Cambria Hotels, an upscale brand franchised by Choice Hotels International (NYSE: CHH), has opened the Cambria Hotel St. Petersburg–Madeira Beach Marina. The five-story, 125-room hotel at 15015 Madeira Way features upscale amenities, onsite dining and indoor and outdoor meeting space, a news release said. The company also is participating in "Commitment to Clean," Choice Hotels' holistic approach to supplying franchisees and their employees with the tools they need to help Choice-branded hotels achieve superior levels of cleanliness and address health and safety concerns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The Cambria Hotel St. Petersburg–Madeira Beach Marina was developed by Madeira Hotel Investors, LLC. It's the third Cambria Hotel in Florida, with others in Fort Lauderdale and Miami.
Pinellas County has received more than $6.8 million in funding from the CARES Act funding to support county residents experiencing homelessness. The funding is to help the county prevent, prepare for and respond to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a news release from Rep. Charlie Crist, D-St. Petersburg. One of the most at-risk groups for transmission of coronavirus are people experiencing homelessness, Crist said. "Unfortunately the economic pain we are experiencing may lead to more people going without a home. These funds will help ensure more of our residents have a roof over their head and the medical support needed to limit the spread of COVID-19 within this vulnerable population," Crist said.
Air travelers are returning to St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport. The airport, known by its location identifier of PIE, had 78,506 passengers in May, as travel resumes after most flights were cancelled in April due to COVID-19. Although the May 2021 passenger count is down 61 percent from May 2020, it is a positive indicator compared to April 2020, when there was a 97 percent loss in passenger traffic, the airport said in a news release. Allegiant is the dominant airline at PIE. Sunwing Airlines Canadian service is seasonal and expected to resume in the fall. Sun Country charters to the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino plan to resume this summer.
Fisher Investments has opened a new full-service office in Tampa's Westshore business district. It is Fisher's first major East Coast facility and adds to existing major U.S. locations in Texas, Washington, and California. The new office will eventually accommodate 600 employees, a news release said. Fisher Investments, with $124 billion in assets, is one of the world's largest independent, fee-only investment advisers and serves over 74,000 clients globally. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said it was "a huge win" for the city and the new office "proves that Tampa's momentum for attracting major global operations hasn't slowed down."
Hospitality Ventures Management Group in Atlanta was awarded management of the Hilton St. Petersburg Carillon Park. The nine-story, 227-room hotel is one of the top meeting venues in St. Petersburg with nearly 16,000 square feet of meeting space. Heartland Hotel Corp. had managed the hotel since it opened in 2006 but said in a state filing that its management contract ended effective May 6. The Hilton Carillon is one of four hotels owned by Hobbs & Curry Family Limited Partnership that now are being managed by Hospitality Ventures, a privately owned hotel investment and management group that specializes in turning around and repositioning underperforming hotels, as well as maximizing the performance of stabilized hotels. "“As the industry enters the next phase towards recovery, owners want experienced operators with true differentiators that stand out. We have not only weathered previous downturns, but have actual case studies and proven results of turning around underperforming hotels and maximizing their bottom line profitability, through both the ramp up of revenue and the reduction of payroll and expenses,” Robert Cole, president and CEO of Hospitality Ventures, said in a news release.
U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist has asked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to create a detailed COVID-19 testing plan for residents and employees of nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Reports show that almost half of all coronavirus related deaths in Florida have been linked to elder care centers, according to a news release from Crist, a St. Petersburg Democrat. Crist cites the need to implement an efficient, effective, and continued widespread testing plan to protect the state’s vulnerable population as senior communities like those in Pinellas, which have had some of the highest death tolls in the state. Read the full letter here.
Publix Super Markets Inc. will donate $1 million to National Urban League affiliates across the Southeast United States. "At Publix, we reject racism and discrimination of any kind," said Todd Jones, CEO, in a letter to workers posted on the Lakeland-based grocery chain's website. He said he's been proud of Publix associates over the last few months, then added, "Today, it’s evident that our support and compassion are required on an even deeper level." Read the full letter here. Publix is among the largest employers in St. Petersburg.
PitchLyst, the Catalyst's hub for startups, entrepreneurs and the people that support them, is re-branding to Venture. The move aligns the structure of special sub-sections in the Catalyst to the format of Impact, our new content hub for nonprofits. Both Venture and Impact, listed in the news menu, feature a video interview series, a special feature function and exclusive content which serves the the startup and nonprofit communities.
There were 1,532 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Pinellas County as of Saturday morning, up 54 cases from a day earlier. On Friday, the county had the largest one-day increase in case numbers since the pandemic began, with an increase of 81 cases. A key benchmark, the rolling 14-day average of newly reported cases in Pinellas County, was 27.07 new cases per day, the highest it has been since April 1, according to the Tampa Bay Regional Partnership's COVID-19 dashboard. Public health officials say increased testing is likely to lead to an increase in the number of cases. Almost 50,500 people have been tested in Pinellas since the start of the pandemic, with the percentage of those testing positive at 3 percent as of Saturday. Positivity rates have been trending up for a few days, but public health officials say that percentage is within acceptable targets. Ninety-five Pinellas County residents have died as a result of COVID-19 since early March. See the number of total cases in your neighborhood on the St. Pete Catalyst's interactive map here.
Pinellas County wants to hear from individuals, businesses and local organizations to identify the most pressing community needs that can be met with the county’s portion of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act fund. The county received $170 million in CARES funds and is using the money to provide emergency financial relief to thousands of individuals and small business owners through the Pinellas CARES programs. The existing programs continue through June 30. The county plans a second phase of Pinellas CARES with the remaining funds and wants residents to provide their priorities. Take the survey here and register for an online Zoom conversation about Pinellas CARES at 5 p.m. Friday, June 12 here. The survey will remain open through Sunday, June 14, at 11:59 p.m.
"Dance in the Time of Coronavirius: Reverberations," the public dance piece by choreographer Andee Scott featured in the June 2 episode of The Catalyst Sessions, has been moved from today to Saturday, June 13. The work will be performed, by 35 dancers, on 1st Avenue South between 27th and 23rd Streets, from 11 a.m. until noon.
As Phase Two reopenings begin in Florida, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) announced the return of the Downtown St. Petersburg Looper service starting Friday. Service will begin at 7:00am Monday - Friday and 8:00am on weekends. Service ends each night at 10:00pm. The Downtown Looper service was suspended March 30, due COVID-19 and lack of ridership brought on by business and hotel closures as the result of mitigation efforts. PSTA is also announced that multiple bus routes would return beginning June 7. Routes will be returning to regular service levels include: 4, 18, 19, 34, CAT (36), 59, 60, SBT (555), 52/52LX.
