We have had a lot of tremendous feedback for the E-news brief and the publications. As you know, for the last four years, we have been the only magazine that has been an advocate for our industry. With the launch in 2007 of the E-news brief, web-design company and HOME Magazine, we have now positioned ourselves as the vehicle of choice for all of your marketing needs.
As you are budgeting and planning for 2008, we would like to meet with you to see if we can be a part of your budget, and help your business continue to grow.
I don't know if you have noticed it yet, but there seems to be a slight break in our summer heat. There were a couple of very slightly cooler mornings and evenings. And that's as it should be, since Sunday was the official first day of fall. While people not familiar with Florida weather scoff at the idea that there is a difference, those of us who have been around here for a while recognize the subtle change. Fall and spring are - after all - two of Florida's best kept secrets. I always find fall especially to be a great time in North Central Florida. Two favorites of mine during fall are SEC football games and the Parade of Homes™. In speaking with Gina Hill and Margie Krpan last week, they informed me there are over 50 homes in this year's BANCF Parade. I have mixed feelings, as I wish inventory was a lot lower for the builders, but I am looking forward as a consumer to seeing the best each of you has to offer. I still haven't figured out how I am going to make it to every home in all three counties' Parades, but I am going to do my best.
Another uncertainty is what mindset Commissioner DeLaney is going to have in the coming weeks. Knowing the Alachua County Commission as well as we do, it is important to remind everyone of the public hearing on Tues., Oct. 9. That is when the county commission is scheduled to approve the impact-fee ordinance agreed upon at the end of August. But Commission Chair Paula DeLaney, faced with some anti-growth unrest, has indicated that she may change her vote to implement the new fees immediately, rather than give the sales-tax initiative a chance. As we did previously, it is important for us to pack the commission chambers in two weeks to help ensure that our elected officials live up to their word.
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www.BuildingEdgeMagazine.com
The September issue, which includes a feature on The Palms, an exciting new downtown Gainesville condominium development being brought to you by Mitch Glaeser, Greg Trunnell and Miles Kinsell, is now available. The national feature is Interior Design: Lighting, hardware, trim millwork, interior doors, fireplaces, stairs, closet systems.
Our October issue should finish printing within the next week, and will start shipping by the end of the month. It will be featuring Isaac Construction in Lake City. The National Feature will be on Weathering the Elements: HVAC, insulation, house wrap, anti-mold products, siding and brick, roofing, pest control . Our Edge Spotlight this month is on Griffis Tile & Flooring.
Sales are wrapping up on the November issue, which will featuring Demetri Homes of Ocala. The National Feature will be on Green Building: engineered wood/stone, heating/cooling alternatives, sustainable building materials, increasing IAQ (indoor air quality), plastic piping. For more information, please contact us at (352) 372-3958 in Gainesville, or (352) 368-1707 in Ocala.
We will close out the year in December with GC Construction of Gainesville. The National Feature will be on Construction Technology. This is also going to be the Parade Wrap-Up issue, covering Alachua, Marion and Columbia counties.
Our Summer 2007 issue of Commercial Building Edge is now available. The cover feature is on Gray Construction Services. The National Feature is on Green Building.
Sales close for the Fall 2007 Commercial issue next week. The cover story is a feature on Ocala's Ausley Construction . The Winter issue will feature Trunnell Construction on the cover.
HOME™: Living in the Heart of Florida Resource Guide
Our newest magazine, Home™: Living in the Heart of Florida finishes printing, and ships this week.The feedback has been terrific, and it looks great. I don't want to give away too much of the content, as it will be available in two weeks, but for a sneak peak at the cover, click on the link to the new website: www.LivingInTheHeartOfFlorida.com. I am pleased to note that we have formed some terrific partnerships with local establishments to insure success through the delivery of the publication. Just to name a few, we are working closely with Gainesville Regional Airport , Gainesville Chamber of Commerce and the Newberry/Jonesville Chamber of Commerce. Coming next month will be a publication for the consumer unlike anything out there today! |
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Alachua County OKs Budget and Tax Cut
A 2008 budget and tax- rate cut were approved Wednesday night by the Alachua County Commission with no discussion, wrapping up the process of the county coping with state-mandated cuts. Commissioners took several votes on the tentative budget, tax rates, municipal services taxes and other related matters. The budget of $334 million was approved 3-2 with Mike Byerly and Lee Pinkoson dissenting.
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Marion County Approves Contracts to Plan Landfill Expansions
Two expansion plans for the Baseline Landfill have moved ahead, although neither is expected to come back for a final County Commission vote until October or November. On Tuesday, commissioners approved amendments with two consulting firms already under contract to add permitting and design work for the expansion plans.
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Ocala Tries to Lure Manufacturer
If lease limitations don't put out the fire, a Brooksville-based manufacturing company may be the spark that ignites development of the Ocala International Airport complex. The city council approved a 70-year land-lease and $1.3 million in economic incentives to bring Duratek Technologies Inc. to Ocala. For a moment though, it seemed like differing lease objectives might become a problem.
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Gainesville's SW Second Avenue Facelift Celebrated
For years, the stretch of Southwest Second Avenue between S. Main Street and SW 13th Street was allowed to fall into disuse and disrepair. Its surface was cracked and pitted, its traffic flow was erratic and it only diverted a small fraction of the traffic that ended up on W. University Avenue. But after a six-month, $3.4 million upgrade involving a new coat of asphalt, the replacement of traffic lights with roundabouts and the addition of palm-tree-lined medians, city officials made Southwest Second Avenue the focus of their hopes for a revitalized downtown.
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Columbia County Delays Impact Fees Ordinance
Columbia County officials on Thursday passed a motion to continue a public hearing regarding a proposed Comprehensive Impact Fee ordinance on new construction until Oct. 18. The continuance resulted from a delay in providing the public with the final draft of the ordinance. Although advertised to be available by Sept. 9, copies of the ordinance were not available to the public until Thursday.
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Local Projects Stalled
A Florida Supreme Court decision could bar a Gainesville redevelopment program from offering tax reimbursements to help offset the development costs for some large projects, though experts say it is difficult to determine exactly how the ruling should be interpreted.
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GGainesville OKs Sam's Club Expansion
A Sam's Club on Northwest 13th Street in Gainesville will be allowed to expand and add a gas station under a plan that received preliminary approval from city commissioners last Monday. But though they moved the project one step closer to reality, they also set a long list of conditions aimed at regulating noise from the property and shielding those at a nearby cemetery from the gas station and other features of the site.
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Collina, Residents Settle Dispute
Six residents dropped their appeal against the Plaza Collina development after reaching a settlement with the developer. The Lake County Board of Adjustment meets Tuesday to consider approving the settlement, allowing the developer to resume work on the 142-acre Plaza Collina project.
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'E-Permitting' Designed to Save Time, Gas
General contractor Edward Wilson makes a 45-minute drive from Dunnellon into Ocala to submit his building-permit applications or revise plans. In a few weeks, he won't have to make the trek anymore. Starting Oct. 1, the Marion County Building Department will introduce its e-permitting system, which allows online submittals of permit applications, site plans and notices of commencement. The building department also will accept plan revisions and send out permit approvals online.
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Schools' Concurrency Plan OK'd
A school concurrency plan that defines when a campus is at capacity and maps out school zones got an initial vote of support last Tuesday from the Alachua County Commission, which must include a concurrency component in its comprehensive plan by summer. Concurrency is the state requirement that new facilities such as schools, roads and parks be available when the impacts from a new development kick in. New subdivisions can be stopped if capacity does not exist.
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Marion County Sewer, Water Rates to Even Out
Starting Oct. 1, the various water and sewer rates Marion County's utility customers pay depending on where they live will even out. Also beginning next month, the county will introduce a tiered rate structure for water, which charges more per 1,000 gallons as usage rises. It's a new wrinkle intended to encourage water conservation.
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Lake County Hopes to Cash in on Renewable Energy Credits
Lake County wants a piece of the energy pie. As the state embarks on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the county wants to make sure its waste-to-energy plant is included. Gov. Charlie Crist issued an executive order in July establishing benchmarks for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, with a strong focus on wind and solar energy.
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MCBA Calendar of Events
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BANCF Calendar of Events
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Crist Takes to Road for Property-Tax Measure
Gov. Charlie Crist stepped in last Monday to kick-start a property-tax ballot measure that a recent poll showed is losing support among voters and dragging down his approval ratings. Crist joined business leaders in Tampa to launch "Yes On 1 -- Save Our Homes NOW," aimed at winning passage of a Jan. 29 constitutional amendment to create a new supersized homestead exemption.
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Crist Plan Could Lease Highways to Private Companies
One of the many ideas under consideration as a way to help the state save money without raising taxes is a vague plan floated by Gov. Charlie Crist to lease some Florida toll highways to private vendors. Among the roads that could be leased are the Alligator Alley stretch of Interstate 75 across the Everglades, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge across Tampa Bay and others.
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Hometown Democracy Comes To Bartow
This should be interesting - and possibly foretelling as well. Hometown democracy is apparently coming to Bartow, and it's coming soon. This month, a group of homeowners threw up their hands over a decision by the city commission to approve Wind Meadows South, an 835-lot subdivision on E.F. Griffin Road.
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Court to Reconsider Property Tax Ruling
School districts, cities and counties, frantic in the wake of a sweeping property tax ruling issued earlier this month, will get a rare chance to convince the seven justices of the Florida Supreme Court to change their minds. In an unusual move, the court agreed Thursday to reconsider a Sept. 6 landmark decision that said local governments need to get voter approval before pledging property taxes to pay for various construction projects.
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Two Sides Debate Growth Amendment
A founder of the Hometown Democracy petition campaign said Wednesday that requiring a public vote on major construction projects would just give taxpayers a voice in community growth. But former House speaker John Thrasher, an influential lobbyist heading a drive for citizens to rescind their signatures on the petitions, said the proposed constitutional amendment would spell economic disaster for many towns and counties.
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Hurricane Fund Could Take a Hit
The end of Florida's no-fault auto insurance system could undermine the state's back-up plan for covering the cost of hurricane damage. As meetings continue today on how to extend the mandate of Personal Injury Protect coverage that will otherwise lapse on Oct. 1, there's more at stake than simply auto insurance premiums.
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Insurance Should Be Cheaper, Companies at Fault
Property insurance rates have not dropped as much as expected under a new law partly because some companies have increased profit rates, a state consultant Wednesday told Gov. Charlie Crist and the Florida Cabinet. Bob Hunter, a former Texas insurance commissioner, said another of several factors is a failure to pass along savings from lower-cost reinsurance - backup coverage companies can get from the state or private sources.
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Legislators Closing In On Balanced Budget
The Florida Legislature will meet in a rescheduled special session next month after its leadership announced Thursday it is close to an agreement that would eliminate a $1.5 billion shortfall in the state budget. Senate President Ken Pruitt and House Speaker Marco Rubio said in a joint statement Thursday that the agenda for the Oct. 3-12 session will be announced next week, adding "that significant progress has been made to establish a general framework for reducing state spending."
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Charlotte County May Lower Impact Fees Builders suffering from a slow economy could get a break on the fees they pay for new construction. To boost construction, Charlotte commissioners are looking into temporarily lowering impact fees, used to offset the cost of new roads, parks and other infrastructure.
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Cape Coral Mayor Eyes Impact-Fee Reduction
Cape Coral's utilities impact fee could be cut about $2,400 for some residents in the near future, Mayor Eric Feichthaler said last Monday. The fee would drop from $6,750 to $4,309 under his plan. The change would help people in the Southwest 5 and future utilities expansion areas, Feichthaler said. The city will cut back in other areas to make up for the lost income from the fees.
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Easy Steps to Go Green at Home
More than 90 percent of registered voters would be willing to pay $5,000 more for a home that's easier on the environment, according to a new poll by the American Institute of Architects. But they may not have to. In fact, making your home more energy efficient can actually save you money, says Jane Bennett Clark, an editor of Kiplinger's Personal Finance.
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NAHB Says Fed Rate Cut is Good News for Home Buyers
The National Association of Home Builders has stated that the Federal Reserve's decision to ease its monetary policies is good news for the economy and prospective home buyers seeking a piece of the American dream. The Federal Reserve's move to lower borrowing costs is another reason to consider buying a home in the current economic climate. Their actions will hopefully bolster consumer confidence while the current housing price correction helps restore affordability.
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Builders Applaud House Approval of FHA Reform Bill
The National Association of Home Builders applauded the House for passing legislation to implement reforms to the Federal Housing Administration's single-family mortgage insurance programs that would enable more working families to become home owners. H.R. 1852, the Expanding American Homeownership Act of 2007, was approved by a strong bipartisan margin of 348 to 72. The bill is an important step forward to address problems in the subprime mortgage market and help creditworthy borrowers to obtain home loans at prices and terms they can afford.
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Regulators Ease Restrictions on Fannie, Freddie
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the biggest sources of U.S. housing finance, can buy more subprime mortgages under rules unveiled Wednesday to help revive a market crippled by tighter lending standards. The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, the regulator for Fannie and Freddie, agreed to relax restrictions on the mortgage finance companies' investment holdings although it did not eliminate existing caps on those loan portfolios.
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Bernanke: Rate Cut to 'Get Out Ahead' of Credit Crisis
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the central bank was trying to "get out ahead" of financial markets with its larger-than-expected half-point cut in interest rates this week but gave few signals as to the future path of Fed policy. The federal funds rate cut helped grease some activity on Wall Street, though the potential mortgage market effects will take time to develop.
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Economists Disagree on Possibility of Another Rate Cut
Following the Federal Reserve's aggressive interest rate cut this week, there is a wide disagreement among economists about whether the Fed is done, or if Tuesday's move was just a start. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues didn't leave any clues in their statement after cutting rates for the first time in four years, saying they will "continue to assess" the situation, suggesting they, too, aren't sure what's next. Investors in a market in which participants bet on future Fed moves are expecting at least one more rate cut by the end of the year, according to Action Economics.
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Accord Seen on Revising Mortgage Rules
The Bush Administration, bracing for a tidal wave of home foreclosures by people with subprime mortgages, is softening its opposition to Democratic proposals to expand the giant government-sponsored mortgage finance companies. One central proposal by House and Senate Democrats would allow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to buy and hold many billions of dollars' worth of additional mortgages in their own portfolios. Supporters say the move could help many people replace their expensive subprime loans with cheaper fixed-rate loans that are guaranteed by Fannie or Freddie.
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Major Retail Development Approved for Summerfield
The Marion County Commission has given the go ahead to major retail development plans at the intersection of U.S. 301 and County Road 42 in Summerfield. Steve Gray, a land-use attorney for the projects' developers, told commissioners that the undeveloped property could be a "regional commercial intersection" where tenants such as The Home Depot, Lowe's or a Wal-Mart Supercenter could find a home
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If You Build It, They Will Check In
Hundreds of new hotels are rising across the nation as the lodging industry seeks to cash in on rising room rates and strong demand from travelers. The number of hotel rooms under construction in July jumped 20 percent from a year earlier. More than 196,000 rooms-more than 2,000 hotels-will open within two years. That is the highest number of new rooms in the pipeline in more than seven years. For travelers, the boom will provide more lodging selections in many markets.
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Construction Starts Steady in August
Reed Construction Data announced that the year-to-date value of construction starts through August 2007, excluding residential contracts, totaled $208.243 billion, 18.6 percent higher than in 2006 and approximately the same as in July. August was the first month of the negative spillover impact from the collapse of the residential subprime mortgage market. No pull-back in starts was evident, except possibly for hotels. However, anecdotal reports of financing-related, pre-start project delays will soon reach the starts stage of commercial development.
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AGC Sponsors Construction Safety Excellence Awards
The Associated General Contractors' Annual Safety Excellence Awards (CSEA) program recognizes companies who have developed and implemented excellent safety and loss prevention programs achieved through management construction, employee training and program innovation. Judges will look for evidence of company management commitment, active employee participation, safety training, work site hazard identification and control, and safety program innovation. Participants will be required to complete the application forms and submit them to their local AGC Chapter.
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New Health Complex to Open
A new medical complex, developed by a Lake City physician, is scheduled to open later this year and will house the newest in MRI technology as well as a physical therapy and wellness center. Med Complex, LLC., is being developed by Waseem Khan, M.D, a local oncologist and hematologist in Lake City. The approximately 20,000-square-foot facility is located at 289 SW Stonegate Terrace, off of U.S. Highway 90 West. The facility is located behind Stonegate Landing.
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AGC of Greater Florida Calendar of Events
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Current Issues |
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Residential September 2007
Commercial Summer 2007
HOME: Living in the Heart of Florida
Fall 2007
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