Connect with us

Tampa Bay Lightning to sell minority stake at $1.4B valuation

Arctos Sports Partners, a Dallas-based private equity firm that invests in shares of sports franchises, is in the process of buying a minority ownership stake in the Tampa Bay Lightning in a transaction valuing the team at $1.4 billion, according to a report from Sportico. Arctos is an existing minority investor. Arctos will need a waiver from the National Hockey League to proceed with the purchase. 

City selects 56 businesses for South St. Pete microfund program

After St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch recently announced the rollout of the South St. Petersburg CRA (Community Redevelopment Area) Microfund program to create new accessible funding pot for business owners, the city has selected 56 businesses for the program. Over the next few months, business owners will work to develop a personalized capacity-building plan, a business and spending plan, and complete several surveys and a final report. Upon completion of the program, each cohort participant will be eligible to receive up to $10,000 to be used at their discretion based on their planning with their Greenhouse Navigator, according to the city's Thursday announcement. 

Health Department offers free student services

School-based popup clinics will provide physicals, immunizations, vision screenings and basic dental services for children starting Monday, June 19. The free program requires an appointment, a parent or guardian present and immunization and medical records. Call (727) 824-6900 to make an appointment and select option 4.

Hillsborough County Schools superintendent resigns

Addison Davis, Hillsborough County Public Schools superintendent, has announced his resignation after 39 months on the job. Pinellas, Manatee and Sarasota Counties school districts have also changed superintendents over the past year. Davis will step down July 14 and said, “It is with a conflicted heart that I have elected to resign from my position,” and “I have been blessed and honored to lead the seventh-largest school district in the nation.”

Autonomous vehicle testing hub opens

SunTrax, a Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise project that will be the only high-speed autonomous vehicle (AV) testing facility in the southeastern United States, has opened in Lakeland. The 475-acre SunTrax facility and track can test vehicles in numerous scenarios, from stopping for pedestrians to navigating through storms. The Phase 1 construction started in 2017 and entailed building the 2.25-mile oval test track, which has been operational since June 2019. The infield, which simulates the different environments, was part of the second phase of SunTrax. 

Cafe operator signs lease for ARK Innovation Center

Point Chaud Coffee & Crepes has signed a lease for space inside the ARK Innovation Center, which is currently under construction at 1101 4th St. S. in St. Petersburg, according to a Thursday announcement from the Tampa Bay Innovation Center. Since its inception in 2005, Point Chaud has expanded to several locations in Washington D.C. and Maryland. St. Petersburg will be its first Florida storefront. The new cafe, which provides catering for events, will open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day. In addition to its coffee and crepes, it will serve salads, paninis, quiches, gelato and offer gluten-free and vegetarian options. 

City officials host SunRunner community meetings

The City of St. Petersburg will host two public design charettes to gather community input regarding Transit Oriented Development (TDO) near and around SunRunner stations. The meetings are June 21 and June 28 at the St. Petersburg College Midtown Campus and will focus on potential density, height, design and “transit-supportive uses” around 32nd and 22nd Street stations. For more information, visit the website here.

Breeze Airways launches Tampa-to-Raleigh service

Utah-based airline Breeze Airways is launching a new service this fall to Raleigh-Durham from Tampa, according to a Wednesday announcement. The flight service at the Tampa International Airport will kick off Sept. 7 and will be available on Thursdays, Sundays and Tuesdays. The fares will start at $39 for one-way tickets. 

Bucs’ creamsicle uniforms make a return

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' original creamsicle and white uniforms are back for the first time since 2012. The Bucs will don the throwback jerseys Oct. 15 for a home game against the Detroit Lions. An NFL rule change that allows teams to wear multiple helmet designs enabled the return of the orange-toned Bucco Bruce logo.

Dynasty CEO named Florida’s Entrepreneur of The Year

Dynasty Financial Partners CEO Shirl Penney has been named Florida's Entrepreneur of the Year, according to Ernst & Young's Tuesday announcement. The St. Pete CEO was selected by an independent judging panel of previous winners, business executives, investors and others who evaluated Penney based on his entrepreneurial spirit and core contributions. Penney is now eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur of The Year 2023 National Awards. 

Steven Meier named CareerSource Pinellas CEO

Steven Meier, interim CEO of CareerSource Pinellas since February 2022, has been named permanent CEO. The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to appoint Meier, previously the chief financial officer at the county’s workforce development agency. “Leading CareerSource Pinellas over the past year has been a privilege and I appreciate the county commission’s vote of confidence today," Meier said in a prepared statement.

USF’s $340 million stadium plan gets final approval

The University of South Florida’s Board of Trustees authorized a $340 million budget, including $200 million in debt, to build a long-awaited on-campus stadium. The 35,000-seat facility should open in time for the 2026 football season. School officials do not expect the Populous and Barton Marlow design-build team to present a guaranteed maximum price until next year. The board can terminate its contract without penalty until that point.

The St. Pete Catalyst

The Catalyst honors its name by aggregating & curating the sparks that propel the St Pete engine.  It is a modern news platform, powered by community sourced content and augmented with directed coverage.  Bring your news, your perspective and your spark to the St Pete Catalyst and take your seat at the table.

Email us: spark@stpetecatalyst.com

Subscribe for Free