Category Archives: Uncategorized
Tampa Tribune: Restoration Hardware wants to pair shopping with a glass of vino
BY CHRISTOPHER O’DONNELL Tribune staff TAMPA — Four stories of furniture and home décor store can take some traipsing through. That could be why Restoration Hardware wants to pair shopping at their new International Mall store with a glass of Napa Valley chardonnay. Restoration is planning to sell glasses of wine to shoppers to enjoy […]
Finally, the Rule is Final: What the Newly Revised Definition of Waters of the United States Means for Your Project
By Leigh Kellett Fletcher | Last October, I wrote about the proposed revisions to the definition of waters of the United States under the Clean Water Act. That proposal generated thousands of comments and questions regarding the changes, which led to another round of scientific and administrative review by EPA. On May 27, 2015 EPA […]
Condominium Insurance Requirements: Don’t Be Blown Away by Unforeseen Costs
By Tina Fischer | Today marks the first day of the 2015 hurricane season here in Florida, and many homeowners are making some form of preparation for a major storm. Part of those preparations will likely include checking property insurance policies to insure adequate coverage is in place in the event of damage of loss from wind […]
Something Old, Something New: Place-making and Community Building
By Leigh Kellett Fletcher | Last week at the Urban Land Institute Spring Meeting, I had the opportunity to tour parts of the second and third wards of Houston, Texas to look at urban revitalization developments in those areas. The striking differences between the two projects we toured led me to think about the intersection […]
Evaluating the Viability of a Redevelopment Project – Is it a Diamond in the Rough or a Piece of Coal?
By Leigh Kellett Fletcher | Developers who take on redevelopment projects do so because despite the heightened risk, there is the potential for great reward on many levels. Successful development projects are financially successful, transform communities and are intellectually satisfying because innovation and creativity are often required to overcome the inherent challenges posed by the […]
CDD 2.0 – Possibilities, Opportunities & Challenges
By Leigh Kellett Fletcher | During the recession, many community development districts (“CDDs”), special purpose units of local government established to fund public infrastructure, restructured bond debt to offset the impact of nonpayment of special assessments by developers unable to sell homes and meet their financial obligations. Post recession, as home sales increase and developers […]
The Plays The Thing: The Economic Impact of Creative Industries in Florida is Big!
By Leigh Kellett Fletcher | Americans for the Arts, a national nonprofit recently released a report summarizing the economic impact of creative industries in the United States. The report includes a state-by-state snapshot of creative industries, including both for profit and non-profit businesses involved in the production or distribution of the arts. Businesses included are […]
Can you win a Bert Harris claim if your property was not the subject of governmental regulatory action?
By Anne Pollack | No, says the 1st District Court of Appeal in City of Jacksonville v. Smith (2015 WL 798154) In 2005, the Smiths purchased a parcel of undeveloped riverfront property directly adjacent to a property that was owned by the City and limited with a deed restriction to the leisure and recreation of […]
Resilient Communities: Planning, Adaptation & Potlucks
By: Leigh Kellett Fletcher The severe weather events of the last few years combined with an increasing scientific consensus that extreme weather, sea level rise, and increasing natural resource exploitation are causing global ecosystems to falter have led many communities around the world to initiate planning for disaster mitigation and an evaluation of the steps […]
Don’t Throw in the Towel! Tips for Regaining Control at HOA and CDD Board Meetings Gone Wild
By: Leigh Kellett Fletcher If you have ever attended a homeowners’ association (“HOA”) or community development district (“CDD”) meeting and found yourself listening to an hour long debate about the type of annuals being used at the community entrance, debated the pros and cons of proposed location of holiday light displays, or you have face palmed […]