A collection of interesting happenings and recent developments that contribute to the bright future of Greater Tampa Bay.
Meet Phoebe at the Tampa International Airport
Visited Tampa International Airport lately? If so, it would have been hard to miss the massive flamingo sculpture installed in 2022. After a worldwide naming contest with more than 65,000 entries, one has been decided on: Phoebe.
The winner, retired educator J. Bryan M., picked the name based on the flamingo’s scientific name, Phoenicopterus.
Do not be a stranger on the next trip through TPA — say hello to Phoebe.
Does anyone have a charger?
Electric cars are here. Industry leader Tesla has seen to this. With this door opened, Pinellas Park-based Blue Innovations Group has sailed right through.
Debuting in January, Blue Innovations Group unveiled their electric boat. At 30 feet, the R30 hopes to have these fossil fuel-less vessels on the market by late 2024. Solar-powered and packed with a 220-kilowatt battery, Blue Innovations Group and its founder John Vo, hope that their EB, will be the future of seafaring.
Hello, Dalí
This one is not so surreal.
St. Petersburg’s famous Dalí Museum is growing, thanks to a voter-approved referendum from November 2022. The project will consist of 60,000 more square feet of house digital art exhibits and educational projects. The targeted completion date is 2025.
Separate from this referendum, the museum will also be constructing a dome structure designed to intensify the viewing experience.
Home, Sweet St. Petersburg
With hundreds of thousands moving to the Sunshine State every year, demand for affordable housing is high.
Porter Development, a Clearwater-based real estate developer, is turning a site in West St. Petersburg into a residential community with affordable housing. Nearly a third of the proposed complex’s 1,058 units will be reserved for households whose income is less than at least 80% of the area’s median.
The site is set to be move-in ready by late 2024.
Leading the charge from GTB
For female entrepreneurs in GTB, one more organization has their back.
Women in Tech & Entrepreneurship is a new organization designed as a resource for the area’s most promising women in business. Founder Raechel Canipe was inspired to help women-owned startups secure venture capital funding, so she set out to make a difference in her community.
The nonprofit provides free support to its members that fledgling ventures require in some of their earliest steps. From networking opportunities to mentorships, WTE seeks to expand its reach across the state over the next few years.
A Sustainable Future
Companies in GTB are always looking toward the future.
In January, the Tampa Bay Innovation Center hosted its inaugural Climate Tech Program, designed as a workshop for sustainability-minded startups in the area.
The 12-week program works with selected companies whose missions align with the fight against climate change. These measures include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing carbon neutrality and cleaning up wastewater.
Several of the companies involved include Zero Circle, BuildingLens, Hago Energetics, Emerald Technology Group, Haylon Technologies, Connex2X, Laminar Scientific and TEKMARA.
The New Guard of the AC Hotel
OTO Development and AC Hotels have put together their dream team.
The development and hospitality management company has tapped the triad of Ben Walters, Christine Moore and Edelmira Delgado to lead the way for the soon-to-open AC Hotel in St. Petersburg.
As general manager, director of sales and director of food and beverage, respectively, these three were handpicked due to their rich experience and vivaciousness. The downtown St. Pete hotel is set to open in February 2023. It will feature a lounge area and a rooftop bar, Cane & Barrel.
With this team in place, the future of the Sunshine City looks to be very bright.
By Ryan Walsh.
