It seems that the members of the Alachua County School Board have taken lessons from their friends up the street at the county commission. If a large, vocal crowd gets in front of them, they cave. Last week, the school board introduced a rezoning plan to relieve overcrowding in some schools. With a large contingent from the Haile area expressing their displeasure, the plan appears to be dead. Instead, the school board came up with a plan that will prohibit anyone not zoned for Buchholz High School from attending the school's finance and entrepreneurial magnets. Part of the logic behind this is to create more diversity, but this plan will actually discourage diversity. The other problem is that if this decision is made at this one school, what is to keep the school board from making it at all the schools. In fact, based on correspondence received from two school board officials last week, it has already begun at other schools. So if this is approved, we are seeing the beginning of the end for one of Alachua County's best programs. Are we to believe that 200 students at a school cause all the problems of overcrowding? Those who believe that this move is going to fix the problem are on the same line of thinking as the vocal few who believe raising impact fees on a couple hundred homes a year and businesses will solve the road issues.
Of course, there is one way to prevent this proposal from becoming reality. After all, these are elected officials. We need a large, vocal presence at the school board meeting Tuesday night to show our elected officials that this is a tragic mistake.
Finally, we don't want to let city officials feel left out. In a real case of Bah Humbug, the city of Gainesville is planning to start fining people who have not yet taken down their Christmas lights. First offense will cost you $50, second offense $100, and third offense will cost $250.
Let's remember all of this at election time. It is time to get officials in office who are looking at the bigger picture, and not just putting a band-aid on the problem.
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www.BuildingEdgeMagazine.com
The January 2008 issue of Building Edge is out. The cover story is on Allen Stine and All America Homes. Our National Feature is on Home Technology.
February's issue is in production and should start printing shortly. Our cover story is on Sparks Construction. The National Feature is on Surfaces & Finishes: Countertops, floorcoverings, walls & ceilings. Look for this issue to arrive around Valentine's Day.
Our cover story for March will be G.W. Robinson Remodeling, LLC. The National Feature will be on Windows: Style, efficiency, architecture, and glass technology. We close Tuesday, January 29th. If you would like to participate, please call us today.
In the April issue, we will spotlight the Builders of the Parade of Homes™. This is the first time we will be profiling the builders in all three local associations - Builders Association of North Central Florida, Marion County Building Industry Association and Columbia County Builders Association. I am excited about hitting all three Parades. If you have something in your Parade Home that you think stands out, and would make a good picture for this issue or the June issue where we wrap-up the Parade of Homes™, please let us know so I can have our photographer come out, and shoot the image.
Our Fall 2007 Commercial issue, featuring Ausley Construction , is now available as well. You can view this issue online, or call us for a copy.
Our Winter Commercial issue, featuring Trunnell Construction on the cover, is now in production.
The Spring 2008 issue of Commercial Building Edge is now open. Paul Stentiford and Stentiford Construction Services will be on the cover. Early response on this issue has been phenomenal. Please call us for details.
HOME™: Living in the Heart of Florida:
Distribution of our winter issue should start today. Start looking for it at one of our roughly 400 distribution points. The cover story is a feature on Sister Hazel'sAndrew Copeland. We are revamping our website to make it even more user friendly when trying to view the magazine on line. Listening to recommendations from the first issue, we have maintained the quality, but increased the editorial topics. One of my personal favorites in this issue is the article on kitchen islands. We are now working on the Spring issue, and are very excited about our cover story. Paige Beck, of WCJB TV20, has been keeping us well informed about news in our area for some time. Less publicized, but equally important, is all the time and effort Paige dedicates to better our community through causes true to her heart. I look forward to sharing this story with you. For more information, 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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Tower Center to Get Facelift, Possible New Tenant
Permits were pulled last week in Alachua County to begin a facelift of the Tower Center. The shopping center, centrally located near the intersection of Interstate 75 and Newberry Road, will be renovated and updated to have an urban, town-center look. Additionally, a potential tenant, a large, organic grocery store, is considering moving into the space that had once held the Winn Dixie store. The renovation will begin immediately, and is anticipated to last six-to-nine months, said Mitch Glaeser, the managing member of the Emory Group, the property's owner.
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A Town Without Students
The ghost town solution has some folks trembling. University of Florida officials are floating a budget plan that would significantly curtail summer school, a proposal that could empty Gainesville of tens of thousands of residents come May. In so doing, most speculate UF would begin a chain reaction that could suck millions of dollars out of the local economy, hamper student graduation rates and leave some faculty looking for work.
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A Change Coming at Buchholz?
Buchholz High School would close its magnet programs to applicants from other school zones under a plan to ease overcrowding at the school. Buchholz would accept new students only from within its zone into the school's academies in finance and entrepreneurship. The school also would limit students from outside zones seeking other exemptions to attend, such as those who moved outside the zone late in their school careers. Alachua County school officials will present the plan Tuesday to the School Board but could implement the plan without a formal vote. The move comes as officials dropped a proposal to redraw school zones, which drew heated opposition from parents at a meeting Monday.
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Marion to Learn if it Gets Fuel Grant
By month's end, word will come from Tallahassee on whether the state's Farm to Fuel program will deliver money to two facilities planned in Marion Country to convert horse manure into energy. Two local groups have already announced separate plans to transform some of the estimated 40,000 tons of horse manure and muck generated in Marion each year from a potential environmental threat to groundwater supplies into a renewable source of energy.
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Gainesville's Turn to Vote is Near
With the nation's eyes on Iowa and New Hampshire, it may be easy to overlook local politics and a proposed Florida state amendment. But on Jan. 29, the same day as the presidential primary election, three seats on the Gainesville City Commission are up for grabs, and the issues being addressed by the eight candidates are of the caliber to outline the future of Gainesville. Early voting for the presidential and city elections starts Jan. 14.
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Fortifying the Future
A few years ago, Lake City Community College gazed into its crystal ball and saw that many industries moving into the North Florida corridor between Lake City and Jacksonville were mega-warehouse companies similar to the Target Distribution Center and U.S. Cold Storage facilities in Lake City. These mega-warehouses require thousands of skilled and semi-skilled workers every year for the burgeoning logistics and distribution industry, school officials surmised. However, few if any, institutions in Florida provide the necessary two-year associate degree programs and/or certification training required by the L&D industry. Since LCCC had envisioned the future, it worked to score one of Florida's 10 Employ Florida Banner Centers, each one focused on a particular industry in the state that would provide employment now and into the future for its residents. In LCCC's case, they scored the Employ Florida Banner Center for Logistics and Distribution, to train and certify Florida workers.
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Suwannee District Limits Water Use
Lawn watering will be banned between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. in the Suwannee River Water Management District as part of an effort to address lingering drought. The district's governing board voted Tuesday to implement mandatory restrictions on water use. The rule will require residents with addresses ending in even numbers to water on even days and odd numbers on odd days. The vote marks the first time that the district has enacted mandatory restrictions on water use.
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Rerouting of SW 75th Street Remains
The rerouting of a portion of SW 75th Street through the new Brytan mixed-use development will remain, at least until a lawsuit filed by residents angered over the change is resolved, under a vote taken by the Alachua County Commission. Commissioners voted 3-2 to keep the new route. At issue is the part of SW 75th Street south of Archer Road.
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Smoke-Free Housing is a Possibility
Placing restrictions on cigarette smoking within apartment buildings and converting individual apartments to nonsmoking units would be easy changes for apartment complexes in Gainesville to make, said the regional marketing manager for Paradigm Properties in Gainesville. However, the choice is usually left to residents. It is feasible for properties to make this conversion because it would reduce apartment cleaning costs and could even be used as a positive marketing tool.
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Sumter to Charge Fire Fees
Fire departments in Sumter County and The Villages will soon be charging more than property taxes for their services. County residents won't see a bill, though; charges for fire trucks, hazardous materials equipment and other materials used during emergency situations will go straight to homeowners' and at-fault drivers' insurance companies.
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Impact Fees Strike a Chord with Residents
Those wanting more schools and roads in Lake County faced an embattled development community in 2007 over the increase of building impact fees. The real estate and building development community thought the higher fees would burden new homeowners and exacerbate the homebuilding crunch, while school and transportation officials said the increases would ensure future funds for schools and roads.
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Marion County Commissioner Stan McClain Files for Re-Election
County Commissioner Stan McClain filed to run for re-election this year. In his statement, McClain, who was first elected in 2004, said that protection of the county's springs and water resources would be objectives for his second term. Democrat Mike Sizemore, the chairman of the Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District, also has filed to run for District 3.
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Bryant Making Alachua County Run
Gainesville City Commissioner Rick Bryant will run for the Alachua County Commission District 1 seat now held by Mike Byerly, saying he would focus on improving the climate for small businesses and easing tensions between the county and the small cities. Bryant cited the county's impact fees as a barrier to business and the recent gas tax increase as a blow to low-income residents as two factors that influenced his decision to run for the county post.
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Chamber Honors Gainesville Banker
Longtime Gainesville banker C.B. Daniel Jr. received the second-ever Legacy Award at the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce's annual meeting for his career of civic involvement, business leadership and economic development efforts. In his career, Daniel was executive vice president of First Federal Savings and Loan of Mid-Florida, president of Florida National Bank of Gainesville and First Union National Bank of North Central Florida, and he is currently affiliated with Alarion Bank. He was appointed to the Florida Board of Regents by former Gov. Lawton Chiles.
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Marion Chamber Members, Leaders are Grateful for 'Record Year'
Marion County's movers and shakers settled long enough to enjoy each other's company at the Marion County Chamber of Commerce's 120th Annual Dinner and Meeting of the Corporation. Hundred arrived wearing sports coats and formal dresses, ate beef tenderloin and breaded chicken, and listed to a host of speakers talk about the state of the chamber and business in Ocala. According to the speakers, business is good.
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MCBIA Calendar of Events Click Here>
BANCF Calendar of Events
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Pressure is On for Lower Insurance Rates as Long as Storms Stay at Bay
The insurance industry, recipient of record fortunes in 2007 and 2007, isn't expecting the same in the years to come. And the major issue that consumed the industry and lawmakers in the Sunshine State won't be going away any time soon. "In this state, it's going to continue to be the controversy over hurricane-insurance rates," said Sam Miller, executive vice president of the Florida Insurance Council.
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Remodeling Gains Popularity
Home building is in go-slow mode, but home remodeling is still relatively hot, and in 2008 it could still be hotter still. Jonathan McGrath Construction, a long-time Longwood design-build company specializing in residential remodeling, is prospering with the trend. The business recently won a 2007 national Chrysalis Award in a competition judged by editors and writers of Better Homes & Gardens, Woman's Day, Southern Living and The American Institute of Building Design.
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Manatee County Defers Impact-Fee Jump
Manatee County officials tried to nudge the ailing housing industry by holding off an annual increase of impact fees, a government tax placed on new homes to offset their effect on the community. County commissioners were divided over whether to adopt the 2.5 percent increase and keep future increases smaller, or offer up a symbolic gesture to help builders and the economy. In the end, the board decided in favor of the private sector.
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Steady Prices Predicted for Homes
Florida is the Forest Gump of real estate, meaning that home prices shoot up like rockets and come down like feathers. After rising to extraordinary heights in the real estate boom, prices of existing single-family homes in Palm Beach County will remain at an average of around $440,000 at least through 2010. Median housing prices represent the exact middle: half of the home prices are higher, while half are lower.
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Economist Says Leon is a Bright Spot in Economy
Noted economist Hank Fishkind called Leon County's real-estate market "thoroughly stable" as he rolled out his second annual Attorneys Title Fund report on the state of Florida's residential real-estate market. Fishkind's assessment of the Tallahassee market was one of the brightest spots of the report.
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Seminoles Pay State $50 Million in Casino Deal
The Seminole Tribe paid $50 million to the state, as required under its gambling agreement with Gov. Charlie Crist, after the controversial deal became official. Another $50 million will be due later this year, under the terms of the deal, which is expected to bring the state at least $100 million a year for 25 years. But the agreement, called a compact, still faces a challenge in the Florida Supreme Court, House Speaker Marco Rubio filed the suit in November, shortly after Crist and the tribe signed the agreement, arguing that the governor did not have the right to bind the state to the deal without legislative approval.
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Many Insurance Rates Break Reform Law
Nearly a year after the Florida Legislature passed a major insurance reform bill, only 32 companies have lowered their premium rates as required by the law. A report by the Office of Insurance Regulation, delivered to the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee, shows these 32 approved rate filings provided an average reduction of nearly 22 percent. The rates apply to about 700,000 homeowners or 17.6 percent of the market.
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Luxury-Home Show Returns to Seminole County
After more than a decade, the Street of Dreams home show is returning to Seminole County. Three custom-home builders in Central Florida have been selected to participate in the 2008 Street of Dreams, one of the nation's best known luxury-home shows open to the public. The event will take place at Lake Club in the Longwood-Lake Mary area this coming spring.
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2,300 Rescind Signatures for Hometown Democracy Amendment
The Florida Department of State has validated the revocation of 2,300 signatures on petitions supporting the proposed Hometown Democracy constitutional amendment. The amendment would let residents vote on every proposed change to local growth management plans. Opponents of the initiative say the amendment would stifle growth and allow a radical minority to hijack development. Save Our Constitution (SOC)-the group leading the revocation of Hometown Democracy signatures-plans to more than double the current amount of turned-in revoked petitions within the next two weeks.
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Home Sales to Recover in '08, Group Says; So. Fla. Could Take Longer
A trade group for real estate agents predicted that the pace of U.S. home sales will pick up significantly in the second half of 2008, bringing total sales for the year marginally higher than in 2007. Experts say that home sales in South Florida will remain soft in 2008. They don't think the local housing market will begin to recover until 2009 or 2010.
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Crist Outlines Plan to Boost Economy
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist announced plans to push for a package of economic measures designed to boost the state's economy. He also said he would continue to step up efforts to force property insurance companies to reduce their premiums in the state. The governor made his statements during an economic development summit for business editors, sponsored by the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors and the Florida Press Association.
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State's Insurance Effort Wins Praise
A national consumer-advocacy group says property-casualty-insurance companies are systematically overcharging consumers and reducing the value of insurance policies, but it praised some of Florida's efforts to control costs. The Consumer Federation of America said insurers overcharged consumers to the tune of an average of $870 per household during the past four years and paid out less to consumers who filed claims. Florida's officials and insurance regulators were lauded for requiring insurance companies to use catastrophe modeling that uses long-term projections rather than short-term ones, and for providing cheaper state-backed reinsurance to insurance companies.
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NAHB Introduces Certified Green Professional Designation
A new professional designation program for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) will soon provide home buyers with additional assurance that the builder or remodeler they have chosen is authentically "green." The "Certified Green Professional" designation will be unveiled Thursday, Feb. 14 during Green Day at the International Builders' Show in Orlando, Fla. Application information will be available at the show.
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Builders Gain New Insight into Women's Home Buying Decisions with New Book
According to a recent Harvard University study, women control 91 percent of home buying or remodeling decisions. The latest release from the National Association of Home Builders' publishing arm, Trillion Dollar Women: Use Your Power to Make Buying and Remodeling Decisions, provides builders and other housing professionals with a detailed look at the motivations, objectives and viewpoints of female buyers.
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Bernanke: Fed is Ready to Cut Interest Rates Again
Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke suggested that the central bank would continue cutting interest rates and stands ready to move aggressively if the economy continues to deteriorate. In a speech to a women's financial group, Bernanke said the central bank is prepared to act quickly and decisively if conditions worsen. He also said that the Fed "is not forecasting a recession."
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Mortgage Rates Lowest Since 2005, Refinancing Jumps
Applications for home mortgages jumped to their highest level in a month last week as concerns about recession pushed interest rates to their lowest in more than two years, an industry group said. The Mortgage Bankers Association said its seasonally adjusted index of mortgage application activity rose 32.2 percent to 706 the week ended Jan. 4, led by refinancings. It was the highest level of activity since the first week of December.
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Congress Faces Pressure to Pass Mortgage Reform
With home prices falling and foreclosures rising last year, Congress convened dozens of hearings on the nation's mortgage crisis. But it failed to pass any significant legislation to tighten lending regulations, crack down on predatory mortgage practices or provide help to families facing foreclosure. Although the House approved several mortgage-related bills, the legislative process stalled in the Senate.
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Solar Power Systems Arrive in More Stores
As afternoon shadows stretched across the black panels in his backyard, Gary Simons read the digital readout from his solar-power system. He earned more than nine kilowatt hours of electricity, despite the short winter day and the fact that he installed the system on the ground behind his house. A joint program has offered residential solar-power systems made by British petroleum company BP at The Home Depot stores in California, New Jersey and Long Island since 2004. The program recently expanded to Home Depot stores in other areas of the country where incentives have made solar electric power more accessible and affordable, like Denver and Boulder, Colorado; Austin, Texas and Arizona.
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Investors Expect Fed Rate Cut
Wall Street ended an erratic session as investors grew more confident that the Federal Reserve will lower interest rates again to ward off recession and as they also wrestled with worries about the upcoming earnings season. The market contended as well with a resurgence of tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Investors have grown more optimistic about a rate cut at the Fed's Jan. 29-30 meeting after last week's disappointing reports on jobs and manufacturing pointed to a slowing in the economy during December. And they might get some clues about the central bank's stance when its chairman, Ben Bernanke, speaks again.
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Fed Panel Was Divided Over Outlook for Economy
Reflecting a highly uncertain and divided outlook on monetary policy, regional Federal Reserve banks supported three options for the discount rate last month, according to minutes of the December meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee. With suggestions ranging from no change to an aggressive half-point cut, the committee ended up splitting the difference. The committee, the Fed's most important policy-making panel, voted last month to lower the discount rate it charges banks that borrow directly from it by a quarter-point, to 4.75 percent.
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Wachovia Economist: Recession Unlikely
The economy will avoid a recession, according to Wachovia Corp.'s senior economist Mark Vitner. Vitner presented his 2008 economic forecast at The River Club to the North Florida chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth. "A lot of talk about a recession is premature," Vitner said after the luncheon. "But there is no question that the economy is facing a very challenging period." Wachovia's research models predict that there is a slightly more than 50 percent chance that the economy will avoid a recession in the next six months.
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Bank of America to Buy Countrywide
Bank of America Corp. said it has agreed to buy Countrywide Financial for $4 billion in stock, a deal that both rescues the United State's largest mortgage lender and expands the financial services empire of the nation's largest consumer bank. The acquisition will make Charlotte-based Bank of America the United States' largest mortgage lender and loan services. The buyout comes less than five months after Bank of America plugged $2 billion into Countrywide Financial Corp. during the height of the summer's global credit crisis.
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Building a History: Gainesville's First LEED-certified Healthcare Facility
Construction workers crowded together as the American flag lifted over the Shands at University of Florida Cancer Hospital construction site Wednesday, Jan. 9, to commemorate the laying of the final steel beam in the project. The Shands at UF Cancer Hospital has reached its midway point two months in advance, as it was slated to reach it by March 2008. Ralph Easterwood, the general superintendent of Skanska USA Building Inc., said that while it was an achievement to lay 791 foundation piles and 500,000 square feet of concrete under this building, the most important thing was that no individual was hurt on the site. Construction workers, donors and contractors packed together around the steel beam armed with Sharpie pens, signing their names to be a part of the unique moment in history.
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Possible Commercial Real Estate Boom Hinges on Economy's Strength
When it comes to commercial real estate, Orlando is among the 10 top markets in the country to watch in 2008, according to Sperry Van Ness, one of the nation's largest commercial real estate brokerages. In its 2008 forecast, the company notes that Orlando has "distinct dynamics that helped it rise into this elite class" of cities and regions that show "the greatest potential."
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Industry-Recognized Education Programs Deliver Elite Training to AGC Contractors
The Associated General Contractors of America announced that it joined an elite group of organizations offering IACET Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for its professional development and training programs for the next five years. IACET CEUs serve as one of the highest authorized providers of quality continuing education and training, and help to differentiate AGC's programs from others in the industry. IAC CEUs are accepted at more than 400 universities, regulatory boards, state entities and other organizations in the U.S. and worldwide.
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Still Waters Celebrates New Wing
Still Waters West Assisted Living and Day Care Center in Lake City celebrated the grand opening of its new Brookside Wing, which will almost double the capacity to the not-for-profit facility. The Brookside addition adds 10 single-occupant efficiency suites to the facility and six deluxe suites, aimed toward elderly couples interested in staying at the facility, which is located at 507 NW Hall of Fame Dr. The assisted living center strives to provide 24-hour care and a high level of service to those staying at the facility, providing a more at-home feel than other centers are capable of.
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Ocala Will Deal Directly with Developers at Airport
Ocala City Council, which his reluctant to work directly with developers after the city's downtown project derailed, has decided nevertheless to go ahead and accept bids from development companies interested in the Ocala Airport. At Tuesday night's meeting, members instructed the airport development advisory committee-comprised of staff, an aviation consultant and the airport advisory board-to resubmit a previously dismissed proposal that would solicit bids from developers to improve the 800-acre airport complex.
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Hot Spots Emerging in City
The intersection of Tower Road and SW 24th Avenue is hot property. A new Regions bank opened last week at the southwest corner and a mixed-use development with retail, office and housing is under construction behind it. A developer plans to build a mixed-use development on nine acres behind Walgreens on the southeast corner and another developer is trying to get approval for mixed use on three acres at the northwest corner. The hot property has also become a flashpoint for neighbors concerned about traffic and growth issues, and county growth rules may prevent some of the proposed development.
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Campus View Popular With Students
Campus View South condominiums is the fourth of five phases for Gainesville-based developer Viking Construction Company of Florida, LLC. The four-story, 49-unit project features 2 bedroom/2 bath models. Located on SW 9th Road and just east of SW 13th Street, the Campus View development appeals to both students and medical employees for its proximity to both the University of Florida and Shands HealthCare Center. The complex is also just minutes from the downtown area.
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New York Leads Country in Green Construction
The Verdesian, a 26-story rental building developed by the Albanese Organization, became the first multi-family, residential high-rise building in the United States to receive Platinum LEED status from the U.S. Green Building Council. Five years ago, the Solaire, built by the same Long Island-based family, became the first-ever green residential high-rise building in the U.S. Currently under construction, the Visionaire will soon be the greenest high-rise residential condominium in the country.
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AGC of Greater Florida Calendar of Events
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