Treasure Island officials plan to reopen Sunset Beach Saturday, Oct. 28, after a $6 million emergency sand dune restoration project. Pinellas County’s Publics Works Department launched the project after Hurricane Idalia’s storm surge decimated the protective natural barriers. City and county officials have installed signs reminding people to stay off the dunes and walk on designated pathways.
Ohio-based COhatch, which purchased the former Harlan Hotel building at 15 8th St. N. in 2021 for $2.25 million, has readapted the four-story structure into private offices, co-working spaces and meeting rooms with 24-7 access. Tampa-based coffee company King State will open a storefront in the building.
The University of South Florida, ranked 15th among public universities for generating new patents, has seen a 25% increase in the number of new inventions and technologies formally disclosed by researchers since 2019. In 2022, the USF Tech Transfer Office launched a new inventor portal that streamlines the patent disclosure process. Officials have received 228 through 2023.
Cygnus Home Services LLC, which does business as Yelloh, is cutting local workers as it exits the state. The food delivery company, formerly known as Schwan's Home Delivery, is closing its Florida facilities as it prepares to cease all operations in Florida effective Dec. 15. Yelloh will be cutting five workers in Clearwater and seven in Lakeland, according to notices sent to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
St. Peterburg-based Financial Corp. raised $3.8 million in a preferred stock offering led by the bank’s executives and board members. According to documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, proceeds from the sale will cover operating expenses and provide capital to support growth. BayFirst issued about 3,800 shares of Series C convertible preferred stock to 20 investors at $1,000 per share between Sept. 30 and Oct. 18.
While rent prices remain well above pre-pandemic levels, a Realtor.com report found Tampa Bay tenants paid 4% less last month than they did in September 2022. However, the median monthly payment for a one or two-bedroom home was still $1,720. The national average decreased by .7% year-over-year, to $1,747, but remains 24% higher than September 2019.
Airline Breeze Airways will be adding a new service to Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi, from Tampa starting Jan. 12. Introductory one-way fares on the new nonstop flight start at $29, according to the airline's announcement. Breeze first started offering flights from Tampa in 2021.
Publix Super Markets Inc. plans to redevelop its freestanding Publix store at 3900 66th St. N. in St. Petersburg. Orlando-based developer WindCrest Development Group and Tampa-based Campo Engineering Inc. filed a stormwater application for the demolition of the existing 55,057-square-foot Publix Supermarket and the construction of a new 55,454-square-foot Publix. The supermarket at the 6.25-acre site was constructed in 1976, according to the Pinellas County Property Appraiser's website. The Lakeland-based grocer is known for redeveloping its older supermarkets and plazas.
The 7th annual Skyway 10K will take place Sunday morning, March 7, 2024. Registration begins Monday, Oct. 30 on the event website. Although a lottery system has been used in recent years to determine the 8,000 runners, for 2024 registration will be first-come, first served. The run/walk over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge (from south to north) is approximately 6.1 miles. Proceeds benefit the Armed Forces Families Foundation.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) is hosting a Nov. 4 Discovery Day event for children aged 8 to 13 at its Administration Building. Education stations include a “hands-on crime scene investigation experience,” a modified physical abilities test, a Targeted Response Against Distracted Driving course and PCSO vehicle displays. For more information and to register, visit the website here.
Tampa-based door manufacturer Masonite International Corp. has acquired California-based Fleetwood Aluminum Products in a $285 million all-cash transaction. Fleetwood designs and manufactures premium, aluminum-framed glass door and window solutions for luxury homes. The company operates a 200,000-square-foot manufacturing facility with roughly 350 total employees. Masonite plans to operate Fleetwood as an independent business unit within its North American Residential business segment, according to an Oct. 19 announcement.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies 2023 season ended Oct. 21 at Al Lang Stadium with a 3-0 loss to the Birmingham Legion FC in the United Soccer League’s (USL) Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Saturday night marked the first time the Rowdies have failed to reach the second round of the playoffs since 2019. The team overcame myriad injuries and a mid-season coaching change to finish second in the conference.
