The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners on Oct. 6 is expected to approve Beck Architecture LLC as the design agency for the new Tampa Bay Innovation Center business incubator. Beck will work closely with Pinellas County Economic Development staff and Tonya Elmore, president and CEO of the Tampa Bay Innovation Center, on design and how that design interfaces with the programming in the building, said Mike Meidel, Pinellas County Economic Development director. The 45,000-square-foot incubator, funded in part through a $7.5 million federal grant, will be built at 11th Avenue South and 4th Street South in St. Petersburg.
The League of Women Voters of the St. Petersburg Area will hold its final Thursday Nights With The League virtual forum tonight (Thursday, Oct. 1) at 7 p.m. and will feature the two candidates for Pinellas County Tax Collector, incumbent Charles Thomas (R) and Joe Saportas (D) This forum will be moderated by Catalyst publisher Joe Hamilton. To watch live, visit the League of Women Voters Facebook page or YouTube channel.
MarineMax has acquired SkipperBud’s and its affiliate, Silver Seas Yachts. The purchase price was not disclosed, but MarineMax said in a news release that the deal was its largest acquisition to date. SkipperBud's is one of the largest sales, brokerage, service and marina/storage groups in the world, with $220 million in revenue in fiscal 2019. The deal significantly grows MarineMax's presence in the Great Lakes region and the west coast of the U.S. MarineMax will add 20 locations in Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, California, Washington and Florida. MarineMax also will nearly double its marina portfolio, adding 11 marina and storage facilities. MarineMax (NYSE: HZO) is a Clearwater-based recreational boat and yacht retailer and one of the largest companies headquartered in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area.
Bayfront Health St. Petersburg now is owned by Orlando Health. The hospital's former owner, Community Health Systems Inc. (NYSE: CYH), said it completed the sale of Bayfront to Orlando Health on Wednesday. Financial terms were not disclosed in a news release. Bayfront Health, with 480 licensed beds, is the largest hospital in St. Petersburg and was the largest hospital in Community Health's portfolio. Community Health still owns 11 hospitals in Florida, including six hospitals that retain the Bayfront name and are located in Brooksville, Crystal River, Spring Hill, Port Charlotte, Venice and Punta Gorda. Orlando Health, a nonprofit based in Orlando, last month named a new leadership team for Bayfront. Orlando Health wants to grow its presence along the Interstate 4 corridor and Bayfront plays a key role in that expansion, health system executives told prospective investors in a $515 million bond offering.
A state order putting residential evictions and foreclosures on hold expires on Oct. 1, but a federal order that provides eviction relief remains in effect until the end of the year. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently enacted a nationwide residential evictions order that provides federal eviction relief to persons who submit a valid declaration to their landlord regarding their inability to pay rent. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis let the state order he issued last month expire to avoid any confusion over whether the CDC’s eviction order should apply in a particular circumstance, a spokesman for the governor said. The CDC’s eviction order expires on Dec. 31, 2020, unless extended. The CDC order does not include foreclosure on a home mortgage. DeSantis also has extended by one month a separate order that allows local governments to hold public meetings online. Local government bodies should prepare to meet in person as required by Florida law beginning Nov. 1, the governor's spokesman said.
Parents with children attending Pinellas County Schools have until October 6 to make a change to their child's previously selected learning option by submitting a form available here. Those who want to switch to in-person learning will have the opportunity to do so, as will those who would prefer to transition to MyPCS Online. Requests will be reviewed and decisions will be made at the school level, though school officials encourage families to stay with their current option if it is working well for them. Students choosing to stick with their original plan do not have to submit the form.
Dress for Success Tampa Bay will host its largest annual fundraiser, "Celebrating Success" Thursday, Oct. 15 from 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. The event, which will be held virtually, will highlight the organization's achievements and will also include a silent auction and conversation with featured guest Patricia Nash, a handbag and accessory designer. Since its inception in 1998, Dress for Success Tampa Bay has provided interview attire for more than 25,000 women, along with job search assistance and training. To register, click here.
Dynasty Financial Partners has hired Joseph D’Agostino as head of strategic development. In the newly created role, D’Agostino will work across the organization to align Dynasty’s long-term strategy with that of its clients, a news release said. Dynasty, based in St. Petersburg, provides wealth management and technology platforms for independent financial advisory firms. D'Agostino also will help Dynasty’s clients innovate and develop additional resources they need to meet the growing needs of their clients and businesses, as well as help advance Dynasty’s Advisor-to-CEO
St. Petersburg’s Salvadore Dali Museum will open “Van Gogh Alive,” an immersive exhibition of the works of Vincent Van Gogh, Nov. 21. It includes more than 3,000 Van Gogh images at enormous scale, viewed through high-definition projectors and synchronized to a classical music score. Powered by an innovative sensory system developed by Grande Experiences of Melbourne, Australia, “Van Gogh Alive” makes is North American debut at the Dali. The installation, in the third floor Hough Family Wing, will be on view through April 11.
Goodwill Industries-Suncoast is one of six organizations that will share $2.9 million in federal funding to combat human trafficking in central Florida. The award is from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs and its Office of Victims of Crime. Goodwill Industries-Suncoast will receive $349,895, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida. Other organizations receiving funding include Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice ($500,000); Citrus Health Network ($499,995); United Way of Pasco County ($498,000); Latisha's Home Foundaton Florida ($350,000); and Living Above the Noise ($681,966). The awards will help the organizations rescue, recover and assisting victims of human trafficking, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez said in the news release.
The Covid-19 community testing site at the Mahaffey in St. Petersburg will close Friday in response to preparations for the Grand Prix. Pinellas County and partner agencies are working to shift the community testing operations to a new location, which will be announced once logistics are finalized, a news release said. The state-run antibody testing at the Mahaffey will also end with the site closure on Friday and will not be available at the new location. Since opening to the public on July 8, 26,858 Covid-19 tests have been conducted at the Mahaffey site. More than 3,500 antibody tests have been administered at the site since that testing became available on Aug. 18. For a list of other Pinellas County test sites, click here.
