Florida Trend articles from December 2008

Florida Trend archives from December 2008

Welcome to our new publisher.(Corner Office)
December 1, 2008... I couldn't be more pleased to introduce Bruce Faulmann, the man who's going to step into the publisher's job here at FLORIDA TREND when I retire in April. Deciding to leave FLORIDA TREND wasn't easy, but I've had 17 great years, and Bruce...

Florida's schools.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2008... Thank you very much for your thoughtful column on school choice ["The Power of Choice," October, FloridaTrend.com]. The evolution of your thinking on this topic roughly parallels my own. I was an editorial writer at the Miami Herald...

Amendment 2.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2008... Amendment 2 was not about gay marriage ["Gay Marriage," October, FloridaTrend.com]. It was about eliminating standard rights and benefits to anyone who is not legally married in this state. Your choice to promote this as a gay marriage issue to...

Au naturel.(Executive Lifestyles: Designer Pools)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Owners: Captain Rufus and Melynda Wakeman, Jensen Beach, owners of River Palm Cottages & Fish Camp * Cost: More than $300,000. "The whole thing went over budget," says Melynda Wakeman. * Features: Chickee...

Lagoon pool.(Executive Lifestyles: Designer Pools)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Owner: Tom Fogarty, South Miami, owner, Doral Title, Doral * Cost: $250,000 * Features; The elevated flagstone step entry is the focal point of the pool. Water spills over the edge of the Jacuzzi, cascading...

Going with the flow.(Executive Lifestyles: Designer Pools)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... * Owner: The owner, who prefers to remain anonymous, lives in California. The home is in Bella Collina in Lake County's Montverde. * Cost: $600,000. The glass tile alone cost $50,000 to $60,000, plus an additional $40,000 to $50,000 for...

This tourism is for the birds.(Executive Lifestyles: Getaways: Bird Watching)
December 1, 2008... As a senior executive with Royal Caribbean, Doug Santoni plots the movements and ports of its huge liners. Yet since he was a child, Santoni has been obsessed with the logistics of natural travelers who are much smaller and cover greater...

Bob Butterworth.(Icon)
December 1, 2008... (Florida attorney general, 1982-2002; Florida Department of Children and Families secretary, 2007-August 2008; age 66) * When you're attorney general or sheriff or whatever else, you're not the sheriff for the Democrats or independents or...

Bright side.(Trendsetters: IT/Software)(Craig Technologies)
December 1, 2008... Carol Craig blows through her life story with such breezy efficiency you would think she's running through the well-known specs for a government contract her IT engineering and consulting firm is after. Pause, then, to review the specs....

Linked in.(Trendsetters)
December 1, 2008... Every time the New World Symphony orchestral academy welcomes a new member, it asks a mouth-watering question: "Who, from anywhere in the world, would you really like to study with?" [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Thanks to the symphony's...

Money-saving technology.(Trendsetters)
December 1, 2008... Communications engineer Raghib Qureshi, 39, and Mohammad Amirzadeh, 54, Florida Department of Management Services, won a Davis Productivity Award in technology advancement for integrating several technologies to allow standardized routing of...

Off the market: the real estate slump is allowing the Nature Conservancy to beef up its inventory.(LAND CONSERVATION)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] More Florida land that would otherwise be facing heavy development pressure has the potential to wind up in conservation instead--compliments of the real estate slump. "We get calls every day from land owners...

Hitting home.(BANKING)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The recent fortunes of the largest Florida-chartered bank, Coral Gables-based BankUnited, reflect both the stresses roiling the financial industry and a tougher regulatory climate for banks in the wake of the credit...

37 plays in 97 minutes.(ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT)
December 1, 2008... The Reduced Shakespeare Company presents "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)[revised]" at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County through Jan. 18. The 97-minute show races through Shakespeare's...

International boost.(TOURISM)
December 1, 2008... Despite a tough economy, tourism in Miami-Dade was up, driven, says the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, by international visitors. According to Smith Travel Research, average room rates in Miami-Dade in the first seven months of...

Mercantil Commercebank.(Miami-Dade: Players)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Millar Wilson replaces the retiring J, Guillermo Villar as president and CEO of Coral Gables-based Mercantil Commercebank. Wilson had been global risk manager of Venezuelan parent company Mercantil Servicios...

Ivax Diagnostics.(Miami-Dade: Players)
December 1, 2008... Paul F. Kennedy, who partially controls a group that recently purchased Ivax Diagnostics (Amex-IVD), has been named CEO, president and chairman of the pharmaceutical firm. He replaces Kevin Clark, who remains with Ivax Diagnostics as COO.

AvMed Health Plans.(Miami-Dade: Players)
December 1, 2008... AvMed Health Plans named Ed Hannum president and COO. He had been acting COO since January. Mike Gallagher, CEO of parent company SantaFe HealthCare, had been AvMed's acting CEO.

Trivest Partners.(CORAL GABLES)
December 1, 2008... Private equity firm Trivest Partners closed its Trivest Fund IV after raising $325 million; the initial goal was to raise $300 million.

MasTec.(CORAL GABLES)
December 1, 2008... MasTec agreed to purchase Fargo, N.D.-based wind energy contractor Wanzek Construction for $200 million and the assumption of $15 million in debt. Wanzek, which also works in natural gas construction, expects $340 million in revenue for 2008.

University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.(CORAL GABLES)
December 1, 2008... The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine received a $39.9-million National Institutes of Health grant to follow the health of children nationwide from conception until they turn 21; an option could increase the value of the contract to...

Catalyst Pharmaceutical Partners.(CORAL GABLES)
December 1, 2008... Catalyst Pharmaceutical Partners raised $4.1 million in a stock offering.

Ocean Bank is foreclosing on a $10.9-million loan it made for the Pebblewalk Village development.(DORAL)
December 1, 2008... Ocean Bank is foreclosing on a $10.9-million loan it made for the Pebblewalk Village development, which is owned by Adrian Development at Pebble Walk Partnership.

Ryder System.(MEDLEY)
December 1, 2008... Ryder System (NYSE-R) agreed to acquire the assets of Transpacific Container Terminal and CRSA Logistics.

Miami Worldcenter.(MIAMI)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Developers Art Falcone and Marc Roberts have proposed a nine-block, 25-acre mixed-use project between the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts and Miami's central business district. Miami Worldcenter would include high-rise offices,...

Arellano Construction Co.(MIAMI)
December 1, 2008... Spanish construction company OHL Group acquired 70% of Arellano Construction Co. for approximately $36.5 million.

Edgewater by the Bay.(MIAMI)
December 1, 2008... The developers of Edgewater by the Bay, a nearly complete condominium building, filed for bankruptcy.

Carlisle Development Group.(MIAMI)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Affordable housing developer Carlisle Development Group and non-profit Carrfour Supportive Housing, which provides housing for the "formerly homeless," completed restoration of the 100-unit Royalton, a historic 1920s property in downtown Miami....

Miami Dade College.(MIAMI)
December 1, 2008... The Mitchell Wolfson Sr. Foundation donated nearly $11 million to Miami Dade College to increase the number of nurses in the region.

Carlos de Cespedes and Jorge de Cespedes, founders of now-bankrupt medical distribution company Pharmed, pleaded guilty in Miami federal court to charges of tax evasion and wire fraud.(MIAMI)
December 1, 2008... Carlos de Cespedes and Jorge de Cespedes, founders of now-bankrupt medical distribution company Pharmed, pleaded guilty in Miami federal court to charges of tax evasion and wire fraud. They could face up to 20 years in prison.

Royal Caribbean Cruises.(MIAMI)
December 1, 2008... Royal Caribbean Cruises agreed to sell its 50% interest in Island Cruises to joint venture partner First Choice Holidays, a subsidiary of British tour operator TUI Travel.

Miami Herald.(MIAMI)
December 1, 2008... The Miami Herald announced it will cut another 119 positions--around 10% of its workforce--on top of 250 positions cut in June. The Herald and St. Petersburg Times announced plans to merge their Tallahassee staffs.

Whopper Bar.(MIAMI)
December 1, 2008... A Whopper Bar at Universal CityWalk in Orlando will be the prototype for smaller Burger King restaurants.

Camacho Cigars.(MIAMI)
December 1, 2008... Oettinger Davidoff Group bought Miami-based Camacho Cigars in October for an undisclosed price.

"Harnessing the Power of the Connected World".(MIAMI)
December 1, 2008... The University of Miami will host a forum titled "Harnessing the Power of the Connected World" on Jan. 15-16. The forum will focus on challenges and opportunities in an interconnected world. Speakers will include Muhtar Kent, Coca-Cola's CEO;...

Federal community development block grants.(MIAMI-DADE COUNTY)
December 1, 2008... The county will receive more than $62 million in federal community development block grants.

Miami International Airport.(MIAMI-DADE COUNTY)
December 1, 2008... Miami International Airport lowered landing fees from $1.94 per 1,000 pounds to $1.18 and lowered departure fees to $16.48 per passenger, from $17.39. The lower fees will last for a year.

Yedra Polaris World Garden Furniture.(MIAMI GARDENS)
December 1, 2008... Spanish retailer Yedra Polaris World Garden Furniture opened its first U.S. store.

Stepping up.(HIGHER EDUCATION)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Since January, 1,000 wannabe teachers, nurses, healthcare managers and others have enrolled in nine new baccalaureate degree programs at Indian River State College. "It's been exciting to see the response" says...

Not enough credit.(DAYJET)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Revolutionizing air travel looked to be a long shot in the best of times. Add in tight credit markets, and the Day Jet revolution fizzled after less than a year in the air. The on-demand, per-seat regional flight...

Ken Jenne.(Southeast: Players)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Former Broward County Sheriff Ken Jenne, who finished serving more than 10 months in federal prison for mail fraud and tax evasion, joined a consulting and lobbying concern allied with Fort Lauderdale law firm...

Bertha Henry.(Southeast: Players)
December 1, 2008... Broward interim county administrator Bertha Henry was given the $290,000-a-year job permanently by county commissioners. Pam Brangaccio resigned from the job in 2007.

Martin County Convention and Visitors Bureau.(Southeast: Players)
December 1, 2008... Rozeta Mahboubi became executive director of the Martin County Convention and Visitors Bureau, replacing the late Terri Monaghan. Mahboubi was the founding director of the Hollywood Office of Tourism within the Greater Hollywood Chamber of...

Home loans.(REAL ESTATE)
December 1, 2008... Percentage of south Florida mortgaged owner-occupied homes that also have a second mortgage or home equity loan. Location 2005 2007 Broward 26.3% 31.1% Palm Beach 25.9 29.6 Martin 30.2 25.7 St....

James Batmasian.(BOCA RATON)
December 1, 2008... Prominent commercial property owner James Batmasian, 61, in September began serving an eight-month sentence in a federal prison for felony tax evasion. He failed to pay $253,513 in employee taxes.

Office Depot.(BOCA RATON)
December 1, 2008... Office Depot (NYSE-ODP) was selected by the state of New York as one of its office supplies contractors; this month the firm will continue to move to its new headquarters from Delray Beach.

GEO Group.(BOCA RATON)
December 1, 2008... GEO Group (NYSE-GEO) expects to reap $48 million in annualized revenue from state contracts to build and manage a $120-million, 2,000-bed special-needs prison in Santa Rosa County, scheduled for completion in 2010, for adult men who require...

Delray Beach-based Ocean Properties opened its 170-room.(BOYNTON BEACH)
December 1, 2008... Delray Beach-based Ocean Properties opened its 170-room, reflagged Courtyard by Marriott in Boynton Beach.

The Rothstein Family Foundation, led by Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler law firm CEO Scott W. Rothstein and his wife, Kimberly, donated $1 million to Holy Cross Hospital.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
December 1, 2008... The Rothstein Family Foundation, led by Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler law firm CEO Scott W. Rothstein and his wife, Kimberly, donated $1 million to Holy Cross Hospital to provide women's health services at a new HealthPlex to open next year.

Spherion.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
December 1, 2008... Staffing company Spherion (NYSE-SFN) says its Employee Confidence index, conducted by Harris Interactive to measure confidence in the economy, job market and the future of employees' employer, fell to a new low in October. The component that...

Geoplasma.(FORT PIERCE)
December 1, 2008... Atlanta-based Geoplasma, a company that says it can use plasma torch technology to turn waste into energy, cut back the amount of waste it said its proposed plant in St. Lucie County would handle to 600 tons per day from 1,500 tons.

Ginn-LA WSL.(FORT PIERCE)
December 1, 2008... St. Lucie County commissioners approved a proposal from Ginn-LA WSL to mine sand and coquina on 645 acres at a 3,100-acre site north of Port St. Lucie.

Tousa.(HOLLYWOOD)
December 1, 2008... In its reorganization plan, bankrupt home builder Tousa (OTC-TOUSQ.PK) wants some of its lenders to take equity in the company in place of the $300 million they are owed. The home builder also is asking the bankruptcy court to eliminate $1.6...

Cbeyond.(MIRAMAR)
December 1, 2008... Cbeyond, an Atlanta-based internet service provider, will open a regional headquarters, employing 80 to 100 over the next five years. It qualified for state and local tax rebate incentives of potentially up to $500,000 and a state,...

Pediatrix Medical Group.(SUNRISE)
December 1, 2008... Pediatrix Medical Group (NYSE-PDX), soon to be known as Mednax, a 1,100-doctor, physician services company, bought neonatal intensive care physician group practice Akron Neonatology in Ohio.

5.5-acre oceanfront site with a $225-million list price.(VERO BEACH)
December 1, 2008... Thorpe/Sotheby's International Realty was selected to market a 5.5-acre oceanfront site with a $225-million list price in Bal Harbour in Miami-Dade County.

Urban Design Studio and Kilday & Associates, two of Palm Beach County's largest urban design, planning and landscape architecture firms.(WEST PALM BEACH)
December 1, 2008... Urban Design Studio and Kilday & Associates, two of Palm Beach County's largest urban design, planning and landscape architecture firms, merged to become Urban Design Kilday Studios. Ken Tuma, UDS' managing principal, becomes managing partner...

Ocean Properties.(WEST PALM BEACH)
December 1, 2008... Palm Beach County commissioners voted to spike an agreement with developer Ocean Properties for it to build a 400-room hotel at the county convention center. The developer wanted to reduce the project to a 340-room hotel, and the commissioners...

Palm Beach Newspapers.(WEST PALM BEACH)
December 1, 2008... Palm Beach Newspapers says printing of the Palm Beach Post and affiliated publications will be done by Tribune Co.'s Sun-Sentinel at its Deerfield Beach plant beginning this month, eliminating 300 jobs in Palm Beach Newspapers' production,...

First Capital.(WEST PALM BEACH)
December 1, 2008... Under a deal between financial services firm First Capital and Hong Kong electronics company Proview International Holdings, First Capital will provide financing that will allow Proview customers to access up to $30 million in credit to...

Economy comes into play.(SPORTS BUSINESS)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In 2001, the last time Tampa hosted a Super Bowl, the game's economic impact on the city was estimated at $250 million. The game's heft has only continued to grow with the years. In 2005, for example, Super Bowl...

Beyond Butterflies.(ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT)(South Florida Museum)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Butterflies get most of the attention, but Florida's moths are often just as spectacular. Using a high-resolution scanner, artist Joseph Scheer created detailed prints of native moths, highlighting their bright...

Alico.(Southwest: Players)
December 1, 2008... La Belle-based land management company Alico has hired Don Schrotenboer as vice president of real estate. He was most recently a real estate consultant and was also Ave Marie's director of project development.

Mahaffey Theater Foundation.(Southwest: Players)
December 1, 2008... Colin Bissett is the new executive director of the Mahaffey Theater Foundation in St. Petersburg. Previously, he managed the Largo Cultural Center. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Citrus County Visitors & Convention Bureau.(Southwest: Players)
December 1, 2008... Maria Chancey is the new director of the Citrus County Visitors & Convention Bureau.

Florida Green Building Coalition.(Southwest: Players)
December 1, 2008... Jennifer Languell has been elected president of the Florida Green Building Coalition. Languell owns Fort Myers-based Trifecta Construction Solutions.

For sale.(SMALL BUSINESS)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... The median asking price for a small business in the Tampa Bay area increased 6.1% during the third quarter this year, compared to the third quarter last year: $200,000 2007 median asking price for a small business in the Tampa area ...

Phil Coon, a former Coast Bank executive, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges as a result of the Bradenton bank's failed venture with St. Petersburg builder Construction Compliance Inc.(BRADENTON)
December 1, 2008... Phil Coon, a former Coast Bank executive, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges as a result of the Bradenton bank's failed venture with St. Petersburg builder Construction Compliance Inc. As part of his plea deal, Coon...

Freedom Bank.(BRADENTON)
December 1, 2008... Fifth Third bank took over Bradenton-based Freedom Bank last month after federal regulators declared Freedom insolvent. The bank had four branches and $250 million in deposits.

Riverside Bank.(CAPE CORAL)
December 1, 2008... The Federal Reserve has warned Riverside Bank to improve its credit risk and boost its finances. The bank listed assets of $554.4 million as of Sept. 30 and posted a third-quarter loss of $28 million.

Harper, Van Scoik & Co.(CLEARWATER)
December 1, 2008... Clearwater's Harper, Van Scoik & Co. accounting firm has merged with Alabama-based accountants Carr, Riggs & Ingram.

Homeowners Choice Property & Casualty Insurance.(CLEARWATER)
December 1, 2008... Homeowners Choice Property & Casualty Insurance has assumed 45,000 homeowners' policies from Citizens Property Insurance Corp.

Allyn International Services.(FORT MYERS)
December 1, 2008... Allyn International Services has won a one-year, $82,000 contract to transport documents for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

$110-million construction project.(HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY)
December 1, 2008... A $110-million construction project to improve a six-mile stretch of U.S. 301 from Gibsonton Drive to Balm Road is under way.

Citrus crop.(LAKELAND)
December 1, 2008... The Lakeland-based Florida Department of Citrus expects a 2.5% drop in Florida's citrus crop this year. Revised estimates indicate the 2008 crop will include 166 million boxes of oranges and 23 million boxes of grapefruit.

Turf Ecosystems.(NAPLES)
December 1, 2008... Turf Ecosystems has received a patent for its Platinum TE tuff grass, a salt tolerant variety that can be irrigated with saltwater.

Kenneth Oscar Johnson.(NAPLES)
December 1, 2008... Kenneth Oscar Johnson, the namesake of the Hodges University Kenneth Oscar Johnson School of Business, has died at age 88.

600-acre ranch owned by Frank Morsani.(NEW PORT RICHEY)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Pasco County commissioners have agreed to buy a 600-acre ranch owned by Frank Morsani of Lutz for conservation purposes. The land includes the headwaters of the Pithlachascotee River. The deal includes $750,000 for 214 of the acres and another...

Longleaf has been ranked No. 2 on NewUrbanMom.com's annual ranking.(PASCO COUNTY)
December 1, 2008... Longleaf has been ranked No. 2 on NewUrbanMom.com's annual ranking of the nation's top New Urbanism communities.

Browning Investments.(POLK CITY)
December 1, 2008... Indiana-based Browning Investments, a real estate development and construction company, has broken ground on a 1.2-million-sq.-ft. bulk distribution center near 1-4.

Medical Education Technologies.(SARASOTA)
December 1, 2008... Medical Education Technologies, a maker of human patient simulators and related educational software, will build a 70,000-sq.-ft. facility east of 1-75 off Bee Ridge Road.

Cinders Slimfold.(SARASOTA)
December 1, 2008... Cinders Slimfold, a British gas grill maker, has opened its U.S. sales and marketing division in downtown Sarasota.

The University of South Florida St. Petersburg has announced plans to "sponsor" Harborside, a planned 350-unit residential development for adults 60 and older to be built two blocks from campus.(ST. PETERSBURG)
December 1, 2008... The University of South Florida St. Petersburg has announced plans to "sponsor" Harborside, a planned 350-unit residential development for adults 60 and older to be built two blocks from campus. The school's affiliation with the project, being...

Tampa International Airport.(TAMPA)
December 1, 2008... Tampa International Airport has instituted a "pick a lane" program, allowing fliers to chose one of three securityscreening lines: One for frequent travelers, one for casual travelers and another for travelers needing special assistance.