⊲ Voila-Merci French Bakery and Bistro opened in a 2,680-square-foot space, at 19525 Gulf Blvd., Indian Shores, with a menu of authentic French pastries, cakes, croissants and more.
⊲Intrepid Powerboats, in Largo, has named Terry McNew as its new president, the company announced Tuesday.
⊲Raymond James, the St. Petersburg-based financial services firm, has launched its inaugural Ready for School program, a philanthropic initiative committing more than $7.5 million, over three years, to support local students and educational nonprofits, with $2.5 million distributed annually, to 11 organizations in the Tampa Bay area.
⊲ The Opal Collection opened Opal Sol, in Clearwater Beach, a new luxury hotel with gulf-view suites, three pools and seven restaurants, including Lolita’s Coastal Cocina and Toast, a signature breakfast restaurant.
⊲The Central Park Plaza retail center at 1350 Missouri Ave. N., in Largo, home to tenants such as Family Dollar, NAPA Auto and Truck Parts, AMA Medical Group, and more, has sold for $5.6 million to Central Park Largo, a buying entity linked to New York-based Fortune Commercial Management, which secured a $3.713 million loan from Southstate Bank.
⊲The 18-key Beach Haven Villas hotel, at 4980 Gulf Blvd. in St. Pete Beach, has been sold for $6.24 million to Kevin Bowden, a local hotelier who owns the Miramar Resort on St. Pete Beach and the Cambria Hotel on Madeira Beach, with financing provided by a $4.65 million mortgage from St. Pete-based Directed Capital.
⊲ Pacific Counter has opened its second St. Petersburg location at 210 37th Ave. N., in the Northeast Shopping Center, a space previously occupied by Island Fin Poké Company.
⊲A new SunRunner station opened on First Avenue North, in downtown St. Petersburg, expanding the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority’s service to provide access to the St. Pete Pier, Beach Drive, the Cross Bay Ferry and waterfront businesses.
⊲A redevelopment site, at 125 5th St. S., located one block from Central Avenue in downtown St. Petersburg and across from the soon-to-be-completed 46-story Residences at 400 Central, has hit the market for an unlisted price.
⊲St. Petersburg College has been ranked No. 1 in the Tampa Bay area for online bachelor’s degree programs by U.S. News & World Report, earning top spots for Best Online Bachelor’s Program and Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans, while also ranking 78th nationally for online bachelor’s programs and among the top 50 for veterans, among public institutions.
⊲ Shumaker announced its role in helping St. Petersburg-based cybersecurity and compliance firm 360 Advanced secure a significant minority growth investment from private equity firm Bregal Sagemount, with a legal team led by Partner Will Blair facilitating the deal to support 360 Advanced’s growth and bolster Tampa Bay’s reputation as a cybersecurity hub.
⊲Ryan Beck established NextEra Claim Solutions, a claim administration company headquartered in Clearwater, specializing in serving catastrophe-prone markets across the United States.
⊲ BayCare, a Clearwater-based health care system, named Marc Hallee as its new vice president of Total Rewards.
