarasota developers plan Alta Mer IIDevelopers Diversified sells Bloomingdale HillNew York company buys Colony CrossingsTA Associates acquires Grand Regency Center

Charlotte–Lee–Collier

Business Observer Staff
February 8, 2008

Coffee Talk

The end really was near: Builders who gathered at a Collier Building Industry Association dinner last week were buzzing about the latest Florida homebuilder to file bankruptcy: Tousa Inc., based in Hollywood.Geography change might do it good: Jim Tille, president of a 60-employee, Sarasota-based commercial plumbing firm, is about to go on business trips to Puerto Rico and Aruba, among other places.Competing brokerages to form one entity: Executives at two of the Gulf Coast's largest Re/Max residential real estate firms have taken the "time to buy" mantra of the local real estate market literally, with a twist.Angels flocking together in Southwest Florida: More than just Lee County is involved in an effort to create a regional angel investment fund. Coffee Talk first reported the move to create the Southwest Florida Regional Angel Fund last week.And now, the greening of the death business: Going green continues to be the trend of all trends in business, from so-called eco-friendly vodkas to green manufacturing practices to even green garbage collection.Bad loans crop up in commercial real estate: Is the economic downturn starting to impact commercial real estate?Tampa broker tops in nation: There are a lot of business awards, but when you're from Tampa and you top businesspeople in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago to be best in the nation, and then do it again, it's worth noting.Bradenton community bank puts priority on

News

Business Observer Staff
February 8, 2008

Commercial Real Estate Briefs

Shaw Development moves to Lee CountyBrauvin Real Estate buys Lehigh dialysis centerdurpos Buyhomebuilder's officeBoston, Sarasota investors buy Waldemere PlazaCalifornia company, othersbuy Manatee Town CenterSarasota investors buy, lease Center CourtPrudential, CLW buy Tampa buildingsHallandale investor buys Skipper PalmsAtria Senior Living buys Baypoint Village

Charlotte–Lee–Collier

Business Observer Staff
February 2, 2008

Commercial Real Estate Briefs

Attorney, citrus broker buy groveEntrepreneurs redevelop Admiral Lehigh resortCompany expands to NaplesTampa Toyota owner buys Southpointe MotorcarsTervis Tumbler Co.busy additional landBenderson sells sites to Budget Self StorageCNL, AmStar Group buy Two Harbour PlaceTarpon Springs contractor buys Family Dollar buildingLandeavor, Walton Streettake over Pulte's LakesideD.E. Shaw Group buys 9,300 homesites

Charlotte–Lee–Collier

Business Observer Staff
February 2, 2008

Coffee Talk

Christmas Break is for the birds: This falls in the no-good-deed-goes-unpunished category.U.S. recession: It's all in our heads: The only way the U.S. economy slips into a recession is if we collectively talk ourselves into it. The underlying fundamentals are just too strong otherwise.Major hotel deal possible for Sarasota: The Sarasota-Bradenton business community could be on the verge of receiving some good news: Coffee Talk hears that the Waldorf-Astoria hotel is in the final stages of officially signing on to the Proscenium project.Mel's Diner slows, closes some restaurants: The economic downturn has hit the customers of affordable restaurants, forcing Chris Karakosta to close three of his Mel's Diner restaurants on the Gulf Coast recently.Score one for impact fee opponents: Despite the turbulent economy, impact fees imposed on developers and builders statewide have remained the tax du jour for county and local governments seeking ways to reel in more money.Wanted: Angel investors in Lee: The Lee County Economic Development office is exploring ways of creating an angel fund to invest in local companies.Clearwater firm builds CNN bus: When it came time for CNN to plan its coverage of the 2008 election campaign, the decision was made: Have Parliament Coach and Frontline Communications of Clearwater build a news bus.

News

Business Observer Staff
January 26, 2008

Commercial Real Estate Briefs

Richman, First Florida plan apartment complexOsprey Property Cos.buys land for new retailTampa flooring retailer buys Race Track centerOhio storage company buys Lockwood storageOcala John Deere dealer buys Palmetto dealershipSarasota developers plan Siesta Village lotBonita Springs developers plan Forum business centerRec Room Furniture sells Naples buildingInvestors acquireDunkin' Donuts center

Charlotte–Lee–Collier

Business Observer Staff
January 26, 2008

Coffee Talk

Million-dollar tax bill goes to court: Fresh off selling his multimillion stake in Venice-based window manufacturer PGT Industries, Paul Hostetler sought a bank and an investment firm to reduce his and his family's tax bill.WCI: Icahn makes banks blink: News that banks granted Bonita Springs-based WCI Communities until June 2009 to gets its financial house in order had Carl Icahn written all over it.Westshore's Austin bullish on Giuliani: Al Austin, the Tampa developer known as the father of Westshore, Florida's biggest business district, keeps busy with more than real estate these days.Sarasota money draws a crowd: In these tough economic times, Coffee Talk was surprised to hear yet another wealth management firm is entering the Sarasota market.Downtown Fort Myers condos on hold for duration: If construction hasn't started on a downtown Fort Myers condo tower yet, buyers will have to wait until the residential downturn is over. Sawgrass Creek building nears completion Managers eye Merrill's Florida pension businessMcKibbon goes green with new hotelsMetro, Shaw enter joint venture HMA gets bump from Wachovia analystSt. Pete to issue RFP for Trop site

News

Business Observer Staff
January 18, 2008

Coffee Talk

National hotel chain bets on Gulf Coast: Since the slumping housing market's bite is cutting into just about any industry that gets in its way, this might seem like a strange time to be hyping fractional condo ownership on the Gulf Coast.Bad economic predictions? Kill the messenger: Hank Fishkind's word may be golden among Florida developers and bond investors, but builders in Cape Coral were furious when the Orlando economist recently said it might take as long as four years for the Cape Coral-Fort Myers area to recover from the real estate downturn.John R. Wood trims Fort Myers operation: John R. Wood Realtors, the Naples-based residential real estate brokerage firm, closed its Fort Myers office and most of the 25 agents there will relocate to Bonita Springs.Bradenton Bank's downtown Tampa exposure: Add a new name to the downtown Tampa skyline: M&I.Locally created commercial gets second life: Sometimes the best kinds of publicity can't be bought.Lakewood Ranch grocer leaves field to Publix: Score one for Publix.Homebuilding land gone to the dog: Tampa-based real estate land broker Bill Eshenbaugh, a.k.a. "The Dirt Dog" on his Web site, is a busy man these days.ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT GULF COAST TOURISMBuchanan seeks advice from local executives

News

Business Observer Staff
January 18, 2008

Commercial Real Estate Briefs

JKL Design Group relocates to 61stKauffman, partners plan to start Ringling PointeSarasota County, Swiftmud buy landFort Properties Inc. buys Shaw Aero facilityTerra Del Prado buys Merchant centerForge Capital, DeBartolo buy Sunshine PlazaEquity, NRI buy land, prep for startColorado investors buy assisted living propertiesForesight Holdings Inc. acquires Largo Bazaar

Manatee-Sarasota

Business Observer Staff
January 11, 2008

Coffee Talk

Rep Aubuchon: cut school taxes 40%: The property tax debate will be far from over even after Jan. 29, the day Floridians will vote on a new property tax amendment.Bank exec voluntarily demotes himself: George Najmy, president and chief executive officer of Bradenton-based First Priority Bank, approached the bank's board of directors late last year with a rather unusual requestHealth care costs continue getting costlier: The struggles many small business owners face in providing health care to employees will only get worse in 2008, a new study predicts.New York ad firm buys Sarasota company: With some national naysayers lamenting that Florida' glory days are over, Coffee Talk was pleased to hear a big New York advertising firm wants in on the Sunshine State.Sherman mauls management of Bear Stearns: Bruce Sherman, the CEO of Naples-based Private Capital Management, is agitating again.Market forces catch up to entrepreneur: One time high-flying St. Petersburg-based entrepreneur Frank Maggio has hit some low times.New York's finest comes to Tampa: If you make a stun gun that competes with the taser, you may need to bring in an established veteran to help you win the shootout, or perhaps the stunout.CNL bullish on Tampa: Despite the real estate slowdown, CNL Commercial Real Estate is bullish on Tampa.

News

Business Observer Staff
January 11, 2008

Commercial Real Estate Briefs

Latt Maxcy acquires Palmer CrossingsSarasota Restaurant Equipment buys warehouseRingling College of Art plans for growthNew York company buys Jamaica Bay PlazaCharlotte Countybuys 212 acres of preserveFP&L invests in future substationsExeter Property Group buys Verizon warehousePegasus Imaging renovating M.L.K. officePrologis buys building, develops Prologis Park Madison

Manatee-Sarasota

Business Observer Staff
January 4, 2008

Coffee Talk

Most CFOs to maintain staffing levels: About 5% of chief financial officers in the Tampa Bay area plan to add accounting and finance staff during the first quarter of 2008, while 5% anticipate reductions in personnel, according to the most recent Robert Half International Financial Hiring Index.Taking Big Blue to court Watch out, Goliath.: T3 Technologies Inc. of Tampa has filed an anti-trust claim against IBM in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York alleging anti-trust violations and unfair competition.CarBiz plans 'superstore' in Houston: Sarasota-based CarBiz Inc. has announced plans to open its first "Superstore" in Houston next month.Search for industrial land continues: And while residential slows down, industrial demand heats up. Businesses need warehouses. But there is little available land on which to build. Even on Interstate 75.New online community emerging: Tampa-based Web Piston just released a Web application, Frupee, that allows people to build their own online communities.Evos knows college students: Healthy food and college students? Not always a match.Port likely to spend $1 billion: The Tampa Port Authority and maritime businesses can expect to pump more than $1 billion into facilities at Tampa's port during the next 20 years, a consultant developing the port's master plan said.

News

Business Observer Staff
December 31, 2007

Coffee Talk

WCI Communities' CFO resigns: The recent resignation of James Dietz, the chief financial officer of Bonita Springs-based WCI Communities, sparked lively discussions on the company's message boards. Network Liquidators appoints Jabil exec: Network Liquidators, a Tampa-based buyer and seller of pre-owned networking and telecommunications equipment, has appointed Steve Torres as chief financial officer.Sink says state should tighten its belt: Despite a state unemployment rate that is below the national average, expect belt tightening, streamlining of government and efforts to better protect the state financially from hurricanes as the state takes in less revenue.Sink to campaign for Democrats: And while she's tending the state's cash register, expect to see Florida CFO Alex Sink hit the campaign trail, working for fellow Democrats. At a recent CEO Council breakfast, she didn't name names.Metro acquires 8,300 home sites: Timing is everything. Although residential real estate is in the tank, there apparently are deals to be had. Some of them big.TOURISM TAXABLE SALES

News

Business Observer Staff
December 21, 2007

Coffee Talk

Sarasota County freezes impact fees: Lower revenues have some local governments rethinking some of their high fees.CEO buys $1 million worth of Chico's stock: It's always a good sign to see a CEO buy $1 million worth of the stock of the company he runs, especially when that company is Chico's FAS.Vulture funds circling residential: Don't look now, but the downturn in the residential real estate market has vulture investors circling Tampa Bay, trying to buy lots on the cheap.Environmental activist may run for county seat: Jono Miller, a well-known Gulf Coast environmental activist, tells Coffee Talk he is giving "serious consideration" to running for the Sarasota County Commission in 2008.Ideal Image finishing strong: Tampa-based Ideal Image, the laser hair removal chain, is finishing 2007 strong, boosting same-store sales revenues 28% over 2006.WCI gets reprieve from lenders: WCI Communities got a one-month extension from lenders to Jan. 7 to renegotiate the terms of its loans.Lawsuit abuse issue lingers: Lobbying groups fighting for Florida tort reform have even more evidence that frivolous lawsuits, even the threat of one, is bad for both businesses and consumers.

News

Business Observer Staff
December 21, 2007

Commercial Real Estate Briefs

Developer plans Charlotte resortMassachusetts hotel owner buys Marco buildingFifth Third Bank plans 22nd Lee County branchStrathmore Development buys Center of Bonita SpringsLongboat Key Club buys Longboat Key MooringsLapensee Plumbing buys Re/Max officeSarasota's K2M buys, markets bank officeUCH develops Pasco care centerTwo Australian firmsPraedium Groupbuys Palm Island Club

Charlotte–Lee–Collier

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Commercial Real Estate Briefs

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Commercial Real Estate Briefs

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Commercial Real Estate Briefs

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Commercial Real Estate Briefs

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Commercial Real Estate Briefs

Report: Tampa No. 2 retail real estate market nationwide

Longboat Key to get first-ever Goodwill store

$74M Naples botanical garden names interim CEO

Sarasota County buys 3.59-acre Venice waterfront property

Naples senior center founder, prominent social services advocate dies at 75

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