More News & City Life

Real estate

Realtor Association CEO Will Retire at End of 2017

Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee CEO Kathy Roberts will retire at the end of 2017.

11/21/2016 By staff

New hires

Commercial Real Estate Firm Names New Senior Adviser

SVN Commercial Advisory Group recently hired Peter Kingsly as a senior adviser.

11/21/2016 By staff

Deals

Cabinet, Countertop Company Leases Lakewood Ranch Location

Trend Transformations of Sarasota recently leased a 1,753-square-foot retail space in the Lake Osprey Plaza Shopping Center.

11/21/2016 By staff

What I’ve learned

How Lakewood Ranch's Ted C. Abrams Turned Joffrey's Coffee and Tea Around

Within seven months of Abrams' start date, the company was profitable.

11/21/2016 By David Hackett

Tourism

Tourist Tax Collections Increase to Almost $20 Million

Tourist Development Tax collections increased to almost $20 million in fiscal year 2016, a 4.7 percent increase over 2015.

11/18/2016 By staff

Construction

Housing Starts Up in October

The rate of privately owned American housing starts increased by 25.5 percent between September and October, and the rate increased 23.3 percent between October 2015 and October 2016.

11/18/2016 By staff

The arts

Theater Launches $6 Million Fundraising Campaign

The Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe recently launched its Heart & Soul Capital Campaign, an effort to raise $6 million to transform the organization's 2.5-acre, two-building campus at 10th Street and Orange Avenue.

11/18/2016 By staff

Deals

Office Building Sold for Almost $1.3 Million

The Bradenton company Fig Trees and Grace, LLC recently purchased a 7,902-square-foot office building located in the International Trade Center.

11/18/2016 By staff

Deals

SunTrust Bank Building Now Fully Occupied

With new tenants Hill, Barth & King LLC and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, SunTrust Bank’s downtown Sarasota office building is now 100 percent occupied.

11/17/2016 By staff

Deals

Sarasota Company Pays $625,000 for Retail Strip Center

The Sarasota company 4281-4305 Clark Rd LLC recently purchased a 2,956-square-foot retail strip center located at 4235 Clark Road, Sarasota.

11/17/2016 By staff

Giving

This Week's Good Deeds

A superhero-themed adoption, several community grants and more in this week's roundup of locals giving back.

11/17/2016 By staff

The Seen

Legal Aid Manasota 25th Anniversary

Author and human rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson headlines Legal Aid Manasota's event at Michael's on East.

11/17/2016 Photography by Lori Sax

Construction

Venice Construction Company Wins Contract for New Clubhouse

The Venice commercial construction company J.E. Charlotte Construction Corp. was recently awarded a contract for the construction of the clubhouse at Watercrest.

11/16/2016 By staff

Real estate

Mortgage Company Opens New Sarasota Office

Element Funding, a division of Primary Residential Mortgage, Inc., recently opened its first branch office in Sarasota.

11/16/2016 By staff

Research

Mote Scientist Awarded Grant to Study Harmful Algal Blooms

Harmful algal blooms include the toxin-producing algae Karenia brevis, which causes red tide.

11/16/2016 By staff

Deals

Sarasota Company Buys Two Office, Retail Spaces for $350,000

Sarasota's Dakkak, LLC recently purchased two office and retail condo properties on Webber Street.

11/16/2016 By staff

Planning

State Transportation Secretary to Speak in Bradenton

Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jim Boxold will discuss local road and bridge projects, as well as future transportation plans, during a Manatee Chamber of Commerce lunch.

11/16/2016 Research by staff

Apocalypse Now

Grapevine Communications' Robert Holzer is the Ultimate Zombie Fan

Holzer is a zombie super-fan.

11/16/2016 By Ilene Denton

Tech

Facebook Announces Changes to Its 'Ethnic Affinity' Marketing System

Responding to criticism that its 'ethnic affinity' marketing options for advertisers could lead to discrimination, Facebook last week announced that it is changing its advertising system.

11/15/2016 By staff

New hires

Venice Nonprofit Picks New Chief Development Officer

The Loveland Center, a nonprofit that helps adults with developmental disabilities, recently hired Rafael Robles as its chief development officer.

11/15/2016 By staff