Climate change is driving people from the coast. Will it happen in Florida?
Researchers are detecting the start of what could be an exodus from coastal communities, where stronger hurricanes and rising seas loom most prominently. To accommodate a potential diaspora, local governments across the country have adopted policies to buy high-hazard properties where living and working has become untenable for residents. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
JEA is inviting bids for 19-story downtown tower that used to be its headquarters
JEA has set an April 8 deadline for developers to place bids showing how they would use the utility's former headquarters tower that historic preservationists call one of the city's most endangered buildings. The tower and the customer service center have been vacant for almost two years since JEA moved to a new headquarters building in April 2023 near the Duval County Courthouse. More from the Florida Times-Union.
Can Miami-Dade find gold by processing methane gas?
As Miami-Dade County commissioners wrestle with a broad range of solid waste issues, they are to vote this week on seeking a detailed look at their options to extract methane gas from existing and future landfills, with the thought that the gas might contain economic gold. Landfill gas is a byproduct of the decomposition of organic materials in landfills, of which about half of the gas is methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas that can be captured and converted into a source of renewable energy. More from Miami Today.
Rehab hospitals expand in Central Florida as demand grows
PAM Health will expand in Central Florida by building a 42-bed rehabilitation hospital in Minneola, creating 80 jobs. This is part of a trend, with other health care companies also increasing facilities in Florida to meet rising demand for that type of care. The PAM Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Minneola's services will include physical, occupational and speech therapy for conditions like strokes, brain and spinal cord injuries, and more. More from the Orlando Business Journal.
Satcom Direct selling HQ near Viera for $17.9M after Gogo acquisition
Satcom Direct is selling its landmark global headquarters off Viera Boulevard for $17.9 million in the weeks after the company was acquired by Gogo, a fellow aviation internet-communications firm. At this time, Satcom Direct plans to lease back the 61,819-square-foot office building. So the roughly 150 employees on-site will remain, company spokesperson Jane Stanbury said. More from Florida Today.
Event
Here are some South Beach Wine & Food Festival events that still have tickets available
So you still want to attend this year’s South Beach Wine & Food Festival but haven’t gotten it together to buy tickets. It happens to the best (and hungriest) of us. There’s good news, however, if you still want to go. Many events are sold out, especially the smaller dinners, but you can still get tickets to some of the larger events at the festival.
» More from the Miami Herald.
Florida Trend Exclusive
Doubling up
Dr. Sumit Verma is a cardiologist with Baptist Heart & Vascular Institute in Pensacola. His specialty is electrophysiology. Verma, who received his electrophysiology training at Yale University Medical School, spoke with FLORIDA TREND about a new cardiac procedure available at Baptist Health Care to treat atrial fibrillation — a rapid, irregular heartbeat that is estimated to affect about 5% of the population — and other cardiac therapies.
» Read more from Florida Trend.