Florida Trend articles from January 2003

Florida Trend archives from January 2003

Promoting Florida's research success. (Corner Office).
January 1, 2003... You've probably already been noticing the reports from Florida State University, the University of Florida and the University of Central Florida that have been running recently in FLORIDA TREND. These messages are designed to showcase the...

Readers.
January 1, 2003... SPRAWL Your recent article on the Harmony development in Osceola County ["Discord Over Harmony," November 2002, FloridaTrend.com] certainly hit home with me since I live in the result of an uncontrolled sprawl development. While one...

Executive lifestyles. (Recreation).(discussion of motorcycles, fox hunting, and a equestrian center in Florida)
January 1, 2003... THE WILD ONE On weekends, John Stafford sheds his suit and tie and takes to the highway on his $32,000 motorcycle. His ride? This lifelong Harley fan last year purchased an American IronHorse Outlaw. The customized chopper has a...

Timeshare trailblazer. (Trendsetters: Real Estate).(developer Deborah Linden discussed)
January 1, 2003... A ware that it may seem unseemly to boast in a slow economy, especially after Sept. 11, timeshare developer Deborah Linden lets seep a description of her company's 2002 with a twinge of apology. "I hate to say this," she says, but 2002 was "the...

Makeover man. (Trendsetters: Real Estate).(George Rahael profiled)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Places that attract George Rahael represent Florida sprawl stereotypes. One spot, ostensibly a city's main intersection, is no more than six lanes of asphalt separating a confluence of parking lots. Another site is a forgettable strip of tired...

Power broker. (Trendsetters: Real Estate).(Damien Madsen profiled)
January 1, 2003... Damien Madsen tells how in his first week as a 24-year-old rookie commercial broker he closed a lease deal and earned a $5,000 commission. "This is so easy," he thought. He didn't close another deal for 10 months. Madsen, 40, broke the...

Government. (Players).(Paul R. Corts resigns from Palm Beach Atlantic University)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Paul R. Corts has resigned as president of Palm Beach Atlantic University after more than 11 years to become U.S. Assistant Attorney General for Administration. Corts was appointed by U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft. The West Palm...

Healthcare. (Players).(Ira C. Clark resigns from Public Health Trust)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Ira C. Clark resigned as president of Public Health Trust, which governs Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami-Dade County, after 15 years at the helm. Board members had urged Clark, 65, to resign, saying they felt it was time for a change in...

Insurance. (Players).(Brown & Brown names promotes officer)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Daytona Beach and Tampa-based insurer Brown & Brown has promoted Jim W. Henderson to president and COO. Henderson, 56, was most recently executive vice president. He replaces. J. Hyatt Brown, who will remain CEO of the company his father...

Marketing. (Players).(new president of On The Ball Sports Marketing)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Adam Kustin has been named president of Weston-based On The Ball Sports Marketing. Kustin was most recently vice president of Boston-based Signal Integrity Software, a software and consulting firm. He replaces Steve Nudelberg, who was named...

Publishing. (Players).(Jan Spalding promoted at Harcourt School Publishers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Orlando-based Harcourt School Publishers, the elementary school publishing division of Harcourt Education, has promoted Jan Spalding to president and CEO. Spalding was most recently senior vice president of marketing for Harcourt Education. She...

Retail. (Players).(Jos. A. Bank Clothiers' Florida division gets new general manager)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... James E. Madden has been tapped as general manager of Hampstead, Md.-based Jos. A. Bank Clothiers' Florida division The retailer has four stores in Florida and plans to open 20 more here in the next two years. Madden was most recently president...

Business Telecom. (Players: Telecommunications).(comapny names new area vice president for Florida)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Raleigh, N.C.-based Business Telecom has named Jack Feingold area vice president for Florida. Feingold was most recently national vice president of network sales for Falls Church, Va.-based Velocita Corp., a long-distance provider. Business...

Paradyne Networks. (Players: Telecommunications).(company names new chairman)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Sean Belanger has been tapped as chairman of Largo-based Paradyne Networks, a broadband, data and video network provider. Belanger, president and CEO of Paradyne, replaces Thomas Epley, who will remain a board member.

A 'short' story: FPIC shares hit all-time lows in October, but short sellers didn't cash in.(FPIC Insurance Group)(Company Profile)
January 1, 2003... For the past two years, short sellers have been steadfastly betting against FPIC Insurance Group, Florida's biggest writer of medical malpractice coverage. About 37% of the company's 9.4 million shares are held by short sellers, investors who...

Single-member voting districts. (In the News: Key West).(referendum to be held on voting districts)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Residents decided in a non-binding vote to hold a referendum on scrapping single-member voting districts for city commissioners. Some civic leaders oppose the measure, claiming at-large commission seats would reduce minority representation....

Mandarin Oriental. (In the News: Miami).(hotel receives Five Diamond Award)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Only a year after opening, the Mandarin Oriental has become the first hotel in Miami-Dade since 1994 and one of only seven statewide and 130 nationwide to receive the American Automobile Association's Five Diamond Award status. The hotel's...

Ryder System. (In the News: Miami).(company to keep headquarters in Miami, Florida)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Ryder System (NYSE-R) has decided to keep its head-quarters in Miami, moving from the Doral area to a 230,000-sq.-ft. facility at the Beacon Station business park near the airport.

American Society of Travel Agents. (In the News: Miami Beach).(meeting planned)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The nation's largest travel agent group -- the American Society of Travel Agents -- will hold its 2003 October conference in Miami Beach. An estimated 5,000 travel agents are expected to attend.

Free Trade Area of the Americas. (In the News: Miami-Dade).(Miami-Dade mayor travels to Quito, Ecuador )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas led a delegation of business and government officials to Quito, Ecuador, in the fall to promote Miami as the permanent seat of the Free Trade Area of the Americas. Penelas pitched his plan to a gathering of...

Florida International University. (In the News: Miami-Dade).(university to expand art museum)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Florida International University has announced plans for an $11-million expansion to its art museum. The expanded museum will be named the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Art, honoring two of its principal backers. Phillip Frost is...

Fergo Universal Clothing. (In the News: Miami-Dade).(company to build facility)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Sportswear maker Fergo Universal Clothing will build a 15,000-sq.-ft. facility, creating 12 jobs.

Caterpillar. (In the News: Miami-Dade).(plans to expand office)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Heavy machinery manufacturer Caterpillar plans to expand its Miami-Dade office by about 10%, increasing local employment to more than 200.

Manpower Inc. (In the News: Miami-Dade).(employment outlook survey results)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Miami-area employers are among the state's most optimistic about job prospects this year, with more than one-third saying they are likely to expand their payroll base in the first three months of 2003. Only 8% of employers statewide expect to...

Beacon Council. (In the News: Miami-Dade).(retention and expansion of local business top priority)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... In a significant shift in focus, the Beacon Council has announced that retention and expansion of local business will be its top priority. Miami-Dade's public/private economic development agency traditionally has focused on recruiting...

Federal courthouse. (In the News: Miami-Dade).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Crews have begun work on a new $137-million, 14-story federal courthouse in downtown Miami.

Improvements on the way. (Transportation).(tax will fund improvements to public transit)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... MIAMI-DADE -- Three years after defeating a similar proposal, Miami-Dade voters have approved a half-cent sales tax to fund a massive upgrade to the county's public transportation system. The tax is expected to generate $150 million annually...

Transit comparison. (Transportation).(public transportation carries 82 million passengers annually)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Miami-Dade's main modes of public transportation -- from downtown's Metromover to the three-county Tri-Rail -- carry 82 million passengers annually around south Florida. Metrobus Metrorail Metromover Tri-Rail ...

Office Depot. (In the News: Boca Raton).(joins with Florida Atlantic University Small Business Development Center and U.S. Small Business Administration to conduct free business seminars)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The Florida Atlantic University Small Business Development Center, the U.S. Small Business Administration and Delray Beach-based retail giant Office Depot have joined to conduct free business seminars and business counseling at classrooms in...

Elections Miriam Oliphant's troubles. (In the News: Broward County).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Broward County Supervisor of Elections Miriam Oliphant's troubles continued to mount after a county audit found she mismanaged and overspent her budget, violated state accounting laws and engaged in an ethically questionable arrangement for an...

Building construction oversight board. (In the News: Broward County).(will have structural engineers review wind-resistance requirements)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Broward County's building construction oversight board will hire a team of structural engineers to review plans for nearly three dozen homes under construction to determine if increased wind-resistance requirements are being met. The move...

Lauderdale Beach Hotel. (In the News: Fort Lauderdale).(western portion to be demolished despite conservation efforts)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Historic preservationists rallied to save Fort Lauderdale's only major art deco building but will have to live with a compromise that allows the western portion of the 66-year-old Lauderdale Beach Hotel to be demolished and replaced with a...

Mandy Dawson. (In the News: Fort Lauderdale).(to undergo outpatient drug treatment as part of pretrial intervention program to avoid charges for altering a prescription for painkillers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Newly re-elected state Sen. Mandy Dawson will undergo outpatient drug treatment as part of a yearlong pretrial intervention program to avoid charges for allegedly altering a prescription for painkillers in October. Dawson, who used painkillers...

Save Our Shoreline. (In the News: Hollywood).(sues over planned condominium complex)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The non-profit environmental group Save Our Shoreline has sued to reverse the commission's decision to approve a 38-story, 250-unit condominium complex on Ocean Drive. City officials believe the luxury units will help to revitalize the...

Arts Park. (In the News: Hollywood).(city commissioners will allow construction of 22-story condominium and retail complex)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... City commissioners have tentatively agreed to allow construction of a 22-story condominium and retail complex as part of the planned Arts Park redevelopment project in downtown Young Circle.

Wyndcrest Holdings LLC. (In the News: Palm Beach Gardens).(makes offer to acquire Netro Corp.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Investment company Wyndcrest Holdings LLC has made a $158-million offer--$4.15 a share -- to acquire San Jose, Calif.-based Netro Corp., which makes equipment for high-speed wireless internet access.

The Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council. (In the News: Stuart).(proposals to change county's long-term growth plan to allow private wastewater plants are voted down)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council voted down two proposals to change the county's long-term growth plan to allow private wastewater plants outside the city's primary services district and a 397-home community in Palm City. Martin...

Palm Beach International Airport. (In the News: West Palm Beach).(county will buy private school campus near Palm Beach International Airport)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... County officials have agreed to purchase a private school campus in Palm Beach International Airport's flight path and allow the school to buy county-owned land slated to become part of a public sports complex and relocate there. The unusual...

Loss leader. (Employment).(Broward County, Florida loses jobs)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... BROWARD COUNTY -- Broward County lost more jobs than nay other metropolitan area in the state from October 2001 to October 2002, according to figures released by the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation. The agency's report shows 698,100...

A safe move. (Spending).(public safety spending in southeastern Florida counties)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Southeast Florida is home of two of the top five counties in spending on public safety. PER CAPITA MUNICIAPL GOVERNMENT PUBLIC SAFETY EXPENDITURES County Spending Martin $544.25 Marion 528.77 Collier ...

The Cura Group. (In the News: Bradenton).(has acquired Meridian Professional Employer Services from StaffAmerica)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Fort Lauderdale-based The Cura Group bought Meridian Professional Employer Services for an undisclosed sum from StaffAmerica, which was unable to obtain a workers' compensation policy necessary to remain in business in Florida.

IMC Phosphates. (In the News: Bradenton).(zoning request given preliminary approval by Manatee County officials)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Over the objection of nearby residents, Manatee County officials gave preliminary approval to a zoning request by IMC Phosphates, the world's largest producer of phosphate products, to expand onto 2,100 acres in East Manatee. Final approval is...

CGI Group. (In the News: Clearwater).(plans to close its 200-employee facility)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Information technology company CGI Group plans to close its 200-employee Clearwater facility by the end of the month.

Jack Wert. (In the News: Collier County).(hired as tourism manager for county-run tourism office)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... County commissioners hired a tourism manager to lead its new county-run tourism office. Jack Wert, who had been CEO of Seminole County's Visitor and Convention Bureau for more than a decade, started last month.

Crispers. (In the News: Lakeland).(plans new restaurants)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Lakeland-based Crispers is expanding. The soup, salad and sandwich chain, which has 13 restaurants statewide, is planning about nine new restaurants this year.

Bancshares of Florida. (In the News: Naples).(postpones plan to go public)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Citing unfavorable market conditions, Naples-based Bancshares of Florida has indefinitely postponed its plan to go public. The bank holding company had planned a Nov. 11 IPO.

Casto Southeast. (In the News: Sarasota).(is developing 500,000 sq ft shopping village)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Sarasota-based Casto Southeast is developing a 500,000-sq.-ft. mixed-used shopping village in Lakeland called Lakeside Village just north of the Polk Parkway. Lakeside will include 330 residential units, an 18-screen theater with stadium...

CityNet ONE. (In the News: St. Petersburg).(plans to unveil pilot program)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... CityNet ONE, a new telephone, cable and high-speed internet provider, plans to launch a pilot program in St. Petersburg in April. The company, a joint venture between Motorola and St. Petersburg-based InternetSupportSystems, plans to provide...

Xerox Corp. (In the News: St. Petersburg).(to close call center)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Struggling Xerox Corp. is closing its St. Petersburg call center this month. The TeleWeb center handled telephone and internet sales for Xerox equipment and supplies. The center's 100 employees will be offered jobs at other Xerox call centers...

ATA. (In the News: St. Petersburg).(new services)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... ATA will begin direct flights next month from St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport to Los Angeles and San Francisco and will fly direct to Las Vegas starting in March.

Citigroup. (In the News: Tampa).(plans to hire call center employees )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Citigroup plans to hire 500 to 700 call center employees in Tampa this year. The company already has about 1,700 employees at its Sabal Park facility. The move follows two years of substantial job losses at the Tampa unit, partly as a result of...

Tampa Bay Technology Forum. (In the News: Tampa).(new funding)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Tampa Bay Technology Forum, which sponsors networking events and educational presentations for tech executives, will receive up to $100,000 over the next year from the Tampa

Bay Partnership and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council. (In the News: Tampa).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Bay Partnership and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council. The forum, with 200 corporate members, was formed two years ago after tech executives felt they weren't being served by existing business groups. The partnership allows the two...

Tampa Convention Center. (In the News: Tampa).(facility expansion)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The Tampa Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau is seeking a consultant to study the possibility of expanding the Tampa Convention Center, sandwiched between the port and Lee Roy Selmon Expressway.

Horizon Bay Management. (In the News: Tampa).(headquarters relocation)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Horizon Bay Management, which owns and operates retirement housing communities in eight states, is moving its headquarters to Tampa from Chicago. The company is relocating about a dozen executives and plans to hire another two dozen.

Airport options. (Development).(Albert Whitted Airport conversion )
January 1, 2003... ST. PETERSBURG -- The City Council voted against a plan to convert Albert Whitted Airport, a civil aviation facility on the downtown waterfront, into a neighborhood with more than 40 acres of waterfront parks. The city is considering its...

Cost of living. (Expenses).(Illustration)
January 1, 2003... A comparison of five southwest Florida cities: City Index Home price Clearwater 96.3 $191,167 Tampa 97.8 197,600 Fort Myers 100.5 199,785 Bradenton 102.1 235,090 Sarasota 109.1 271,319...

Entertainment Film Works Inc. (In the News: Altamonte Springs).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Entertainment Film Works Inc. of Atlanta closed its second central Florida theater in less than a year. Altamonte 8 at the Renaissance Center shut down only days after AMC Entertainment broke ground on an 18-screen megaplex at Altamonte Mall....

NASA. (In the News: Cape Canaveral).(cancellation of project forces layoffs)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... NASA's canceled program to update its 1970s-era launch Computer systems has led to 140 job cuts at Lockheed Martin and 50 at United Space Alliance. Lockheed says 23 of the workers who faced job elimination were placed in new positions. The...

Royal Caribbean International. (In the News: Cape Canaveral).(plans to base new ship at Port Canaveral)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Royal Caribbean International (NYSE-RCL) plans to base its newest and biggest ship, the 3,114-passenger Mariner of the Seas, at Port Canaveral when construction is completed in November.

Brown & Brown. (In the News: Daytona Beach).(is being added to the Standard & Poor's Midcap 400 stock index)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Insurer Brown & Brown (NYSE-BRO) is being added to the Standard & Poor's Midcap 400 stock index. S&P chooses companies based on market size, liquidity and industry group representation.

Adventure Landing. (In the News: Daytona Beach).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The owners of Adventure Landing, once touted as a key for transforming the area into a family destination, closed the water park and arcade complex. Adventure Entertainment Corp. put its beachfront lease with the county up for sale for $5...

Tupperware Corp. (In the News: Kissimmee).(products will appear in Target stores throughout the US)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Tupperware Corp. (NYSE-TUP) and Target Stores have struck a deal that will put Tupperware in Target stores nationwide. The deal follows a test of Tupperware sales in 62 Super Target stores in 12 states.

Sprint. (In the News: Maitland).(hires 200 more people at Keller Road call center)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Sprint is adding 200 employees to its Keller Road call center as business for Sprint PCS continues to increase. After the new hires, the customer service center will have about 1,400 workers.

Harris Corp. (In the News: Melbourne).(will produce terminals for the military under $11 mil contract)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Harris Corp. (NYSE-HRS) won an $11-million contract to produce terminals for secure military transmissions. Harris has already done about $19 million worth of work on the project.

CNL Financial Group. (In the News: Orange County).(subsidiary will develop Legacy Park with Carter & Associates)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... CNL Financial Group subsidiary CNL Realty & Development has teamed up with Atlanta-based Carter & Associates to develop Legacy Park, a 46-acre tract in east Orange County. The park already has a 200,000-sq.-ft. operations center for First Union...

Ticketmaster. (In the News: Orange County).(will eliminate another 83 jobs)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Ticketmaster plans to lay off another 83 from its downtown customer service center. The company says rising internet sales -- which now account for about 40% of its business -- led to the 83 layoffs as well as 221 in May.

CuraScript Pharmacy. (In the News: Orange County).(will build 80,000 sq ft facility near Orlando International Airport)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... CuraScript Pharmacy plans to add 467 jobs and build an 80,000-sq.-ft. facility near Orlando International Airport if the city and state provide $1.89 million in financial incentives. The city has already approved its share of more than...

Omni Orlando Resort. (In the News: Osceola County).(construction of hotel has started)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Construction began in November on the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate, the largest hotel in the U.S. to break ground since Sept. 11. The $175-million hotel will have 732 rooms and is scheduled to open in 2004.

Bank of America building. (In the News: Winter Park).(renovation of building will cost $13.6 mil)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The six-story Bank of America building on Park Avenue will undergo a $13.6-million renovation. The project will add 10,000 square feet of retail space, 7,000 square feet of office space and 124 new spaces in the garage. Most noticeable,...

Turf tug. (High-Speed Rail).(Orange County officials and business leaders cannot agree on route of proposed high-speed rail system)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... ORANGE COUNTY -- Sparring over the route of the constitutionally mandated high-speed rail system has already begun. County officials and business leaders are at odds over whether the first leg, an Orlando-to-Tampa stretch, should run from the...

Home sweet home. (Housing).(in Orlando there were 5,108 single-family housing starts in third quarter of 2002)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Orlando recorded 5,108 single-family housing starts in the third quarter of 2002, up 4.9% from a year earlier. The top five communities in the Orlando market ranked by new-home starts are: NEW-HOME LEADERS Community County...

Suwannee American Cement Corp. (In the News: Bradford).(seeks partners for proposed plant)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Suwannee American Cement Corp. is looking for partners for its proposed plant. The company has talked to at least six investors who might help it compete in a market dominated by multinational corporations. The controversial plant has been...

Truck-racing track. (In the News: Columbia County).(Columbia County commissioners reject plans for truck-racing track)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Columbia County commissioners unanimously rejected plans for a proposed truck-racing track near U.S. 441 in White Springs. Gloria Gardner Davis' proposal to turn an 18-acre tract zoned for agriculture into the Florida/Georgia Dirt Drag was...

Flagler Development Co. (In the News: Jacksonville).(sells acreage near Titusville, Florida, to Willow Creek Development)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Flagler Development Co., the commercial real estate development subsidiary of Florida East Coast Industries, recently sold 1,334 acres near Titusville to Willow Creek Development for $6.9 million.

Cecil Commerce Center. (In the News: Jacksonville).(developers say project will create 16,000 jobs over next 20 years)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Developers of the planned Cecil Commerce Center at the former naval air station say their project will create 16,000 jobs and $857.5 million in private investment during the next 20 years, double previous estimates. TriLegacy Commerce Group is...

Winn-Dixie. (In the News: Jacksonville).(Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce shuts down branches inside Winn-Dixie grocery stores)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce closed branches it operated inside Jacksonville-based Winn-Dixie grocery stores (NYSE-WIN). The bank owned Marketplace Banks in 184 Winn-Dixie stores throughout Florida and will pay the grocery chain a...

Westside movie theater. (In the News: Jacksonville).(will be demolished to make way for a shopping center)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... A once-popular Westside movie theater will be torn down to make way for a 40,000-sq.-ft. shopping center. Developer Toney Sleiman purchased the 40-year-old St. Johns 8 Theaters on Roosevelt Boulevard from Jacksonville-based StarNet Cinemas for...

O.B. Island Homes. (In the News: Nassau County).(acquires land inside Oyster Bay Harbors subdivision)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... O.B. Island Homes of Fernandina Beach bought the remaining land inside the gated Oyster Bay Harbors subdivision. The company plans to build single-family homes, duplexes, town houses, a 102-slip marina and bridges connecting the islands to the...

Central Florida Community College. (In the News: Ocala).(is building an education, economic and workforce development hub )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Central Florida Community College is building an education, economic and workforce development hub called The Enterprise Center on its Ocala campus. The center will house offices of the Ocala/Marion County Economic Development Corp.,...

Ocala National Forest. (In the News: Jacksonville).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... A U.S. Forest Service report suggests that damage caused by off-road vehicles in the Ocala National Forest is more severe and widespread than expected. Though illegal, "mudding" has harmed many of the forest's prairie ponds and sandhill...

The Ponte Vedra Inn and Club. (In the News: Ponte Vedra Beach).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The Ponte Vedra Inn and Club recently earned the American Automobile Association's Five Diamond Award status. The 75-year-old resort, one of seven Five Diamond properties in Florida, is nearing completion of a $45-million renovation.

Downtown parking garage. (In the News: St. Augustine).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Shortly after choosing a contractor for a proposed downtown parking garage, the facility's future was thrown in doubt when the mayor who promoted the project was voted out of office. The city's new mayor, George Gardner, campaigned on an...

St. Augustine Outlet Mall. (In the News: St. Johns County).(is being sold to Chelsea Property Group)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The St. Augustine Outlet Mall is being sold to a New Jersey company that plans to improve the I-95 retail center. Chelsea Property Group is buying the mall and three other outlet centers owned by New Plan Excel Trust of New York for $193...