SRQ DAILY Apr 24, 2023
Monday Business Edition
"When we invest in community lenders, we help build a future where all people, no matter who they are or where they start, have the resources they need not only to succeed but to thrive."
A Manatee County credit union accepted $2.1 million in federal funding as part of a national effort to expand small business access to capital. Financial Access Federal Credit Union was among 603 institutions nationwide to receive a grant, and the only one in Southwest Florida.
“We’re grateful for this support and excited to explore creative funding strategies, empowering financial and technical support during our recovery from the pandemic,” said Sherod Halliburton, Financial Access CEO.
Halliburton said the grant will substantively expand lending and investment opportunities to small businesses, employers and employees. He said the funding will aid the credit union's mission to champion equitable access to capital and innovative credit and money management tools.
In April, Vice President Kamala Harris and Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo announced a round of $1.73 billion in grants to Community Development Financial Institutions as part of the federal Equitable Recovery Program. That was a program first authorized in 2021 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The money is earmarked for low- and moderate-income communities and for borrowers “with significant unmet capital and financial services needs” because they were disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
“When we invest in community lenders, we help build a future where all people—no matter who they are or where they start—have the resources they need not only to succeed but to thrive,” Harris said when the funding was announced in early April.
“These grants—representing the largest CDFI grant program in history—will enable hundreds of community lenders to invest in small businesses and entrepreneurs, and also provide home loans for families, financial services for local nonprofits, and capital for community organizations.”
A total of 19 Florida institutions were included the funding, cumulatively receiving more than $43.5 million. While four institutions in Tampa made the cut, Financial Access was the only Gulf Coast credit union south of the Sunshine Skyway to benefit this year.
“This grant will enable us to offer no-cost benefits to local employers to use for recruitment and retention,” Haliburton said. “And that will result in broadening the economic capabilities of our workforce.”
He noted providing access to capital for small business is more important during times of economic uncertainly.
“Our members depended on us to keep their businesses going, hold onto their homes, and deal with medical bills,” he said. “I’m deeply proud of our team’s unfaltering commitment to community empowerment through financial inclusion. Funds from this grant will allow Financial Access to strengthen its mission. It makes a difference in our community — and we’re all honored.” 
Photo courtesy U,S, Treasury Department.
PGT Custom Windows + Doors, part of the PGT Innovations (NYSE: PGTI) family of brands, recently added to its portfolio of award-winning products with the launch of its WinGuard® Preferred View Sliding Glass Door (Series SGD770NS). PGT Custom Windows and Doors is America’s authority in high-performance windows and doors and the nation’s number one impact-resistant brand. The new sliding glass door features a slimmer interlock — set at 2.5 inches versus the standard five inches — allowing homeowners to maximize their view and natural light without compromising impact strength and performance. A dual-point locking mechanism provides added security by restricting panels from being lifted off the tracks and heavy-duty tandem rollers allow for easy fingertip operation. The impact sliding glass door is available in a variety of frame colors and panel configurations, with multiple glass tints and energy enhancing options to allow customers to customize to their specific needs. The door also offers expansions of up to 46.875-feet wide for uninterrupted views. The PGT WinGuard Preferred View Sliding Glass Door is available to order, and additional product details can be found at PGTWindows.com.
Pictured: WinGuard ® Preferred View Sliding Glass Door (Series SGD770NS). Photo courtesy of PGT.
RE/MAX Alliance Group has been ranked the #1 RE/MAX multi-office franchise in Florida for sales by volume, according to a RE/MAX report on 2022 performance. The brokerage generated above $2.356 billion in sales volume in 2022. RE/MAX Alliance Group, which offers both residential and commercial real estate services, was also named the #1 contributor to the Children’s Miracle Network in 2022. The company has 350 associates and staff in 13 offices in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando counties. For more information, please visit https://www.alliancegroupfl.com.
Lakewood Ranch closed the first quarter of 2023 with 580 sales, a 17% increase over the same quarter in 2022. In March alone, builders reported 236 sales, which was a 33% increase over the same month in 2022, as well as a 33% gain over the previous month (February of 2023). Sales have been climbing month over month since September of 2022, but March represented the largest jump in sales since the pandemic housing boom occurred, in late 2020/early 2021. The growth in sales was attributable, in part, to builders doing a good job in “finding the market” in the more challenging entry-level and family move-up villages, by offering special financing, flex cash and closing cost contributions. The luxury market also saw increases, including the opening of Wild Blue, a new luxury home neighborhood in Waterside. Laura Cole, senior vice president of LWR Communities, LLC, said that Florida is still seeing a great deal of in-migration from other states, but more recently, the Ranch has been experiencing increasing moves from within Florida, mostly from high-priced, congested regions. The Ranch’s ongoing sales successes are due to the variety of neighborhoods, home styles, and price points that continue to be offered to various buying segments. The introduction of neighborhoods with more attainable price points in 2023 will round-out and drive additional sales. Also, rentals have become a major source of new home buyers – a number of new apartment and build-for-rent communities have opened or are nearing completion. “Many people want to move to Lakewood Ranch but haven’t made a final purchase decision,” Cole said, “or want to give Lakewood Ranch living a test drive. We are able to offer options for potential buyers, no matter where they are in their decision making.”
State College of Florida Coding Academy is participating in the Suncoast Remake Learning Days sponsored by the Patterson Foundation. The events will be held on all three SCF campuses in order to reach as many families as possible. The theme is Fun with Tech and the goal is to make topics such as 3D printing, robotics, drone safety, and virtual reality as accessible and approachable as possible.
"We don't want families to be intimidated by these emerging technology industries. We're offering hands-on activities which will allow families to fly drones, run robots and make virtual worlds," says Desh Bagley, Director IT/Coding Academy at SCF. "We are partnering with FIRST Robotics teams from Suncoast Polytech and Pineview High School. The team members will showcase their FIRST Robotics Competition robots. Additionally, SCF has a FIRST LEGO League team called the Spikey LEGO Monsters (picture attached). The Spikey LEGO Monsters will have their robot to showcase to families as well. We want to form more robotics teams in Sarasota and Manatee counties."
The events are free to the public and open to kids of all ages along with their families. The SCF Coding Academy offers STEM camps and the Remake Learning Days events are a preview of those camps. Camps are held at SCF Lakewood Ranch for elementary campers. Camps are held at SCF Bradenton for middle and high school students. Contace Neil Keith at KeithN@scf.edu for more information.
RE/MAX Alliance Group, an independently owned franchise with 13 offices on the Florida Gulf Coast, has been listed among the REAL Trends 500, an independently verified compilation of the nation’s leading residential real estate companies.The brokerage placed #137 in sales volume and #147 in transaction sides in 2022, generating more than $2.356 billion in sales volume and 4,478 in transaction sides. That averages to $7.456 million in sales volume and 15.4 transactions per agent, making RE/MAX Alliance Group #43 based on transactions per agent. RE/MAX Alliance Group is the #1 RE/MAX franchise in Florida and the #1 RE/MAX franchise in Florida for contributions to the Children’s Miracle Network. The company now offers residential and commercial real estate solutions through 13 offices in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando counties. For more information, please visit https://www.alliancegroupfl.com.
The Mobile Irrigation Lab (MIL) is a FREE service brought to residents by the Manatee County Utilities Department and the UF/IFAS Extension Manatee County Service.Did you know that irrigation systems account for approximately 50% of a household’s water usage? In an effort to conserve drinking water supplies, the MIL evaluates resident’s irrigation systems and landscapes to identify opportunities to save water and enhance the landscape’s function. The MIL provides participants with a full report with site-specific recommendations for irrigation run times, watering days, maximizing coverage, improving plant health and more! Help the Mobile Irrigation Lab celebrate their 20th anniversary of saving Manatee County residents’ money and water by booking an appointment for a free evaluation. To qualify for a visit from the MIL, you must reside in Manatee County and have a functioning irrigation system. Contact the UF/IFAS Extension Manatee County Service at 941-722-4524 or manatee@ifas.ufl.edu to book a free appointment.
North River Ranch, the award-winning master-planned community in Parrish, Fla., developed by Manatee and Sarasota-based Neal Land & Neighborhoods, is steadily progressing through the first half of this year. This includes opening new model homes and sales in Wildleaf – the third and latest neighborhood – and several home builders nearing sell-out throughout the community. Homebuilder Neal Communities brings a selection of single-family homes and villas, including designs from their Coral, Cruise, Celebration, and Cove series, to Wildleaf. Pulte Homes will also build out on 72 lots in Wildleaf to include two-to-four-bedroom homes. Wildleaf will offer 377 homes; the neighborhood feature water and conservation view homesites with convenient access to the amenity center, planned trails, and the future middle school. Wildleaf will also connect to the existing pools, parks, and recreation at the Brightwood and Riverfield neighborhoods. In the community’s Riverfield neighborhood, Neal Communities nears the sellout of 150 townhomes; while David Weekley Homes and a second builder – to be announced – continue to build single-family homes from the $400s. Pulte Homes is nearing sell-out in Brightwood, and KB Home and Park Square Homes have limited opportunities. Homes by WestBay offer single-family homes from the $500s. With quick move-in homes available, home builders offer incentives that include employee pricing, help with closing costs or interest rates, and savings on quick move-in-home savings. For more information on Neal Land & Neighborhoods, including the company’s latest development news, visit www.NealLand.com. To learn more about North River Ranch, visit www.northriverranch.com.
Total Renovation from new floors to new roof and everything in between! Spectacular, luxury estate with a panoramic vista of Anna Maria Sound and Tampa Bay, the Skyway Bridge and the twinkling lights that playfully dance across the water. New wine room and wine bar for those accustomed to the finer things in life. A grand entry features a circular brick paver driveway, well-manicured landscaping, stone staircase, and impressive columns with double door entry. With over 5,000 square feet, 4 bedrooms/4.5 baths, grand living spaces, office, and lovely bay front terraces allow for palatial living. Additional rooms could be used to create 5-6 bedrooms. Built by Whitehead Construction, the home's exterior features outdoor entertaining areas, a heated pool and spa, deep water boat dockage with a 14,000-pound boat lift, garages to accommodate 4 cars, and ever engaging water views. The rolling greens of the Key Royale golf course are just steps from the front door. All of this and more on a 7-mile Gulf Coast barrier island named one of the Best Beach Towns in America. SOLD Professionally Turn-key Furnished and Decorated.
699 Key Royale Drive, Holmes Beach, FL / Anna Maria Island, $9,997,000.
Kindness is a Virtue | Meet Andrew M.Sandell-the new CEO of the Bishop Museum, April 2023.
If you missed SRQ Magazine’s Decals and Donuts event this past week, not to worry. We’re thrilled to announce that we’ll be doing another one! Join us Wednesday, April 26 from 8am to 1pm at our studios in Downtown Sarasota. Pick up your decal while chatting with other winners over donuts and coffee. And we’ll have the BOSRQ signage up for selfies and photos! See you then!
This walking tour led by volunteer guides will introduce you to interesting botanical specimens on the estate while providing a historic overview of the development of the estate. The Ringling Arboretum has been accredited at Level II through ArbNet and there are over 2350 trees within the arboretum representing native, exotic, historical, and culturally significant trees. Garden Tours are available Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays and take place entirely outdoors. It is 90 minutes in length and covers approximately 1 mile. We encourage visitors to bring bottled water, and wear appropriate footwear, preferably closed-toe, sunblock, and hats. There will be a maximum of 10 participants per tour. Tours are subject to weather conditions. Please check it at the Visitors Pavilion prior to your tour. Tickets will be available 30 days prior to each tour.
SHE ENGINEERS is a bilingual (English and Spanish) poster exhibition highlighting eight women in various engineering fields. In their own words, the women share their passion and what inspired them to become engineers. If we support a woman in STEM, then she can change the world.
Enjoy a night of fun at Waterside Place during Ranch Nite Wednesdays. The event features food trucks, live music, a night market, a vintage mobile bar and cornhole. Visit lakewoodranch.com to learn more. Waterside Place, 1561 Lakefront Drive, Sarasota.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ 2023 Jean and Alfred Goldstein Exhibition Tiffany: The Pursuit of Beauty in Nature showcases the creativity and innovation of American artist and designer Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933). The first exhibition of its type to be presented in a botanical garden, the exhibition highlights the inspiring connection between Tiffany Studios and the natural world through unique horticultural displays in the Tropical Conservatory and the Gardens, accompanied by seminal examples of Tiffany’s work on view in the Museum of Botany and the Arts. To learn more, visit selby.org. Selby Gardens Downtown Sarasota campus, 1534 Mound St., Sarasota.
Florida Studio Theatre presents the original music revue, Reel Music, celebrating the movies that helped create the soundtrack to the last century. Featuring classics like “Singin’ in the Rain,” “Circle of Life,” and “My Heart Will Go On,” this new Cabaret traces how films—and the music highlighted in them—have evolved over the past one hundred years. Created by Richard Hopkins, Rebecca Hopkins, and Sarah Durham with musical arrangements by Jim Prosser, Reel Music begins playing February 15, 2023, in FST’s Court Cabaret. Single tickets for Reel Music
range between $18-39 and are now on sale at FloridaStudioTheatre.org or at 941.366.9000.
Reclaiming Home, Contemporary Seminole Art group exhibition will mark The Ringling’s first presentation of contemporary art by Native American artists with ancestral, historical, and present-day connections to Florida. An imperative step toward establishing a meaningful relationship with the Native American artistic community, Reclaiming Home will highlight the breadth and depth of the artwork by Seminole, Miccosukee, and mixed-heritage artists from Florida with the important work by internationally-recognized artists. The exhibition will expand the conceptual framework of Native American art made in Florida today and provide a fuller understanding of the complexities of issues within the art of the Seminole diaspora. Ringling Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota, ringling.org.
Florida Studio Theatre is proud to present the world premiere of Visit Joe Whitefeather (and bring the family!) by award-winning playwright Bruce Graham. It’s the 1970s in Beaver Gap, Pennsylvania, a small town with a problem. Tourism has declined and it doesn’t look like there is any hope on the horizon. When a new resident joins forces with the bewildered city council, they devise a plan to rename the town to honor a dead, Native American war hero who had never visited the town before. It’s a plan so wild and insane that it just might work. Tickets range from $25-39 and are now on sale at FloridaStudioTheatre.org or at 941.366.9000. FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 1st St., Sarasota.
Eco Engineers are plants and animals that profoundly impact their ecosystem. Through their presence or behavior, eco engineers create microhabitats, or unique areas within an ecosystem. Other species have taken notice of these microhabitats and decided to move in! In this exhibition, explore nine of Florida’s eco engineers and discover why our landscape wouldn’t be the same without them. Eco Engineers is a bilingual (English and Spanish) special exhibition created by our own Museum curators. Included with museum admission. The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, 201 10th St. W., Bradenton, bishopscience.org.
Joseph’s Coat: Skyspace by James Turrell (2011) is a triumph of technology, engineering, and aesthetics. The Skyspace, created by internationally-renowned artist James Turrell, is a gathering place for contemplation and offers a unique experience. At sunset, a sophisticated system of LED lights is employed to change the color of the space. In doing so, the artist changes the context in which we view the sky through the 24-foot aperture in the ceiling, affecting our perception of the natural environment and the surroundings. As we gaze up at the sky we are invited to contemplate light, perception, and experience. Tickets are $10 and are free for members. Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota, ringling.org.
FST Improv’s free-form show, Comedy Roulette, is an off-the-wall improvisation potpourri where performers are freed from the traditional do’s and don’ts of improv. Instead, improvisers are encouraged to follow the funny and launch into a new scene or storyline whenever inspiration strikes. Comedy Roulette plays Saturdays in FST’s Bowne’s Lab from April 8 to May 17, 2023. Florida Studio Theatre, 1265 1st St., Sarasota, floridastudiotheatre.org.
Thomas Wright “Fats” Waller was an American jazz pianist, composer, singer and comedic entertainer. He realized his dream of becoming a professional musician at age 15. His Harlem stride style influenced the sound of modern jazz piano. Nate Jacobs’ original tribute, “Big Sexy, The Fats Waller Revue,” to this irrepressible artist features Waller’s signature songs, including “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “Honeysuckle Rose,” “Your Feet’s Too Big,” “The Joint is Jumpin’” and many more. Tickets are $50 for adults, $20 for students and active military (cost includes all ticket fees). WBTT's Donelly Theatre, 1012 North Orange Ave., Sarasota, westcoastblacktheatre.org.
The 2023 Forks and Corks Food and Wine Festival will return for its 16th year. The Festival is scheduled for April 20-24, 2023 and offers a world-class weekend of winemaker dinners, interactive wine seminars and wine tastings that culminates with the alfresco Grand Tasting event at The Ringling Museum of Art Courtyard. Guests will savor delicious dishes presented by over 40 members of the Sarasota-Manatee Originals restaurant group and sample from a collection of more than 300 unique wines from across the globe. There will be live musical entertainment and an expansive silent auction of rare and collectible wines and experiences. Due to the unprecedented demand this year, there are three available ticket levels: VIP, early access and general admission. For more information on Forks and Corks and to purchase tickets, visit EatLikeALocal.com. Follow Forks and Corks on Facebook and Instagram.
This monthly gathering of car enthusiasts brings together automobile lovers from every walk of life, not to mention a wide array of spectacular cars. Bring your own vehicle (all makes and models are welcome) to show off, or check out the hundreds of cars on display. Each month, the event sponsors a different charity, and attendees are encouraged to donate $10 to benefit the charity. The event, occuring on the second Sunday of each month, will feature live music, complimentary coffee and more. To learn more, visit facebook.com/carsandcoffee941. Sarasota Cars and Coffee, The West District at University Town Center near Ford’s Garage, 295 N. Cattlemen Rd., Sarasota.
2023 MODERN WORKS FESTIVAL Presented by Summer Wallace. May 3 - May 7, 2023. Urbanite Theatre. Back for the fourth time and returning to an in-person experience, the Modern Works Festival is a playwriting contest, reading festival and celebration of women in theatre. See all three finalist readings and become eligible to vote on the festival-winning playwright! Titles of finalist plays will be announced in 2023. For information contact - phone (941) 321-1397, email info@urbanitetheatre.com, website www.urbanitetheatre.com
Urbanite Theatre , 1487 2nd Street Sarasota FL, 34236
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