By: Kyle Kennedy
Life in Polk County got cheaper in 2006...relatively speaking. A recently released report from the
University of Florida says so, ranking Polk's cost of living 35th out of the state's 67 counties, a
decrease from the previous year. The 2006 Florida County Retail Price Index ranks Monroe as the state's most expensive county, at
No. 1, while No. 67 Washington is the cheapest. Polk's new rating was...
Vacancy rates among the lowest in the nation are expected to keep the market for industrial real
estate humming along in the Tampa Bay area in 2008, despite the country's economic uncertainty.
Fundamentals in the industrial market "are still at record strength," said Ross Kirk, principal in CLW Industrial Group in Tampa. "Occupancy levels are the best I've seen in my entire career in Florida," said Kirk, who has been active in the market for more than two decades...
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By: Lorrie Delk Walker
The common thread that linked Polk County's major health care providers in 2007
was growth.
Whether it was constructing new buildings, expanding and renovating existing ones or adding new
services, Polk's health care providers addressed the need to provide more for a growing population.
Here is a roundup of Polk's major health care facilities and their key accomplishments in 2007....
No one envies a Florida home builder at times like these, when economic uncertainty, reluctant buyers and high unsold homes inventories still cloud the horizon. But how are commercial developers faring? Not too bad, both in Polk County and around the state. Local construction activity has shown modest gains over the past three years, and Polk can still boast a wealth of retail, office and industrial projects in its pipeline...
Ask internet marketing experts about the key to maintaining a successful marketing campaign online and they will utter this common phrase: context is king. One way for businesses to build that content and keep it fresh is to implement a blog into company Web sites. A blog is a frequent, chronological publication of personal thoughts and Web links, according to www.marketingterms.com. Although blogs - also referred to as Web logs or weblogs...
The headquarters and classroom facilities for Polk Community College's Corporate College have moved from the PCC/University of South Florida joint campus in Lakeland to the Airside Center, 3515 Aviation Way, Lakeland. PCC signed a long-term lease with the city of Lakeland to use 25,000 square feet at Airside Center...
By: Carl Cronan
Arkanas used to have "Land of Opportunity" as its state slogan. Now Polk County might want to consider claiming it. As suitable sites from either side of Florida's most-central county -- and one of the state's
largest -- become scarce, national developers are taking a closer look within Polk for places to
build major projects.
Thousands of acres are identified by the Central Florida...
By: Kevin Bouffard
Now a six-lane ribbon of concrete running about 35 miles through northern Polk County, Interstate 4 has helped build the county's current economy based on warehousing/distribution and tourism. Those economic factors drew large regional and national banking powers to Polk...
By: Bill Rufty
A Polk is the only county with a University of South Florida campus that does not have a resident on the university's board of trustees. After 19 years at its joint campus with Polk Community College off Winter Lake Road in Lakeland, the university is getting ready to build a new campus at Polk Parkway and Interstate 4 that USF officials envision having an eventual student body of 15,000...
By: Diane Lacey Allen
A flavor technology company is considering a $150 million expansion of its plant near Lakeland Linder Regional Airport. City commissioners were briefed Friday on the possibility that Firmenich, which is headquartered in Switzerland, would bring an additional 240 jobs with an average salary of $47,681...
By: Kyle Kennedy
A flavor technology company is considering a $150 million expansion of its plant near Lakeland Linder Regional Airport. City commissioners were briefed Friday on the possibility that Firmenich, which is headquartered in Switzerland, would bring an additional 240 jobs with an average salary of $47,681...
By: Kyle Kennedy
Y Lakeland isn't a question, it's a Lakeland Economic Development Council initiative to engage high school and college students and young professionals in the city. Oh, and now it's also a blog.Posting recently began at www.blog.ylakeland.com, and while it's still in the early stages, author Cat Carter says she plans to have regular updates on a variety of topics...
By: Kevin Bouffard
A Clearwater-based investment company more than doubled its retail holdings in Polk County with Tuesday's purchase of the Town Center in Lakeland for $32 million. National Properties Trust Inc. has purchased the 304,000-square-foot shopping center - known by its...
(June 8, 2007)
- Roll out the red carpet and let the celebrations begin! Polk County sent a 35-member team to Anaheim, Calif., to make an extraordinary presentation depicting the three grassroots programs highlighted in the application, host and inter-active trade show exhibit and answer questions about the community and the programs...
By: Kyle Kennedy
LAKELAND -- She has a disarming smile, dresses business casual and works in a cramped, homey office that could be mistaken for a living room. You wonder if this is the right Lisa Kaiser Hickey, head of a $4 million screen printing firm and newly installed president of an 8,000...
By: Jeremy Maready
Burton-Katzman is bringing Lakeland its first professional business park. The Michigan-based development company announced its plans during Wednesday's annual breakfast for the Lakeland Econonmic Development Council. The meeting, held at Florida Southern College, was attended by about 300 community and business leaders...
By: Bill Rufty
The most important issue for the Polk County legislative delegation this year . No, let's restate that: THE most important bill for the delegation this year is money to get the new USF Lakeland campus built and opened by 2010. This year in the Legislature is crucial because funding for both buildings and the improved road system has to be approved soon to begin construction with a fall, 2010, opening date. Sen. J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales, has $10 million in the Senate budget for the first year of construction and is vowing to try to raise it to $15 million in conference committee this week...
By: Grace Sinclair
LAKELAND -- Forty years after Ralph Rust started a printing business on his back porch in Lakeland, business is growing and profiting for Crown Printing Inc. In 1967, Rust had returned from the U.S. Navy, where he learned the printing business. He brought those skills home and after it outgrew the back porch, he moved the company to its own facility on Gary Road...
By: Grace Sinclair
LAKELAND -- When you are at the checkout counter of your local supermarket you may not think too much about the belt that your milk, bread, and bananas are being placed on. But for 35 years now, that belt and other rubber items have meant business for Harry Robb Jr. and Buzz Hooper...
LAKELAND --The University of South Florida Lakeland is one step closer to starting construction on its future home in east Lakeland. The USF Board of Trustees on Wednesday unanimously approved the school's master plan, giving the university the go-ahead to implement its ambitious plan for growth, said USF President Judy Genshaft. The USF Board of Trustees last approved the master plan's concept in September 2005. Since then, the details of the Lakeland campus have been worked out as well as funding secured...
The board of trustees at the University of South Florida has approved the master plan for a second Lakeland campus to be located on Interstate 4 at the northeast corner of Lakeland, along the Polk Parkway. The land for the 500-acre, 1 million-square-foot campus was secured in 2005 from Williams Acquisition Holding Co. The approval came after a second and final public hearing in Lakeland on Wednesday. Adding another campus in Lakeland is part of the university's growth plan, Judy Genshaft, USF president, said in a release. USF currently shares a site with Polk Community College. Next for the project will be negotiation of a campus development...
By: Jeremy Maready
LAKELAND -- Let the bragging begin. Polk Works and United Way of Central Florida recognized Polk County's best places to work Thursday during the 2006 Success Rally at The Lakeland Center. The breakfast event, attended by an estimated crowd of 360, recognized companies that are innovative in the areas of motivating...
By: Jeremy Maready
LAKELAND -- Heritage Plaza in downtown Lakeland has been sold to Lakeland-based Odyssey (III) DP II LLC for $7 million. The deal on the three-story, 38,000 square-foot brick building on Lemon Street closed three weeks ago, said Ron Clark, a Lakeland lawyer who represented Odyssey in the purchase. That breaks down to about $184 per square foot, a fair price for that type of building...
By: Jeremy Maready
LAKELAND -- It comes as no surprise that a city like Los Angeles ranks first in the country for absorption and vacancy rate for industrial and warehouse space. The surprise is that Lakeland came in second. The recent report is from Cushman & Wakefield, a worldwide real estate firm...
By: Jeremy Maready
LAKELAND -- Sweat Monkey is officially swinging through cyberspace. The site www.sweatmonkey.com was created by students for students 13 to 21 years old as a one-stop shop for volunteer and full-time jobs. At Thursday's information and introduction session to about 150 community leaders, educators and parents,Callahan Fore, a 16-year-old Lakeland resident, presented his...
By: Kyle Kennedy
LAKELAND -- A Houston-based real estate investment trust has acquired a piece of Lakeland Interstate Business Park for $10.4 million. Weingarten Investors last week finalized its purchase of of a 168,400-square-foot distribution facility at the business park, according to a press release. The building, at 2125 Interstate Drive, houses Acuity Brands, Carolina Logistics Services and Sunrise Medical. The seller, Clearwater's Meridian Development Group, purchased the facility in August 2005 from Indianapolis-based Duke Realty Corp. for $7.3 million, according to the Lakeland Economic Development Council (LEDC)...