From struggling mall to waterfront destination

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There’s a palpable change at Channelside Bay Plaza since Tampa Bay Lightning took over, the general manager of the Hooters restaurant there said.

“The vibe is coming back down there,” said Rob Fisher. “The important thing is the vibe is not only there on game days, but on off days when there isn’t anything going on at the arena.”

Fisher declined to share any numbers or percentages but said Hooters has “absolutely seen an increase in business and traffic” since Lightning Owner Jeff… …read more

Even if you’ve owned a home for years, you should care about Tampa Bay’s apartment boom

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A new study shows just how much Tampa Bay’s apartment boom has meant to the region’s economy — and the total impact goes beyond construction dollars and tax revenue.

In 2013, the most recent data available, apartment construction, operations and resident spending contributed $7.2 billion locally and supported more than 73,900 jobs in the Bay region, according to a study the National Multifamily Housing Council commissioned. The data is based on research by economist Stephen S. Fuller of George… …read more

One of her best business investments? A domain name bought for $75 that could now be worth $75K

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Two decades ago, the domain name t echnicaljobs.com cost Janet Miller $75.

Now that auspicious purchase could net her up to $75,000.

Selling her domain name is just one of the many steps Miller has to take now that she is closing her Baltimore-based recruitment firm, Computer Management Inc., after 30 years of connecting IT companies with new hires.

Business was drying up, Miller told the Baltimore Business Journal(a Bizwomen sister publication), as tech companies began using LinkedIn and other… …read more

Distance between jobs and homes growing in most metro areas

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Jobs are getting farther away from where people live, according to a new analysis of demographic and employment data by the Brookings Institution.

The number of jobs within the typical commute distance for residents of the nation’s 96 largest metro areas fell by 7 percent between 2000 and 2012, Brookings found. That’s not true for all metro areas — in 29 metro areas, including Raleigh, N.C., and Florida’s Space Coast, there were more jobs in 2012 within the typical commute distance.

Thirty… …read more

New homes sell at highest pace in seven years

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When the groundhog came out of his hole this year, he must have decided to buy a new home — sales of new single-family houses jumped to their highest level in seven years in February

New home sales hit a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 539,000 in February, according to the Census Bureau. That’s up from 500,000 in January, and is nearly 25 percent higher than February 2014’s rate.

The median sales price for new houses was $275,500 this February; the average sales price was $341,000. …read more

5 things to start the day: Kforce CEO’s compensation triples, and what would your walk-up music be at work?

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The total pay package for David Dunkel, chairman and CEO of Kforce Inc., nearly tripled in 2014, compared to the prior year, a proxy filed by Kforce(NASDAQ: KFRC) showed. Dunkel pulled in $6.8 million in total compensation last year, a 196 percent increase over $2.3 million in 2013. A big part of the increase came from $2 million in non-equity incentive plan compensation, or a bonus pegged to performance thresholds for revenue, earnings and individual accomplishments. He also received a separate… …read more

23-story tower on downtown Tampa’s Grant block to break ground this summer (renderings)

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The 23-story tower Atlanta-based Carter USA proposed last fall in downtown Tampa is moving forward, with plans to start construction in the summer.

Conor McNally, Carter chief development officer, said Friday that the group is “highly confident” in its plans, which include 360 apartments and 10,000 square feet of retail space. The site is referred to as the Grant block and is one block north of the historic Kress building on North Franklin Street.

“We’re happy to have gotten to a point where… …read more

Lincoln Property planning 400 apartments north of Straz Center in downtown Tampa

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A Dallas developer is planning a new apartment complex on the northern fringe of Tampa’s urban core.

Lincoln Property Co. is in talks with the city to build a 408-unit, five-story apartment building north of the David A. Straz Jr. Center for Performing Arts, on a surface parking lot adjacent to the Barrymore Hotel. The land is owned by New Jersey-based Denholtz Associates, according to county property records.

Named the Aspire, the complex would have six stories of parking with 866 spaces, according… …read more

‘Seven figures’ into Vinik’s reinvention of Channelside Bay Plaza, a new sense of energy and an increase in sales

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Tampa Bay Lightning Owner Jeff Vinik is “seven figures” into cosmetic upgrades of Channelside Bay Plaza — and within months of finalizing a long-term plan for the beleaguered waterfront mall.

Vinik won the ground lease to the property on Aug. 19 and tapped commercial real estate firm Franklin Street and Tampa developer Anthony Everett to take the lead on renovating the plaza. Franklin Street CEO Andrew Wright said the group is working with Alfonso Architects in Tampa on a design for the property… …read more

Dawn of a new city in downtown Tampa

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Downtown Tampa isn’t a thriving 24/7 neighborhood yet — but the numbers are trending that way.

Vacancies are down across every sector of commercial real estate in the city center, and prices are creeping up to the point that could justify new construction.

Residential development, urban renewal experts say, is the foundation of a thriving downtown. It creates a customer base for the retail and restaurants that make a neighborhood a destination, and a tax base to fund amenities like parks and… …read more