Breaking the cycle of poverty with every set of keys
Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco Counties has hit another milestone. On Friday, the organization celebrated its 800th home dedication ceremony, in St. Petersburg. It’s a meaningful one for Habitat’s chief executive officer, Mike Sutton, who has been with the organization since 2014. His first home dedication was no. 280. “Every one of
Economic Development 2023: The business of tourism
In 2022, Hillsborough County tourist development tax numbers (also known as the “bed tax,” which is a fee collected by the county for each night someone rents a hotel room) broke records as November totaled $5.76 million, a 46.2% increase over the previous November. This was the best in the county’s history, according to the
Economic development organizations share 2022 wins, goals for 2023
To get a snapshot of what is happening in the Tampa Bay region, Tampa Bay Business & Wealth reached out to as many relevant economic development organizations as possible to ask them about wins, challenges and things that are exciting them in 2023. This is the second installment of “TBBW checks in with the EDCs.”
Tampa International Airport shares update on new airside terminal, expects 35 million passengers by 2037
Tampa International Airport shared an update on its plan to build its first new airside terminal in 20 years, at a public meeting, at the Museum of the American Arts & Crafts Movement, in St. Petersburg. The meeting was a part of Tampa International Airport’s 2022 Master Plan Update, a process prescribed by the Federal
EDCs are changing and collaborating
This is an ongoing special section. Part 1 of the series includes three perspectives from different Tampa Bay area economic development organizations. More to follow. To get a snapshot of what is happening in the Tampa Bay region, Tampa Bay Business and Wealth is reaching out to as many economic development organizations as we can
The Cordova Inn is set to begin demolition to make way for expansion (RENDERINGS)
The Cordova Inn will begin demolition on the adjacent Stanton Apartments and Stanton Hotel in the coming weeks, which will make way for an additional 63 rooms at the boutique hotel in downtown St. Petersburg. Once complete the hotel will have 95 rooms and will total 53,700 square feet. The expanded hotel, which was designed
The Kings of the Ports
It’s a sunny morning in downtown Tampa. The weather has begun to shift from the oppressive heat the Tampa Bay area experiences most of the year to a breezy, humid-free atmosphere. The leaders of two of the biggest economic drivers in the community are strolling along the riverfront, coffees in hand. There are plenty of
Compressed natural gas provides a resilient alternative
By Briana DeRosa, Clean Cities University Workforce Development Intern, Tampa Bay Clean Cities Coalition Compressed natural gas provides light, medium and heavy-duty vehicles with about the same fuel economy as a conventional gasoline vehicle, while producing 10 times fewer emissions. When stored, CNG is compressed to less than 1 percent of its volume. It is
Developing ‘workforce ecosystems’ to help deal with a worker shortage
We spoke with CareerSource Tampa Bay’s (CSTB) Chief Impact Officer, Michelle Zieziula, to discuss ‘workforce ecosystems’ to deal with a shortage of available workers. CSTB focuses on bringing workers and employers together through education, training and partnerships. Michelle Zieziula has 32 years of experience serving private, education and public sectors through manufacturing, university, economic and
Tampa ranks in top 30 nationwide for solar energy capacity
By Sara Zipf The city of Tampa ranks no. 29 out of 70 major cities in the United States for solar energy capacity, a recent report by the Environment Florida Research & Policy Center reveals. At no. 19, Jacksonville is the highest listed Florida city, while Orlando comes in at no. 32, and Miami no.
Clearwater is moving forward as a greener, and cleaner, city
By Sheridan Boyle, sustainability coordinator, City of Clearwater Sustainability means different things to different people. Some people might think of recycling and others might think of solar panels or growing organic food. The United Nations defined the word sustainability in 1987 as the ability to “meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability
CareerSource: Where talent meets opportunity
By John Flanagan, CEO of CareerSource of Tampa Bay Everywhere you look, there are signs that the Tampa Bay market is having a major moment with national attention focused on us. Our sports teams are bringing home trophies, the real estate market is inundated with people from all over the country wanting to move here,