To quote Thomas Edison, "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." Our workday at Advantage Publishing just became a little busier, but it looks like a tremendous opportunity for us. I am proud to announce that we have added to the Advantage Publishing, Inc. family of magazines. We are now the proud publishers of the Greater Florida AGC's Constructor magazine and the AGC Membership Directory. Both publications come from the Associated General Contractors of Greater Florida. Our involvement begins with the fourth quarter 2007 issue of Constructor.
We are very pleased about our new relationship with Associated General Contractors of Greater Florida, and look forward to adding these publications to the family that includes Building Edge™, Commercial Building Edge™ and HOME™: Living in the Heart of Florida.
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www.BuildingEdgeMagazine.com
The December issue of Building Edge will be online at our recently redesigned website, www.buildingedgemagazine.com, within the next few days. The cover story is on GC Construction of Gainesville. The National Feature is on Construction Technology.
Our January 2008 issue goes into production this week. The cover story is on Allen Stine and All America Homes. Our National Feature will be on Home Technology. This issue closes this week.
February we return to Lake City and feature Sparks Construction. The National Feature will be on Surfaces & Finishes: Countertops, floorcoverings, walls & ceilings. Advertising and editorial deadline is December 29th.
Our Fall 2007 Commercial issue is online at our recently designed Commercial site: www.buildingedgemagazine.com/commercial. Ocala's Ausley Construction , one of the premiere commercial builders in North Central Florida is on the cover.
We are closing this week on our Winter issue, featuring Trunnell Construction on the cover. If you would like to participate before we close, please call us today.
The Spring 2008 issue of Commercial Building Edge will open in a few weeks, with Paul Stentiford and Stentiford Construction Services on the cover. Please call us for details.
HOME™: Living in the Heart of Florida:
Our winter issue is now in production. The cover story will be a feature on Sister Hazel's Andrew Copeland. Drew exemplifies everything we want for this magazine. He is a North Central Florida native, has chosen to raise his family here, and gives so much back to the community. Sister Hazel kicked off The 12 Days of Christmas Tour 2007 at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, last Tuesday. It was a great show. The feedback on our premier issue has been phenomenal. Distribution is now at about 300 locations, and requests for subscriptions have come in from 14 states. It is nice to see that The Heart of Florida is as popular as ever, and I am humbled that we have been chosen by so many, so quickly to be the vehicle to deliver the news on the area. To be featured in the winter issue, advertise or just interested in receiving the magazine, please email us at info@advantagepublishinginc.com or call us at 352-372-5854. If you have not seen our first issue, please visit our website at www.livingintheheartofflorida.com |
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County OKs Map for Road Needs
A map that plans for future road needs by enabling more connections and the widening of some roads was approved by the Alachua County Commission on Tuesday night despite considerable opposition by residents. The commission voted 4-1 to change the comprehensive plan to include the map. Commissioner Mike Byerly dissented.
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Local Governments Ask Legislators to Protect Water
It was time to talk water and ask for state money to flow south from Tallahassee to Marion County. During Tuesday's annual meeting of state legislators representing Marion, officials from Marion County, Ocala, Belleview and Dunnellon each came with their own water supply or water protection priorities.
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Alachua County Schedules TDR Workshop
A public workshop to review the Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) draft report will be conducted Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Grace Knight Conference Room on the second floor of the county administration building. The report provides an explanation and analysis of TDR programs in general, as well as additional analysis of some specific program alternatives for Alachua County.
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Gainesville Environmental Plan Dropped
A plan to impose greater environmental restrictions on about 780 acres in several separate parcels in northwest Gainesville was withdrawn by the City Commission on Monday following a legal challenge. Gainesville attorney Patrice Boyes said the decision was a legal victory for her client, who had opposed the restrictions.
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Gainesville City Commission Views Revised Subdivision Proposal Near SR 121
Substantial changes to protect the environment at a proposed major subdivision and commercial center on State Road 121 were presented last Monday night to the Gainesville City Commission in response to concerns over the development.
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Report Details Marion County Building Trends Over Last 7 Years
First, the building boom was in The Villages of Marion. After that retirement community built out, the boom shifted to lots platted decades ago in Silver Springs Shores and Marion Oaks. Now, in 2007, things have cooled off significantly. Those are a few details in the Marion County Building Department's recently released report on growth in the county from 2000 to the present.
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Getting In Sync
The Florida Department of Transportation gave a green light to funding for an upgrade to Alachua County's traffic signal system Wednesday, clearing the way for a project that transportation planners say could lead to shorter travel times and fewer stops for motorists. The project is aimed at upgrading the more than 250 traffic signals in Alachua County, buying new computers and communication equipment and installing new software that would allow Gainesville transportation planners to create more efficient traffic flows and deal with problems as they arise.
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Alachua County Looks to Fund Civic Center
A coliseum/civic center at the new Alachua County fairgrounds site on Waldo Road may cost $25 million, while the intended primary funding source - an added cent on the tax charged to hotel customers - would bring in about $10 million, county officials said Wednesday.
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Marion Gets Less From Gas Taxes Than Other Counties
The county isn't running on an empty tank. But Marion ranks near the bottom of Florida's 67 counties for the percentage it gets back of gas tax and other fees the Florida Department of Transportation uses to fund road projects. A recent study by the University of South Florida's Center for Urban Transportation Research showed that, from 1995 through 2006, Marion's percentage return ranked 65 out of 67 counties, ahead of only Sumter and Clay.
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IHMC Wins Award for Economic Growth
The Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, which is working with the city of Ocala to establish a research center at the former downtown library location, will receive a national award on Friday for driving economic development, something community leaders are hoping the organization will bring to Ocala.
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Water Tax One Fix for Looming Shortage
Taxes on bottled water and excessive household water use could help prevent a looming water crisis, officials said Thursday in a forum about the regional water supply. Officials from Alachua and Marion counties considered the proposals among ways to ensure the water supply meets the demands of a growing populace. Meeting in Ocala as part of the Heart of Florida Regional Coalition, group members also discussed conservation measures and seawater desalination.
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Cardiac Cath Lab Unveiled
Shands Lake Shore Hospital unveiled its $1.5 million diagnostic cardiac catheterization lab Thursday night with a tour of the facility and a ribbon-cutting ceremony.The hospital hosted Lake City's business community leaders during a Chamber of Commerce mixer event that followed the informational tour of the new service offered.
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Lake County Panel to Examine How to Pay for Road Improvements
Lake County commissioners have appointed fresh eyes to take a look at an old but growing problem. The task force that will examine how to pay for new roads was conceived about three months ago after commissioners rejected a controversial proposal to increase road-impact fees 400 percent to 800 percent.
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Lady Lake School May Grow
There's no sense building an elementary school if you're going to need a facility big enough for middle-school students as well. So, Lake County School Board members think a kindergarten-though-eighth grade school in Lady Lake might be the way to go.
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MCBIA Calendar of Events Click Here>
BANCF Calendar of Events
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Heavyweights Back Tax Cut
Floridians are ready to embrace a property tax-cutting initiative on the Jan. 29 presidential primary ballot to make it a reality. But with a little over eight weeks before the election, strategists say the proposal has a good chance for passage with Gov. Charlie Crist using his political popularity to push it, and with a group ready to raise more than $10 million to promote the measure.
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BUILD '08 Open to Future Industry Leaders
Building University for Individual Leadership (BUILD) is the Florida Home Builders Association's successful leadership development program. Patterned after the Florida Chamber of Commerce's prestigious Leadership Florida course, BUILD trains its members to become effective local leaders, industry ambassadors and empowered community advocates. With registration for BUILD 2008 now underway, FHBA members have the opportunity to become a part of this unique, educational leadership program.
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Anti-Sprawl Petition Loses Court Fight Over Signatures
A business group that Tuesday won a court fight over a law allowing voters to revoke their signatures on referendum petitions has stepped up its solicitations of people who signed the Hometown Democracy ballot measure.
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UCF Economist Sees Possible U.S. Upturn
The nation's real estate downturn will worsen in the next six months but then begin a gradual recovery in the latter part of 2008, a University of Central Florida economist said Thursday. Sean Snaith, director of the UCF Institute for Economic Competitiveness, offered a mostly upbeat report in a quarterly forecast for the national economy. Even though he warned housing market conditions will worsen, he emphasized the overall economy should hold up well.
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FPL Targets 19 Million Tons of Greenhouse Gas
The figure - 19 million tons - might not mean much at first blush. It's the amount of greenhouse gas emissions Florida Power & Light Co. said Tuesday it will cut by 2020. But that's like taking 3.8 million cars off Florida's roads each year, and the company says it's just the beginning.
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Work-Force-Housing Ordinance Upheld
The 2nd Judicial Circuit Court has upheld a controversial Tallahassee ordinance that requires housing developments of a certain size to include units that are considered affordable. Organizations composed of home builders and several property owners had challenged Tallahassee's workforce-housing ordinance.
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Real Estate: 'Green' House Will Showcase Builders' Visions for Better Environment
If you're expecting 10,000 people to show up at your house for a visit, it had better be a good house -- and an environmentally green one wouldn't hurt. An upscale home under construction on the southwest shore of Lake Apopka near Killarney is just that -- a demonstration showcase for the upcoming International Builders Show in Orlando.
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Insurers Look Ahead to 2008
The sigh of relief as Florida racks up a second straight year without a hurricane sounds more like a whisper in the face of what lies ahead. "Most folks in the insurance business are already looking at 2008, and we know that the hurricane's going to happen," said William Stander, regional vice president of the Property Casualty Insurers Association.
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Builders Consolidate Operations
A pair of prominent home builders have shut down some operations in Volusia County in order to cut expenses, another sign of the woes in the area housing market. Melbourne-based Mercedes Homes is closing its Volusia-Flagler division headquarters in Orange City and consolidating it with the Orlando division, according to a company news release.
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Non-Residents of Florida May Be Out of Luck on Homestead Exemption
More than 30,000 property owners with out-of-state addresses may find it more difficult to continue getting a tax break intended for Floridians. Orange County Property Appraiser Bill Donegan on Thursday proposed several homestead-exemption reforms at a planning meeting of Central Florida legislators.
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Panel Revives the Property Tax Swap
The tax swap is back. A plan to replace some property taxes with a temporary increase in the sales tax is under review by the panel that has the power to put such an amendment directly on the November 2008 ballot -- the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission.
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Fla. Insurance Rates Likely to Rise, Experts Say
When it comes to homeowner insurance rates, the news still isn't pretty for Florida consumers.Bob Hartwig, chief economist for the Insurance Information Institute, an industry trade group, said Florida remains the most catastrophe-prone state because of its exposure to hurricanes.
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Citizens Rates to Remain Unchanged
Citizens Property Insurance Corp. will have a $2.4 billion surplus by year's end, but don't expect it to lower any premiums in 2008, a Citizens executive told area customers Wednesday night.
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Bernanke Hints of Further Rate Cuts
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Thursday hinted that another interest rate cut may be needed to bolster the economy. The worsening credit crunch, a deepening housing slump and rising energy prices probably will create some "headwinds for the consumer in the months ahead," he said.
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First-Ever Livable Communities Award Winners Announced
AARP and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) announced that two builders, two developers and one remodeler will receive the groups' co-sponsored 2007 Livable Communities Award for forward thinking in the field of home and community design. The Livable Communities Award honors builders, developers and remodelers that create attractive, well-designed homes and communities, which are safe, comfortable and accessible for people of all ages and abilities.
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New-Home Sales Edge Up in October
New single-family home sales edged up 1.7 percent in October following a dramatic downward revision to the preliminary estimate for September, the U.S. Commerce Department reported. October's seasonally adjusted annual rate of 728,000 units was 23.5 percent below a year ago. NAHB expects home sales to begin a gradual recovery in the early party of 2008.
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New Home Sales and Marketing Professionals Honored with the Nationals Award
Winners of The Nations, the nation's largest and most prestigious awards for new home sales and marketing professionals, and communities, were announced within the Silver and Regional categories. Now in its 27th year, the awards were presented by the National Association of Home Builders National Sales and Marketing Council. Regional, Silver and Gold award winners were selected from a field of nearly 1,400 entries, during a three-day judging process conducted by a panel of eight industry professionals from across the country.
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U.S., Banks Craft Foreclosure Rescue Plan
A plan under negotiation between the Bush administration and major financial institutions designed to prevent a new wave of foreclosures would give relief to some but not all homeowners strapped with adjustable-rate mortgages. In what could be considered one of the most ambitious government-led financial rescues since the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s, the government is stepping in both to save homeowners and to help stave off a deep downturn in an already unsteady economy.
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Rates on 30-Year Mortgages Fall to Lowest Point in Two Years
Mortgage rates fell sharply this week with rates on 30-year mortgages dropping to the lowest level in more than two years. Freddie Mac reported Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages averaged 6.10 percent. That was down from 6.20 percent last week and was the lowest rate since the week of Oct. 13, 2005 when rates stood at 6.03 percent.
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Fed to Inject $8 Billion to Lubricate Economy
Seeking to reassure banks amid the continuing credit crisis, the Federal Reserve said it would provide $8 billion in funds to ease concerns about lending during the holiday season. The $8 billion, essentially a low-interest loan to the nation's banks, will be issued Wednesday and repaid Jan. 10. The 43-day loan period is the longest in three years for this type of year-end injection. While it is not an unusual step for the Fed, the injection usually takes place later in the fourth quarter and involves a smaller amount.
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Millions More Americans Move to New States
Americans are on the go again, moving across state lines at the highest rate since the early 1990s, according to a USA Today analysis of Census data. Demographers say the jump is fueled largely by two highly mobile segments of the populations: immigrants who have left traditional gateway states and a larger generation of 20-somethings who are launching careers or leaving childhood homes.
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EcoCentre More Than Just "Plain Green"
Attorney John Romano almost scoffs when his proposed four-story office and retail building in Lake Worth is described as just plain green. The EcoCentre's 12-foot interiod waterfall with reclaimed sink and shower water travels to a cistern that also captures rainwater for landscaping irrigation. The exterior is recycled Chicago brick. Countertops look like marble but actually are a blend of recycled bottle glass and concrete.
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Rising Energy Concerns Buoy Green Building Industry
There are a lot of reasons behind the green building industry's quick ascent into mainstream commercial real estate. At the center of the surge, global CRE giants are offering clients sustainability programs and pushing LEED and Energy Start certification. Banks are starting to recognize the fiscal soundness of sustainable buildings, lawmakers are becoming braver on regulation, and global real estate-centric programs from former U.S. presidents (the Clinton Climate Initiative) haven't hurt, either. But perhaps the biggest boon for green building is from the concern over spiraling energy prices to reevaluate their energy options.
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Federal Contractors Required to Implement Ethics and Compliance Programs
On Nov. 23, the Department of Defense, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Office of Federal Procurement Policy amended the Federal Acquisition Regulation to require more federal contractors and subcontractors to adopt and promote a code of business ethics.
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USGBC Announces Partnership
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the Green Guide for Health Care (GGHC) have entered into an agreement to help green the health care industry by foster best practices and ensuring the health care industry has the tools and resources it needs to build green. Green hospital buildings are healthier for the patients, doctors and nurses; use less energy and water; and have less of an impact on the environment.
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New York's Construction Boom Puts More Women in Hard Hats
A small but noteworthy shift in the construction industry has occurred: since 2005, more women have gone into the building trades in New York City than at any other period in history, according to trade union officials. The women are training to be electricians, plumbers, steamfitters, ironworkers, bricklayers, and, most often, carpenters. In the New York City District Council of Carpenters, 280 of 2,000 apprentices, or 14 percent, are women. Most are finding commercial construction jobs.
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AGC of Greater Florida Calendar of Events
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Residential December 2007
Commercial Fall 2007
HOME: Living in the Heart of Florida
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