Channel district’s newest apartments to break ground (Renderings)

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The Channel district’s newest residential development is under way.

The real estate development arm of Florida Crystals and the city of Tampa plan to officially mark the groundbreaking of a 300-unit, eight-story apartment building on the former Amazon Hose and Rubber site on Wednesday.

The warehouse was demolished months ago, and site work is under way for the new apartments at the intersection of Kennedy Boulevard and North 12th Street. The development will include a six-story parking garage and… …read more

For JE Dunn VP, Tampa office a homecoming

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JE Dunn Construction is coming back to Florida — and Jake Nellis is coming home.

Nellis, a vice president with JE Dunn, is a Tampa native who’s moved back to the city to helm the company’s Florida office.

When the real estate market collapsed, JE Dunn closed its Florida office in 2008. But after winning major contracts with Brandon Regional Medical Center and BayCare Health System, the company sees enough potential growth in the Sunshine State to open another office here — and Tampa is… …read more

New List for 2015: Custom homebuilders

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The Tampa Bay Business Journal is surveying for its Lists of homebuilders and custom homebuilders. This is a new approach from prior years where we published just a single Homebuilders List.

The Lists are open to any companies that are building new homes in the Tampa Bay area, which includes Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Sarasota counties.

The initial survey links were sent out via email on Aug. 13. Anyone who did not receive a survey link or received the wrong one… …read more

Port’s ambitious Channel district real estate plan includes retail, residential and commercial

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The expanse of pavement that lines Channelside Drive could some day be home to a glitzy mix of residential towers and retail and commercial space — a total of 9 million square feet of space and $1.5 billion in development costs.

Port Tampa Bay on Thursday unveiled a “vision plan” for its Channel district real estate that would redevelop 45 acres of port-owned land along Channelside Drive and the Ybor Channel, north of the Florida Aquarium. It will be divided into four districts: the cruise… …read more

Kriseman: Thanks, Glenn Beck, for labeling St. Pete among ‘least religious’ cities in U.S.

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St. Petersburg on Tuesday was labeled one of the ” least religious cities” in the U.S. by conservative radio commentator Glenn Beck — a distinction that thrilled Mayor Rick Kriseman.

“Woke up, sun shining, & @glennbeck lumping #StPete in w/ Portland-San Fran-Seattle-Denver-Phoenix as cities to avoid. An honor! #ThanksGlenn,” Kriseman, a Democrat, tweeted.

Beck certainly didn’t mean the label as an honor.

“This is the list of the top 15 least religious cities in America,” Glenn said. “These… …read more

In Tampa Bay, you’re better off buying a house near Trader Joe’s versus Whole Foods

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In Tampa Bay, cookie butter, cheap wine and edamame hummus are better for your home value than organic produce and ethically raised meat.

That’s according to data from RealtyTrac, which shows that home values in the same Tampa Bay ZIP code as a Trader Joe’s are on the rise in Tampa and St. Petersburg.

Of course, there are many variables to home values and how much the property has appreciated in the time since it was purchased. Trader Joe’s most recent Bay region locations are in two in-demand… …read more

Port Tampa Bay to unveil plan for Channel district property

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Port Tampa Bay will unveil its plans for its real estate holdings in downtown Tampa’s Channel district on Thursday morning.

The port said Tuesday that it would “provide an overview of the proposal and distribute renderings” of the plan. Its real estate in the Channel district includes the ground beneath Channelside Bay Plaza and the 5.65-acre parking lot immediately west of the plaza. It also includes the expanses of pavement on the eastern side of Channelside Drive — cruise terminal 3, which… …read more

Walter Investment 2Q loss swells on tax expense, goodwill charge

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Walter Investment Management Corp. piled on the red ink in the second quarter of 2015.

Walter (NYSE: WAC), a Tampa-based mortgage firm, posted a net loss of $38.1 million, or $1.01 a share, for the three months ended June 30, compared to a net loss of $12.9 million, or 34 cents a share,in the same period a year ago.

Revenue for 2Q 2015 was $412.4 million, relatively flat compared to the same period in 2014.

A key reason for the larger loss appears to be a $23 million income tax expense in 2Q.… …read more

Grand jury says St. Pete man cheated banks in Carrollwood condo project

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A St. Petersburg salesman is at least the sixth person to face federal charges in connection with a condo conversion project that floundered as the real estate bubble burst.

A federal grand jury indicated Gary Blankenship on charges of conspiracy, wire fraud and bank fraud for his role in efforts to convert The Arbors in Carrollwood from rental apartments to condos in 2008.

Blankenship, who was a sales consultant at DMB Real Estate Group, marketed and sold condo units at The Arbors to buyers as… …read more

Economists optimistic about Tampa Bay jobs, tourism, housing

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Two separate economic reports offer encouraging news for the Tampa Bay area.

Job growth has reignited, regional tourism is gaining strength and housing demand is on the rise, according to a Tampa Bay market outlook from PNC Financial Services Group.

Still, there’s a wage gap, with per capita income in the Tampa metro area about 7 percent lower than the U.S.’s per capita income, PNC cautioned.

Separately, a dip in small business confidence nationwide likely isn’t true in Florida and in Tampa… …read more