Florida Trend articles from February 2009

Florida Trend archives from February 2009

River of grass.(FloridaTrend.com: THE WEBSITE OF FLORIDA BUSINESS)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Marjory Stoneman Douglas transformed the image of the Everglades from a maligned swamp into a beloved wetland. Read an excerpt from University of Florida historian Jack E. Davis' new book, "An Everglades Providence:...

The search is on.(Corner Office)
February 1, 2009... Since we announced the launch of the first statewide program to find the "Best Companies To Work For In Florida" more than 160 companies have signed up to see how they rate. The deadline to register is just a few days away, and I hope you...

Government hiring.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2009... The artwork in your December article "Government Keeps Hiring" [FloridaTrend.com] is misleading and used in a way that the body of your article does not adequately support. Why use artwork of the city hall when the most significant example of...

Clarification & correction.(Readers)(Correction notice)
February 1, 2009... * December's Central Around the State report referred to a solar energy system costing 6 to 9 cents per kilowatt hour. That cost refers only to solar thermal, which is used for water heating. * PSS World Medical's website is...

CEO diets.(Lifestyle)
February 1, 2009... When Alfred Sanchez, head of the Miami-Dade YMCA (formerly the YMCA of Greater Miami), was about to launch an employee fitness program called "Healthy Lives Under Construction," he decided he would have to "walk the walk and talk the talk" to...

Spam blocker.(Lifestyle)
February 1, 2009... Michael Murcloch has spent the last 10 years starting companies and watching them grow--along with his waistline. "It's hard to focus on your own health when you run a company," says Murdoch, who currently heads AppRiver, a $5-million company...

Fat-blaster vacations.(Lifestyle)
February 1, 2009... Bella Vita Retreat and Bella Boot Camp Pompano Beach * Rates: Guests stay at the Ocean Sands Resort & Spa. Rates start at $1,180 for two-night stay, up to $4,650 for a two-week private weight-loss program. * Program: Boot...

New York--Miami-style.(Getaways)
February 1, 2009... All the new hotel flash in Miami has a strong New York accent. And no address says hip downtown Manhattan like Gansevoort South. The name is that of a narrow street in New York's meatpacking district, a once-bloody neighborhood that became...

Orsay.(Eating update)
February 1, 2009... Jacksonville is digging into a second helping of hearty hand-crafted cooking from Jonathan Insetta; he first delivered artisanal sandwiches and suppers at Chew downtown, and now he's running a full bistro menu at Orsay in Avondale, from pate...

13 Gypsies.(Eating update)
February 1, 2009... Jacksonville also gets more rustic servings of Old World cooking with a smoky Spanish accent at the new 13 Gypsies, opened by chef Howard Kirk, who put Andalusian flavor in the Sangria House.

1 Bleu.(Eating update)
February 1, 2009... Mark Militello, who once hung out his name and Golden Spoons across south Florida, has a new kitchen and menu at 1 Bleu, the seafooder in the glare-slam Regent Bal Harbour in Miami.

660 Mediterranean Kitchen.(Eating update)
February 1, 2009... At The Angler's, a boutique Miami Beach hotel, the 660 Mediterranean Kitchen is set with lamb, olives, dates and goat cheese in plates small and large. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Ocean Prime.(Eating update)
February 1, 2009... Ocean Prime, the latest from Ohio chain wizard Cameron Mitchell, opens its third Florida location in Tampa, mixing seafood, steaks, retro chrome and martinis into a glossy supper club on the beefy Westshore strip.

Z Grille.(Eating update)
February 1, 2009... Z Grille adds "signature" dining with flash at St. Petersburg's newest downtown tower--the Signature condo/office tower--with Zack and Jennifer Gross turning out such clever offerings as Dr Pepper-fried ribs.

717 South.(Eating update)
February 1, 2009... Also, Tampa's 717 South takes over the sadly folded Table in downtown St. Pete.

Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival.(Eating update)
February 1, 2009... Datebook TV's culinary stars light up Miami for the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival Feb. 19-22. Look for merlot match-ups, cocktail spinoffs, Mario Batali, Paula Deen, Colicchio and Tyler too (Florence, that is). ...

Wine & spirits.(Dining)
February 1, 2009... RED Syrah, Bell Wine Cellars Canterbury, California $30 Anthony Bell, a Napa cab fanatic, makes a syrah from Yosemite for one reason: It's yummy. Plummy too, with blackberry, black pepper and spice, in a soft, lush ruby...

'Best' festival.(GAINESVILLE)
February 1, 2009... Gainesville's Santa Fe College Spring Arts Festival, which brings hundreds of fine artists to the city's historic downtown, celebrates its 40th year during the weekend of March 28 and 29. Spring Arts was voted the best arts festival in the...

The blues.(TALLAHASSEE)
February 1, 2009... An exhibit at Tallahassee's Museum of Florida History showcases musicians who helped establish the blues tradition as part of Florida's musical heritage--musicians such as Tampa Red, known as the "Guitar Wizard," and Blind Blake, a ragtime and...

Wedding chests.(SARASOTA)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... In Renaissance Italy, well-off couples would parade pairs of elaborately painted wedding chests--called cassoni--through the streets to celebrate a bride moving into the home of her new husband. The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in...

Art of steel.(CORAL GABLES)
February 1, 2009... Five massive steel sculptures from artist Mark di Suvero will tower over the lush flowering trees, vines and rainforest of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables through May 31. Among the sculptures is the never-before-exhibited...

Margaret D. Lowman: (Rainforest canopy researcher, professor of biology and environmental studies at New College in Sarasota, author; age 55).(Icon)
February 1, 2009... * I grew up in Elmira, N.Y., and my best friend was my neighbor Betsy Hilfiger. She and I used to make little tree forts. I'm embarrassed to tell you this, but we would follow our dads when they mowed the lawn, and we took the worms that got...

Infinity and beyond.(Trendsetters)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Terry Hedden, CEO of Tampa information technology outsourcing company Infinity Business Systems, has done well by avoiding competing on price. The company ranks 94th on Inc. magazine's list of the fastest-growing IT...

'Breaking down taboos'.(Trendsetters)
February 1, 2009... The problem for people with a health issue in the internet age is too much information--from crackpot cures to anxiety-inducing information. Through his website, prostatecancerinfolink.net, prostate cancer specialist Dr. Arnon Krongrad, 49, of...

Who lives here? Perhaps more than any other community in Florida, Miami-Dade--its business and cultural base, politics, community dynamics and perception elsewhere--is defined by its demography.(Community Portrait: Miami-Dade County)(County overview)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Like any other major urban area, Miami has urban, problems--long commutes, crime, congestion overlaying all those issues, however, is Miami's emergence as an assimilation hub--a gateway region where immigrants come...

Heat vs. humidity: Florida Grapefruit League keeps striking out to Arizona's Cactus League.(Around the State: Statewide News / Spring Training)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Florida Sports Foundation's most recent appraisal of spring training baseball's economic impact in Florida was $453 million a year. But that was three years ago, when 18 of baseball's 30 teams trained in Florida...

Winging it.(AMERICAN AIRLINES)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As airlines around the nation cut flights from their hubs, American Airlines will try to hang on to the gains it has achieved at Miami International Airport. While announcing that it will cut 97 employees at MIA, the...

Baker Development.(AVENTURA)
February 1, 2009... Baker Development, which planned the Navona Creek development west of Jacksonville, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Aventura Mall.(AVENTURA)
February 1, 2009... Aventura Mall, which claims it is south Florida's top shopping destination for international tourists, opened a currency exchange station.

Mexican investment group Agave Florida Investments, an affiliate of Jose Cuervo Group, announced a partnership with developer Eddie Avila of Key Realty Advisors to build two 15-story office towers, called 396 Alhambra.(CORAL GABLES)
February 1, 2009... Mexican investment group Agave Florida Investments, an affiliate of Jose Cuervo Group, announced a partnership with developer Eddie Avila of Key Realty Advisors to build two 15-story office towers, called 396 Alhambra. The Mexican group may...

TD Bank.(CORAL GABLES)
February 1, 2009... New Jersey- and Maine-based TD Bank, formed when TD Bank Financial Group acquired Commerce Bancorp, opened a regional headquarters in Coral Gables.

Power its city hall with solar energy.(MIAMI)
February 1, 2009... Miami has become the first major U.S. city to power its city hall with solar energy. Efficient lamps and fixtures have replaced old lighting systems, and four photovoltaic panels have been installed to provide energy. The city estimates the...

$1-billion tunnel.(MIAMI)
February 1, 2009... Plans for a $1-billion tunnel connecting the Port of Miami (entirely on an island) to the MacArthur Causeway and Interstate 395 took an uncertain turn as Babcock & Brown, the Australian investment banker, was unable to secure financing. The...

Miami Herald.(MIAMI)
February 1, 2009... According to published reports, McClatchy Co. is talking with potential buyers interested in the Miami Herald, although the company would not comment; real estate developer Jorge Perez of the Related Group reported to the newspaper that he and...

Hurricane Cove Marina.(MIAMI)
February 1, 2009... The owner of Hurricane Cove Marina has put up for auction its 10-acre parcel on the Miami River, including a boat yard and marina. Miami-based Balbino Investments I had hoped to build 1,073 condos on the site but was stymied by years of legal...

Wind by Neo.(MIAMI)
February 1, 2009... Wachovia has filed for foreclosure on the completed 42-story Wind by Neo condo on the Miami River, developed by Lissette Calderon's Miami-based Neo Epoch.

Asia America Equity Exchange.(MIAMI)
February 1, 2009... Asia America Equity Exchange, which connects Chinese investors with companies in the Americas and vice versa, opened its first U.S. office in Miami; it is a partner of China Beijing Equity Exchange, a Chinese state-owned asset-trading agency.

Related Asset Advisors.(MIAMI)
February 1, 2009... Condo developer Related Group formed Related Asset Advisors to act as a consultant and financial adviser to other developers, and possibly as a construction lender.

Ivax Diagnostics.(MIAMI)
February 1, 2009... Diagnostic test and instrumentation maker Ivax Diagnostics signed an agreement with California-based Lin-Zhi International to market and sell the company's line of drug tests in the U.S. and Europe.

Carnival Corp. (NYSE-CCL) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE-RCL) lifted fuel surcharges on all of their brands for North American cruises departing this year or next year.(MIAMI)
February 1, 2009... Carnival Corp. (NYSE-CCL) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE-RCL) lifted fuel surcharges on all of their brands for North American cruises departing this year or next year. Also, Carnival filed a $100-million lawsuit against Rolls-Royce,...

Forgivable loans.(MIAMI)
February 1, 2009... The city launched a $500,000 program that will offer forgivable loans of up to $7,500 for homeowners at risk of foreclosure. The loans will be forgiven if buyers live on the property for 10 years.

"Burn notice".(MIAMI)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The producers of the cable television series "Burn Notice," which films at the Coconut Grove Convention Center, may leave south Florida over a dispute about when the production has to vacate the center, which is...

Vacant homes in unincorporated Miami-Dade.(MIAMI-DADE)
February 1, 2009... The county passed ordinances requiring lenders to maintain vacant homes in unincorporated Miami-Dade even before they finish the foreclosure process. The commission is requiring a county building and zoning inspection and public report on...

The county's first elected property appraiser was chosen in a December runoff.(MIAMI-DADE)
February 1, 2009... The county's first elected property appraiser was chosen in a December runoff, when Pedro J. Garcia won out over former state lawmaker Gwen Margolis.

Superintendent Alberto Carvalho's plan.(MIAMI-DADE)
February 1, 2009... The school board approved Superintendent Alberto Carvalho's plan to cut $89 million from the budget.

I-95 express lanes.(MIAMI-DADE)
February 1, 2009... New I-95 express lanes, which run from downtown Miami to the Golden Glades interchange near the northern county line, began charging tolls on all vehicles using the lanes, except hybrids and registered carpools.

Ritz-Carlton Club and Residences.(MIAMI-BEACH)
February 1, 2009... Developers Lionstone Development and Fortune International pulled the plug on the planned Ritz-Carlton Club and Residences.

Mount Sinai Medical Center.(MIAMI-BEACH)
February 1, 2009... Mount Sinai Medical Center reported that it expects an $18.5-million operating loss for 2008 and a $19.7-million loss for this year. In 2007, the hospital reported a loss of $8.9 million.

Mondrian South Beach condo/hotel.(MIAMI-BEACH)
February 1, 2009... Morgans Hotel Group opened its Mondrian South Beach condo/hotel. In November, lenders extended Morgans' debt on the property to a 2013 maturity date, from August of this year.

Juvenile Justice Center at Barry University's School of Law.(MIAMI SHORES)
February 1, 2009... The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation chose the Juvenile Justice Center at Barry University's School of Law to lead the Florida effort for its newly created Models for Change Juvenile indigent Defense Action Network, which it rolled...

Florida International University.(Players)
February 1, 2009... Florida International University President Modesto "Mitch" Maidique announced he will retire after 22 years in the job. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.(Players)
February 1, 2009... Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden named Carl Lewis, a research scientist at the non-profit for eight years, executive director. He replaces Mike Maunder, who accepted a position at Abu Dhabi's Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort.

J.I. Kislak.(Players)
February 1, 2009... Dung Lam was named CFO of J.I. Kislak. He was previously vice president and CFO of RPC Diversified Holdings.

Navarro Discount Pharmacies.(Players)
February 1, 2009... Navarro Discount Pharmacies named Juan M. Ortiz CFO. He had been CEO of Atlantic Dental.

A wave of hope.(ENERGY)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The drawings of work at Florida Atlantic University's ocean energy research center are tailor-made for the pages of Popular Science--brightly painted underwater turbines spun by the ever-flowing Gulf Stream,...

Palm Beach draw.(BUSINESS SURVEY)(County overview)(Statistical table)(Survey)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... In its Job & Labor Market survey, the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County asked business leaders why they selected Palm Beach County as a location site. Reason Percentage Owner/founder residence ...

On the road.(COMMUTING)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] County Mean Commuting Time (minutes) St. Lucie 27.3 Broward 27.0 Okeechobee 26.4 Palm Beach 25.3 Martin 23.4...

Broward Center for the Performing Arts.(Players)
February 1, 2009... Broward Center for the Performing Arts CEO Mark Nerenhausen resigned after 10 years to take the same post at the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts.

Community Foundation.(Players)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Leslie Lilly takes over this month as president and CEO of the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties, replacing 28-year president and CEO Shannon Sadler Hull, who becomes president emeritus. Lilly...

Scripps Florida.(Players)(Roy G. Smith)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Roy G. Smith, an internationally renowned researcher on age-related physical and cognitive decline, has been named chairman of Jupiter-based Scripps Florida's new Department of Metabolism and Aging. Smith for the last decade was director of...

Office Depot.(BOCA RATON)
February 1, 2009... Office Depot (NYSE-ODP) plans to close 112 underperforming stores in North America, taking its store count down to 1,163, and it will only open 20 this year, down from an earlier estimate of 40. It also will close six of its 33 distribution...

Gov. Charlie Crist suspended Mayor Al Capellini after Capellini was charged with felony unlawful compensation tied to his engineering firm's work for a developer.(DEERFIELD BEACH)
February 1, 2009... Gov. Charlie Crist suspended Mayor Al Capellini after Capellini was charged with felony unlawful compensation tied to his engineering firm's work for a developer. Capellini maintains his innocence and is running for re-election. In a separate...

Broward Health Foundation.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
February 1, 2009... The Lillian S. Wells Foundation donated $4.5 million to the Broward Health Foundation, its largest single gift ever, to build a women's health facility at Broward General Medical Center. Construction of the Lillian S. Wells Foundation Women's...

W Fort Lauderdale Hotel.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
February 1, 2009... Operators of the 517-room, 23-story W Fort Lauderdale Hotel plan to hire 350 as the hotel, owned by Capri Hotels, prepares to open in March.

Heico.(HOLLYWOOD)
February 1, 2009... Aircraft parts maker Heico (NYSE-HEI) posted all-time highs in sales, operating profit and profit for the fourth quarter and full year and increased its dividend. Heico also is active in the electronics, defense and space industries.

World's first hybrid solar plant.(INDIANTOWN)
February 1, 2009... Florida Power & Light (NYSE-FPL) broke ground in Martin County on the world's first hybrid solar plant--combining a solar-thermal field with natural gas--and Florida's first large-scale solar facility. The plant, with 180,000 mirrors on 500...

TransDermal Technologies.(JUPITER)
February 1, 2009... The town, which has a $3-million fund to encourage life science and technology companies, agreed to loan $350,000 to TransDermal Technologies to hire staff and make capital investments. The company makes a patchless system for delivering drugs...

Scripps Florida scientist Michael Conkright.(JUPITER)
February 1, 2009... Scripps Florida scientist Michael Conkright received a $150,000 grant from the Philadelphia and Palm Beach-based Margaret Q. Landenberger Research Foundation, the third Scripps Florida scientist to receive a foundation grant, to expand his...

JFK Medical Plaza.(LAKE WORTH)
February 1, 2009... New York real estate company Philips International sold the 34,088-sq.-ft. medical office building JFK Medical Plaza for $8.3 million to Siegel Associates.

Ranch owner Charles Vavrus.(PALM BEACH GARDENS)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Ranch owner Charles Vavrus, thwarted two years ago in his plan to convert his holdings to a 10,000-home development, says he now wants to turn some of his 4,763 acres into a job-creation engine, developing commercial space on a site close to...

Asplundh Tree Expert Co.(PALM CITY)
February 1, 2009... Asplundh Tree Expert Co. is laying off 200 workers in administrative and support, and waste management and remediation services.

Witham Field.(STUART)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... To win FAA grant funding and regulatory approval, Martin County commissioners acceded to FAA demands and said all of runway 12/30 at Witham Field can be used for takeoffs. Commissioners had sought a shorter runway than the existing one, which...

Piper Aircraft.(VERO BEACH)
February 1, 2009... Citing the economic downturn, Piper Aircraft closed its plant for a few days longer than the normal two weeks for the holiday season and reduced the workweek to four days from five in some departments. The company announced it wouldn't seek the...

Palm Beach International Raceway.(WEST PALM BEACH)
February 1, 2009... Condo developer Dezer Properties, based in Sunny Isles Beach, bought a stake in Palm Beach International Raceway, formerly Moroso Motorsports Park. A concierge service, including private clubhouse and garage, and commercial and retail space are...

South Florida Water Management District.(WEST PALM BEACH)
February 1, 2009... The board of the South Florida Water Management District voted 4-3 to buy nearly 300 square miles around Lake Okeechobee from U.S. Sugar for $1.34 billion, the state's biggest land conservation purchase.

'Full steam ahead'.(DEVELOPMENT)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For more than a year, developer Syd Kitson has talked about how his company will be ready to start building the community of Babcock Ranch just as soon as the housing market recovers. The prolonged slump, however,...

TBE Group of Clearwater.(Players)
February 1, 2009... Jonathan Blaha has been promoted to vice president of finance at TBE Group of Clearwater.

University of South Florida.(Players)
February 1, 2009... Margaret Sullivan is the new regional chancellor of the University of South Florida-St. Petersburg. Sullivan, former assistant vice president of Georgia State University, replaces Karen White, who was named a special adviser to USF President...

Florida Sterling Council.(Players)
February 1, 2009... Sid Morgan, market president in Tampa of the west region for Humana, has been named president of the Florida Sterling Council board of directors.

Chico's FAS.(Players)
February 1, 2009... David F. Dyer, formerly president and CEO of Tommy Hilfiger and Land's End, has been named president and CEO of Chico's FAS. He replaces retiring CEO Scott A. Edmonds.

Trickle down effect.('WOMEN OF FAITH')
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * $2.3 million -- estimated economic impact of this summer's two-day "Women of Faith" conference at Tampa's St. Pete Times Forum, according to Tampa Bay & Company, Hillsborough County's convention and visitors...

Airborne.(BONITA SPRINGS)
February 1, 2009... Airborne, a Bonita Springs-based seller of dietary supplements, has agreed to pay $7 million amid allegations by 32 states that it made false claims about its products' health benefits.

Quasar Bio-Tech.(BRADENTON)
February 1, 2009... Quasar Bio-Tech, which makes light therapy devices, will move its manufacturing facilities to Manatee County this year. The company had been based in Pennsylvania.

Progress Energy.(CITRUS COUNTY)
February 1, 2009... Progress Energy plans to retire two coal plants at its Crystal River Energy Complex once the utility's proposed nuclear power plant in Levy County is up and running, which might not happen until 2020. Meanwhile, the utility has submitted a...