We are putting the final touches on everything in preparation for our Open House and Ribbon Cutting through the Gainesville Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, April 23rd. It will be from 4:00-6:00. We just found out last week that Miss Gainesville, Diane Kelly and Miss Alachua County, Katie Crews will be attending. If you are free for a couple hours and would like to attend, please feel free to stop by. We are in the Metro Office Center on the corner of NW 39th Ave and NW 43rd St.
We are pleased to announce the hiring of Lisa Blinn. Lisa has over 15 years of sales and marketing experience, including advertising sales and working with the building industry. She will be based in Ocala, working out of a home office until we hire enough people to establish a satellite office down there. Lisa comes highly recommended from a number of people in the industry, including 3 of our current advertisers. We are excited to welcome her to the Advantage Publishing, Inc. family.
This week kicks off the Spring Parades of Homes™ in Gainesville and Ocala. Realtor tours in Gainesville will be going on this week, These parades are designed not only showcase the great work being done by area builders, but also to promote the concept that this is a great time to buy. This is the largest Parade ever in Marion County. In Alachua County, it is their 50th Spring Parade. We should see great crowds and a lot of activity. To learn more about the parade in Alachua County, go to www.bancf.com, and for Marion County, the link is www.marioncountyba.com.
I continue to marvel at the recovery of Marty McFall. Each week is better than the week before. Last Wednesday, he checked out of Select Specialty Hospital and after a very quick visit to his office, he went to his new temporary home, a rehabilitation hospital in Jacksonville that specializes in traumatic brain injuries, hip fractures, and other orthopedic injuries. He'll be there as long as it takes for him to be able to walk out! You can continue to follow his progress from his Caring Bridge Journal at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/4martymcfall.
I want to share with you the sad news that Ethel Greenberg, the mother of our Editor and friend, David Greenberg, passed away early Thursday morning. I never had the opportunity to meet David's mother, but based on the stories, I felt like I knew her. From the stories told at her service, I was able to point out two distinct traits that she had, which passed on to David: She was fiercly loyal and incredibly stubborn. She was in the hospital unconcious for close to a week, but held on until all three of her sons could be there. Ethel was married to David's father Ben for almost 70 years. It is comforting to know that Hospice was there for the Greenberg's in her final days.
Speaking of Hospice, I had the good fortune of attending Haven Hospice's Bayou Bash this weekend. It was the first time I went, and look forward to becoming more active in future years. Judy and Davis Rembert hosted the event again at their ranch in Alachua, and it was amazing. It was nice to see so many people out for such a good cause.
|
|
|
|
www.BuildingEdgeMagazine.com
Our April issue, with its annual spotlight on the Builders of the Parade of Homes™, is now available. It is online, and should be received in the mail this week. This was our first ever Buyer's Guide issue as well. The early feedback has been strong and I look forward to hearing your opinion.
Our May issue, featuring The Enclave Apartments developed by Collier Enterprises, and constructed by Davis and Sons Construction is almost finished in production. The National Feature will be on Outdoor Living: decking, landscaping, fencing, outdoor lighting, retaining walls, outdoor kitchens, fireplaces. Look for this issue to arrive the first week of May.
June is now open for sales. Our feature is on Claeys Construction. The National Feature will be on Doors: entry, interior, patio and overhead. This will be the issue that we recap the Spring Parade of Homes™.
We are excited about these issues, and look forward to your participation.
The Spring 2008 issue of Commercial Building Edge is online, and should start to arrive by the end of this week. 2007 Marion County Small Business of the Year Stentiford Construction Services, led by Paul Stentiford is our cover story. We are also in the process of developing a website for Paul and his team with a hopeful launch date right around the time this issue is published. Bookmark this site at www.stentifordconstruction.net.
The Summer issue of Commercial Building Edge, featuring Brian Crawford, owner of Concept Construction of North Florida opens for sales this week. Brian is also the president of the Columbia County Builders Association. We look forward to our first Columbia County Commercial issue. To participate, please give us a call.
HOME™: Living in the Heart of Florida:
Our Spring issue of HOME: Living in the Heart of Florida is now available as well. It has been a busy month! This issue should take us over 500 distribution points. Those include the Gainesville Chamber of Commerce, Ocala Marion County Chamber of Commerce, Newberry/Jonesville Chamber of Commerce, Williston Chamber of Commerce and the Gainesville Regional Airport. It can also be seen online at www.LivingintheHeartofFlorida.com. In addition to our cover story on Paige Beck, this issue is filled with articles about the home and community. Each quarter, we get more calls asking for copies to be made available at different locations. Mica Works just delivered new racks for us, so if you would like to have HOME displayed in your place of employment, please let us know!
The Summer issue of HOME will open for sales this week. Our cover story will be on Judy and Davis Rembert. Look for more information in the coming weeks on some of the special features we plan on doing in this issue.
|
|
|
Hatchet Creek Proposal to be Reviewed Again
In October, the Gainesville City Commission put restrictions on the proposed Hatchet Creek development around Ironwood Golf Course that would have prevented construction in wetlands and places where passing aircraft are noisiest. Six months later, developer Rob Simensky is hoping commissioners have second thoughts. In a special commission meeting Wednesday, Simensky will ask for the restrictions to be rewritten to clear the way for up to 1,500 residences, a 400-bed assisted-living home and 2,000 square feet of retail and office space. He said he wants the changes completed before May, when two commissioners who support the project leave office.
Click Here>>
Plan Unveiled for Fire Authority
A plan to create a municipal fire authority primarily funded by seven Alachua County cities was unveiled Tuesday night and hailed by the cities as a way to cut escalating costs for fire protection. Alachua County officials had a number of questions about the plan and will study the proposal before taking action on it. "This is historical in a lot of ways, that we can bring seven municipalities together in a common bond. We had great cooperation," said High Springs Mayor Larry Travis, chairman of the fire authority. "We can do it cheaper and save county taxpayer dollars." Travis said the cities in the authority - Alachua, High Springs, Hawthorne, Lacrosse, Newberry, Micanopy and Waldo - have been shouldering too much of the cost for fire service through their current payment agreements with the county. The cities decided to create the authority after the county proposed decreasing the amount of money it pays the cities for their response to calls in unincorporated areas.
Click Here>>
Realty Company Owner Joins Field for Kesselring's Commission Seat
The race for Marion County Commission District 1 continues to draw interest. Randy Alvord, president of Ocala realty company RnB Realty Inc. is the latest candidate to throw his hat in the ring. Alvord joins former Ocala City Councilman Mike Amsden and Emerson J. Clauss III, co-president of the Marion County Builders Association, as Republican candidates for District 1. Diana Butler, a retired health-care worker who ran for the board in 2002, is the only declared Democratic candidate. Incumbent District 1 Commissioner Andy Kesselring is not seeking re-election and instead will run for Florida House District 24 as a candidate without a party affiliation. Local businessman Jimmy Walton, who lost a close GOP primary to Kesselring in 2004, filed paperwork to run again, but has since announced he's dropping out. Alvord, 38, says he wants to be a voice on the board for "Joe citizen."
Click Here>>
SW 62nd Options Must All Be Studied
Gainesville and Alachua County commissioners might have been prepared Thursday to select their favored route for the SW 62nd Boulevard connector, but they left again without a decision. About a month after failing to select a route for the connector road to take, commissioners, who were meeting Thursday as the Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization, were told they couldn't narrow the field. James Bennett, district planning manager for the Florida Department of Transportation, said all four corridors were still considered viable and thus must move on to the next stage - planning, development and environmental study. "With a more refined study, some of these will start to drop out," Bennett said. "We've got to go forward with all four at this point." Also impacted by what now could mean a nine-month delay in a route being selected are Deborah and Clark Butler, who are proposing a roughly 150-acre expansion of Butler Plaza north of the present site.
Click Here>>
Plans for Urban Village Unveiled
A large development was unveiled Thursday as the "cornerstone" of an envisioned 300-acre urban village west of the University of Florida on Hull Road. Creekside at Beville Run was presented as a combination of eight buildings of residential condominiums and apartments ranging in height from five to 23 stories and with ground-floor retail space of about 25,000 square feet. Ed Poppell, representing the University of Florida, praised the development as precisely what came out of the Urban Student Village charrettes held 11 years ago. "If we are going to have a sustainable community, we have to maximize the use of our lands and not encourage urban sprawl," said Poppell, UF vice president for business affairs. "I think that the plan being proposed here is exactly what we had hoped that the Student Urban Village would do." Commissioner Jack Donovan said he was concerned the urban village would further contribute to the westward shift of Gainesville's population and consequently the decline of schools and development in downtown and in east Gainesville.
Click Here>>
Study Under Way on Making Marion Oaks a City
After months of fundraising, including securing some financial help from the county, a feasibility study is under way to help determine whether Marion Oaks will become a city. The approximately $30,000 study is being paid for in part with funds raised by the Marion Oaks Incorporation Coalition, Inc., with the county chipping in a $15,000 match. The feasibility study is an important step in the incorporation process, which began nearly three years ago when a small committee of the Marion Oaks Civic Association began exploring the idea. The group has since evolved into a standalone entity to raise funds for the study, draft a city charter and educate the residents of Marion Oaks, who will have the final say should the measure reach a local ballot. "This has been a long time coming to get to this point, so we will see what happens," said Mildred Musho, who has helped spearhead the effort and serves as treasurer of the coalition. "The community does not have to go forward if it doesn't look like we can afford it, and if voters vote against it then that's it, it's done."
Click Here>>
Mixed-use Model
Developer Jock Phelps believes the new North Marion Project, Lake City's first mixed-use building that houses both residential and commercial units, will definitely benefit the revitalization project currently underway in downtown Lake City. And he thinks it's a steal of a deal for those looking to open a new business or looking for a downtown home. "This is the deal of the century," Phelps said. "With (Shands Lake Shore) expanding, you will never see prices like this again."The North Marion Project, which began construction late last year and will be completed in early June, offers a unique look in downtown Lake City. The approximately 12,000 square-foot project, developed by Columbia Devel-opers LLC, affords a rustic feel and looks like an old landmark in Lake City, yet provides all of the amenities expected today, and then some.
Click Here>>
Progress Energy Takes Another Step Toward Levy County Nuclear Plant
Progress Energy on Monday announced that it has signed a letter of intent with Westinghouse Electric Co. and Power Group. The letter authorizes the purchase of some materials for up to two Westinghouse AP1000 reactors at the Levy County site where Progress hopes to build the nuclear power units. Progress has not yet entered into an Engineering, Procurement and Construction contract, according to a company news release.
Click Here>>
Kelsering Files to Run for House Dist. 24, but Not as Republican
Marion County Commissioner Andy Kesselring has filed to run for Florida House District 24. Kesselring, who ran as a Republican in his 2000 and 2004 County Commission campaigns, has filed to run with no party affiliation in the House race. That means he will not be in the primary and will go straight to the November general election. Before his eight years on the County Commission, Kesselring served on the Ocala City Council. Former Marion County School Board member Kurt Kelly is the Republican District 24 incumbent. Kelly won a special election last summer after Dennis Baxley vacated the House seat to run in a special election for Florida senate District 3. Former Citrus County Sheriff Charlie Dean won that Senate seat.
Click Here>>
County Acts to Improve Economy
Identifying more land for future businesses and quicker permitting are two measures to improve economic development that will be a focus of Alachua County under action taken Tuesday. The commission's commitment came after the Council for Economic Outreach presented a study showing a severe lack of land and space suitable for new industries that want to locate in the county. The council is the economic development branch of the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce. "We had a feeling we were short on suitable land or space. Of the 42 companies that contacted (the council), we could meet the demand for 11 of them," said council Vice President Ann Collett. "From the public sector, we need fast-track development/permitting approval process. We need pre-approved sites with zoning nd concurrency." Collett added that the private sector will be asked to develop more land for new business. Bankers will be asked to create more financing options.
Click Here>>
Homeowners May Face Fire Fee
Gainesville city commissioners voted Monday night to draft an ordinance implementing a fee for services provided by Gainesville Fire Rescue. The vote was 5-2 with Commissioners Rick Bryant and Ed Braddy opposing the furtherance of the fee. Called a special assessment for fire services, the fee could cost homeowners $99 a year, commercial property owners 13 cents per square foot, industrial property owners 6 cents per square foot and institutional properties such as churches and nonprofits 17 cents per square foot. The assessment would be a long-term addition to property taxes, but in the near future it would go toward funding capital improvement projects in the fire department and compensating for a potential 5 percent budget cut, roughly $600,000, from the department this year. Over an extended period of time the increase in revenue for the fire department could go toward meeting the standard set by the National Fire Protection Association of response in 4 minutes 90 percent of the time.
Click Here>>
MCBIA Calendar of Events
BANCF Calendar of Events
Click Here> |
USGBC Heart of Florida Chapter
|
|
|
Public May Get Bigger Voice in Development
With some of them seeking to take the steam out of movements like Florida Hometown Democracy, state lawmakers want to give the public more input when developments are proposed. Looking to stem sprawl, they want to pare back rules that obstruct development inside cities. Some want to regulate impact fees. Lawmakers -- and the people and interests they represent -- would like to do a lot of things with proposed revisions to the state's growth management laws this spring. But, while some of their ideas reflect the priorities of the state's top planner, Department of Community Affairs Secretary Thomas Pelham, others have him steamed.
Click Here>>
New-home Impact Fees Reduced
New-home impact fees in Volusia County dropped by about $2,500 on Thursday when County Council members complied with a request from the school district. School Superintendent Margaret Smith sent County Chairman Frank Bruno a letter this week recommending the move to reduce school impact fees because of current economic conditions and declining student enrollment. "There was no reason to delay," Bruno said. "We didn't want to hold up a sale of a home." An automatic hike went into effect just 10 days ago on April 1, Bruno said. If a builder paid the higher fee, the difference will be refunded. The fee rolled back to $6,066 instead of the higher $8,547. Earlier this year, the County Council voted to allow the School Board to set school impact fees, removing itself from the process, said Daniel Eckert, Volusia County attorney. In the coming months, School Board members plan to adopt a new impact fee. Also at the meeting, County Council members discussed whether to put a straw vote on the fall ballot to determine if citizens would be in favor of studying options to consolidate fire services.
Click Here>>
Divided House OK's Budget; Goes to Governor
With Democrats warning about dire consequences for the poor, the elderly and children, a sharply divided House on Thursday passed a stripped down state budget for the coming year, hoping to match spending to falling tax collections. Republican lawmakers pushed through the $65 billion spending plan -- about $5 billion smaller than last year's budget -- arguing that cuts in spending are unavoidable and the state must live within its means in an economic downturn many fear is far from over. They argue it would be irresponsible to balance the budget using savings when nobody is sure how bad the economy will be next year, or to consider tax increases when Floridians are already trying to figure out how to pay rising bills. Democrats, however, said the GOP majority is hurting the state's most vulnerable people because of ideological opposition to raising taxes or to dipping into savings accounts the state has long had in case of emergencies.
Click Here>>
Green Means Go for Grand Debut
On the surface, the new Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve Interpretive Center doesn't look green - more kind of a cooling pantone greenish-beige. But inside and out, the building is certified green, according to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System. To be certified green, a building must conform to five areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water efficiency, energy efficiency, proper materials and indoor environmental quality.
"Anything we do at the slough, we emphasize education and the environment," preserve supervisor Mary Rude said. "The No. 1 reason to have this building is to be the gateway to the slough, but we also wanted the building to be green, to be a form of education to show people they can live their lives in harmony with the environment." Friends of Six Mile Cypress Slough raised $500,000 for the $3.6-million building; the rest was paid for from impact fees. Its grand opening is Saturday.
Click Here>>
Court Moves Up Allstate Deadline for Compiling with State
Allstate's companies doing business in Florida will have to stop writing new policies after April 14 if the insurance giant fails to apply for a rehearing by then, state officials said Tuesday. Allstate spokesman Adam Shores said the company would evaluate its legal options regarding a rehearing by the new deadline. Its 1,100 agents will continue writing business in Florida until the court rules on the pending stay, granted in January. Current Allstate policyholders would not be affected by sanctions. The 1st District Court of Appeals ruled last week that Florida insurance regulators have the authority to suspend Allstate's companies because the insurer failed to comply with state subpoenas seeking information on the company's pricing strategies. But the Office of Insurance Regulation sought clarification on Friday's ruling about when it could actually enforce the suspension. "There was ambiguity in the order as to whether the stay had been lifted immediately or was subject to a motion for a rehearing," OIR spokesman Ed Domansky said Tuesday.
Click Here>>
Agreement is next step toward widening U.S. 301
Hillsborough County commissioners have approved a long-awaited development agreement that will pave the way for the widening of U.S. 301. But officials are still waiting for some developers to pay part of their $15-million share of the $111-million project. The county must give $57-million to the Florida Department of Transportation by April 30. "It won't be done until it's done," said Mike Merrill, Hillsborough County's debt management director. "We're all working hard to get there." A unique public-private partnership between the county, the state and developers will fund the 6.1-mile expansion, which will widen the road from two to six lanes between Gibsonton Drive and County Road 672.
Click Here>>
New Insurer's Promise: Cheaper Deal or $250 Check
The founder of Florida's newest property insurer is so confident that he can write cheaper insurance for thousands of state homeowners that he promises potential customers a $250 check if he can't beat the price of their current company. The $250 offer has arrived in the mailboxes of about 30,000 Florida residents in the last several weeks, and Mike Gold, the founder and chief executive officer of Boca Raton-based People's Trust Insurance Co., plans to more than double the number of homes that will see the flier in the next month. ''We're going to change the face of property insurance in Florida,'' said the 54-year-old entrepreneur, who said he has not had to pay the $250 yet. Walter Hannon already believes. The 41-year-old property manager and Pembroke Pines resident traded in his insurance policy with Federated National Insurance Co. last month for one with People's Trust. His annual premium dropped from $3,350 to $1,270.
Click Here>>
Lawmaker: States Treasure Could Ease Budget Mass
As legislators scramble for cash in the worst budget crisis they've ever faced, tens of millions of dollars in treasure lies just within their reach outside the Capitol. This is real treasure -- the kind hauled up from sunken Spanish ships. The state has one of the world's largest publicly owned collections of colonial Spanish doubloons and reales, as well as a few gold and silver ingots and chains. Much of it lies safe and hidden in a vault, known only to a few, and occasionally loaned out to museums around the country. But now Rep. Juan Zapata of Miami wants to crack it open and sell a little treasure to help fill some holes in the proposed $66 billion budget, which is more than $4 billion smaller than this year's spending plan. And the Republican is accusing the Florida secretary of state's office of throwing him off the scent and hiding the booty.
Click Here>>
Legislators Look at Ways to Spur Economy
As the economy slides further toward recession, lawmakers in Tallahassee are busy crafting proposals to spur growth and draw new business to Florida, even as they face pressure to scale back incentives in light of budget restraints. One proposal gaining momentum, partly because it requires no tax dollars to implement, seeks to reinvest roughly $2 billion of state retirement funds into technology and growth investments located in Florida, such as aerospace and aviation engineering, life sciences and computer technology. The plan's supporters, including bill sponsors Sen. Jeremy Ring, D-Margate, and Rep. Frank Attkisson, R-Kissimmee, gathered in the state capitol Thursday to tout the legislation they said would help usher in a new economy in Florida. ''This bill is good business for Florida as we compete in the global economy,'' Ring said. States like Texas, New York and California already do something similar and have seen huge returns, Ring said.
Click Here>>
Springs Protection Bill Unlikely
As studies continue to show the decline of Florida's natural springs, state lawmakers again this year appear to be reluctant to take any serious steps to help the state's unique resource. With more than 700 springs - including 33 first-magnitude springs that each discharge more than 64 million gallons of water per day - Florida has one of the largest concentrations of natural springs in the world. But the state's increasing development has led to the pollution of some of Florida's most significant and famous springs.
A 1999 study recommended a series of steps the state could take to protect and restore the springs. It even recommended a funding source, a 25 cent increase in automobile tag fees. Most of those recommendations have never been acted on, although the state does spend about $2.1 million a year on springs protection. But lawmakers appear stymied in any effort to expand that program.
Click Here>>
|
|
|
Weak U.S. Dollar, Low Prices Luring Home Buyers From Abroad
Foreign investors are hunting for housing deals in the United States, lured here by falling prices and a dollar in decline. Florida is a top target for international buyers. Fifteen percent of all Florida home sales now involve foreign purchasers, and 65 percent of agents in the Sunshine State said they had overseas clients, according to a 2007 survey by the National Association of Realtors. The Realtors group is touting U.S. investment during a weeklong trade show in Madrid that ends today. "The U.S. is still an attractive place to own real estate. There's prestige involved," said Iverson Moore, spokesman for the group. "Home prices are relatively low compared to other countries, and the investors perceive there is value there."
Click Here>>
Green Jobs Will Require New Skills Among Workers
Green is the new blue when it comes to job skills and job security. The blue-collar jobs that have long supported a strong American middle class -- jobs for electricians, plumbers and transportation and manufacturing workers of all kinds -- are getting a green update. It's a nationwide movement to refresh the traditional trades with training in 21st century knowledge and skills. The green-collar movement advances new, more environmental technologies by training the work force that can manufacture, install and maintain them. It seeks energy security and climate change prevention through an emphasis on non-fossil fuels and energy efficiency. But more than any of that, it promotes jobs. Green-collar advocates point out that these jobs are inherently local: Upgrades to a building's energy efficiency, for example, cannot be installed overseas. And what is especially hopeful about the movement is that it insists at its foundation on family-sustaining wages and upward mobility.
Click Here>>
Not Just Greener Grass
For the 40,000 fans who came to the official opening of the Washington Nationals' new ballpark on March 30, global warming wasn't exactly a top concern. The temperature was a brisk 44 degrees when President Bush threw out the first pitch at 8 p.m., and as the crowd sat huddled against the chill, most were focused on whether the home team would deliver a performance worthy of a $611 million stadium and a national TV audience. It's unlikely anyone noted the high-efficiency bulbs in the field lights, or realized that 95 percent of the stadium's steel was recycled, or even that the low-flow toilets would save millions of gallons of water each season. Most of what makes Nationals Park the country's first green professional-sports stadium doesn't look any different from what you'd find at other ballparks, which is one reason its recent certification by the U.S. Green Building Council is so impressive.
Click Here>>
Housing Bills Will Help Homeowners and Economy
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) today applauded House and Senate legislation to address the housing crisis and economic slowdown. "The bills passed this morning by the full Senate and yesterday by the House Ways and Means Committee are an important step in the process of enacting comprehensive housing legislation that will shore up housing and the economy," said Jerry Howard, executive vice president and CEO of NAHB. "We will continue to work on a bipartisan basis with lawmakers in both chambers and with the Bush Administration to produce the most effective legislation to help ailing homeowners and restore consumer confidence." The House and Senate versions contain several provisions that will help home buyers, homeowners, strapped borrowers facing foreclosure, state and local governments experiencing budget woes, veterans and businesses suffering losses in the current economic climate.
Click Here>>
Building "Green" Is Getting Cheaper, Convention in Sacramento Shows
For Jim Ogden, finding "green" materials for state building projects used to mean custom orders for sustainably harvested wood and costly chemical-emissions tests on ceiling tiles. But as green-building standards have matured and government mandates have taken hold, building green now means little extra hassle and, often, no extra cost. "It's gotten a lot easier," said Ogden, a former California Department of General Services project manager turned green-building consultant. "The manufacturing sector has really stepped up to the plate." This week, suppliers of green building supplies - everything from recycled carpet to waterless urinals - have filled the Sacramento Convention Center for the second Green California Summit and Exposition. The event, which ends today, is meant to help the public sector - local and state government, as well as schools - connect with commercial providers of green building materials and services.
Click Here>>
McCain Touts Homeowner Aid
Senator John McCain called yesterday for federal aid for well-meaning homeowners who can't pay their mortgages, an attempt to fend off criticism from his Democratic presidential rivals that he has been indifferent to the housing crisis and the market upheaval it has spawned. McCain sketched out a plan to help 200,000 to 400,000 homeowners trade burdensome mortgages for manageable loans; aides said the plan would back mortgages worth an estimated $3 billion to $10 billion. Still missing were details on exactly who would be eligible for help; McCain said he wants to aid those who borrowed sensibly but now can't handle their mortgages. "There is nothing more important than keeping alive the American dream to own your home," the likely GOP presidential nominee said in a speech before joining in a small business roundtable discussion at a Brooklyn company. "And priority number one is to keep well-meaning, deserving homeowners who are facing foreclosure in their homes."
Click Here>>
Senate OK's Fix for Crisis in Housing
The US Senate, seeking to address the housing crisis blamed for the nation's economic slowdown, backed a $24 billion plan that focuses on providing new tax breaks for home builders. The chamber voted 84 to 12 to approve legislation providing tax cuts worth about $18 billion during the next 18 months for home builders, banks, and other businesses affected by the subprime mortgage debacle. The bill offers about $6 billion in tax breaks, spending increases, and other forms of assistance to individual homeowners. The bill, opposed by the Bush administration, must be reconciled with a House plan that omits the business tax breaks in favor of more generous assistance to individuals. Lawmakers are debating how best to address a wave of housing foreclosures amid the worst housing slump in a quarter century. Foreclosures jumped 60 percent in February after reaching a record rate in the fourth quarter of 2007. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, predicted yesterday that lawmakers and the administration would devise a compromise plan.
Click Here>>
Credit Crunch "In the Final Innings": John Mack
Morgan Stanley Chief Executive John Mack said Tuesday that Wall Street is facing the most difficult conditions that he has seen in 40 years, but he feels the global credit crisis might be "in the final innings." Mack, who easily won re-election to Morgan Stanley's board along with 10 other directors, said at the investment bank's annual meeting that he still plans to "go slow" because of the market's turbulence. The bank wrote down billions of dollars worth of securities linked to risky subprime mortgages and other debt since last year. "We're keeping powder dry," he said. "We feel the risks on the market, the run on Bear Stearns, and we think it is important to have very liquid positions and we're working toward that." He expects more bad news will come out as the world's banks recover from the subprime mortgage crisis, particularly from "overseas and some small retail banks in this country."
Click Here>>
|
|
|
The Spring issue of AGC of Greater Florida(AGCGF) quarterly magazine, Constructor is now available in both print and online. To view the Spring issue of Constructor, click here, or click on the magazine cover to the right. The spiral-bound Membership Directory closes next week and will be available early June. This is the resource guide for the Commercial industry in the state of Florida. To find out more, please call us.
Industrial Goes Green
In the last few years, building green has evolved from an idealistic concept shared by a niche group of developers to a mainstream phenomenon in the commercial real estate industry. Most tenants demand energy efficient, sustainable facilities while property owners are focused on improving building standards to keep up with the ever-changing environmental innovation curve. As a result, the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design designation has emerged as the benchmark for environmental development. And industrial developers now are seeking out this certification for their properties. Historically, the perception has been that only build-to-suit office projects were eligible for LEED certification because industrial projects, many of which are speculative, were unable to fit into the narrow certification criteria. However, with USGBC's multitiered approach to evaluation, industrial developers now have a valuable tool kit for obtaining this sought-after status.
Click Here>>
Council Moves to Purchase Butler Property
The City of Lake City is one step closer to purchasing land for its proposed wastewater treatment plant. City Council approved the initial reading for the purchase of the Butler Tract property during its Monday meeting. The plan includes an exchange of one parcel of property owned by the city for a parcel of the Butler Tract and the measure would include the purchase of the remaining two Butler Tract parcels for $2,850,925. Councilman Michael Lee said the purchase of the Butler Tract and the forthcoming wastewater treatment facility is one of the best things Council has done since he has been a sitting member. "No decent size industry is going to come here and provide jobs if we don't have decent wastewater capacity," Lee said. Councilman John Robertson echoed Lee's sentiments.
Click Here>>
Developer May Fund Big Bend Field Work
The county could require the developer of the proposed Southshore Commons shopping center to pay more than $24-million for road improvements. If the 1-million-square-foot shopping center is built at the southwest corner of Interstate 75 and Big Bend Road, traffic would exceed capacity on many roads and intersections near the 128-acre site, a recent Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council staff report said. That means Hillsborough County could require developer Equity Inc. to help pay for widening Big Bend Road from four to six lanes between U.S. 41 and U.S. 301. The possible cost to the developer? About $22.4-million for road impacts, and about $2-million to add turn lanes and traffic lights to intersections. The planning council is scheduled to vote on the staff recommendations next week. County commissioners will have the final say.
Click Here>>
AGC Contractors Continue to Urge Motorists to Protect Workers in Highway Work Zones
Work zone safety continues to be a top priority for contractors and The Associated General Contractors (AGC), who will attend the kick off for the 9th Annual National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) on the west steps of the California State Capitol in Sacramento, Tuesday, April 8 at 11 a.m. This year's theme is "Slow for the Cone Zone," and the week will be recognized April 7-11, 2008. NWZAW was launched in 1999 by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to bring attention to motorist and worker safety in work zones. "Working together is the only way to improve safety in highway work zones," said AGC chief executive officer Stephen E. Sandherr. "Contractors try to create the safest environment possible, but highway work zone safety requires a joint effort that includes motorists as well as all levels of government."
Click Here>>
It's True: Green Buildings Do Boost Sales, Rental and Occupancy Rates
Call it green magic. According a pair of studies that offer the first broad-scope examination of the economics of green buildings, they really do it all: lower operating costs, boost rental rates, increase sales values and even improve occupancy rates. I've been skeptical. As much ink - or e-ink - has been spilled repeating the virtues of green buildings, there's been woefully little hard data on how high-tech, high-efficiency buildings actually help the bottom line. "Trust us," the green building industry seemed to be saying in recent years: "Build green and you will see rewards." Such claims are instinctively believable, of course, because it makes sense that using less energy should lower building costs and make them more attractive both to tenants and future owners. Less rationally, green buildings embody the promise that very advanced technology can help solve our climate problems.
Click Here>>
AGC of Greater Florida Calendar of Events
| |
|
|
|
|
Current Issues |
 |
|
Commercial Winter 2008
HOME: Living in the Heart of Florida
AGC: Constructor Spring 2008
For more information,
Please contact
Scott Costello |
| Advantage Web Design |
|
http://www.gru.com/YourBusiness/ProductsServices/builders
|
If you are interested in joining the BANCF and taking advantage of these great opportunities,
Please visit
www.bancf.com |
|
|
