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SRQ DAILY Aug 31, 2015

Monday Business Edition

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Monday Business Edition

"This is a town of doers. When our community is presented with a challenge or an opportunity, people come together. They roll up their sleeves, figure out a plan, execute it, and get it done."

- Sharon Hillstrom, Bradenton Area Economic Development Corporation
 

[Affordability]  Real Property Breakdown

According to the SCOPE Communtiy Report Card, single-family residential in Sarasota County makes up the largest portion of the just value, followed by condominiums and improved commercial. Leasehold interests made up the smallest portion.  

[Tourism]  AirBNB Changing Rental Landscape
Jacob Ogles, jacob.ogles@srqme.com

A website over the past several years has been changing the way tourists book stays at rentals and how the bed-and-breakfast model functions along the Gulf Coast. From Sarasota to Anna Maria, rooms are being booked through AirBNB at high rates, with some business owners reporting more than half their reservations being made through the service. “Response has been tremendous. We get most of our rentals through AirBNB,” said Danny Chin, who with wife Brenda has eight properties listed on AirBNB, three of those in Anna Maria. 

And what is the this service? The AirBNB online booking service was launched in 2008 to build a community of people listing and discovering accommodations, whether that meant reserving space at a castle in Europe or a guest house in Sarasota. Today, some 40 million guests can book stays in more than 1.5 million listings worldwide, many of them here in Southwest Florida.

Sarasota couple Detlev von Kessel and Kristina Syromyatnitkova first started using the site as guests booking rooms in such destinations as Russia, Germany and Italy. Today, they are booking out part of their own home near Siesta Key. “We are basically renting out one side that has one room, a bathroom, a second oven and only a little kitchenette,” von Kessel said. “People love it.” Using the website has helped them keep a 70-percent occupancy rate during the last year for the dates when the space is listed for rental; the couple only rents when they are in town to provide personal amenities.

Of course, the site is hardly the first to book vacations rentals online, and both Chin and von Kessel say they also book through established sites like VRBO.com and TripAdvisor. “I’ll say, a different group uses it,” Chin says The [AirBNB customer] tends to be younger. They are the same people who are using Uber.” But between 50 and 60 percent of the Chins’ business these days comes through AirBNB. 

[Development]  Bradenton EDC Stresses 'Quality of Place'

A business incubator, a farmers market and an entertainment district could boost the attractiveness of the Bradenton area to employers, according to new research by Boyette Strategic Advisors. Now the Bradenton Area Economic Development Corporation have a multi-year plan to bring these objectives to fruition. “This is an exciting, visionary approach to realizing Manatee County’s economic development potential,” said EDC president and CEO Sharon Hillstrom.

The plan unveiled Friday sets specific goals for the EDC to: facilitate 62 business relocations or expansions; 11 formations of startup of companies, the creation or retention of 4,000 jobs; and ensure $460 million in capital investment through 2020. Target industry sectors include advanced manufacturing, corporate operations, distribution and logistics, information technology, life sciences, and sports performance. 

EDC officials have stressed that created a compelling “quality of place” will make the job of attracting companies and encouraging expansions easier. The plan calls for the establishment of a “Village of Innovation” to provide business assistance to entrepreneurs, including shared office space in an incubator to encourage collaboration. The plan also calls for amenities like an entertainment district on the riverfront in Palmetto near the Bradenton Area Convention Center and the establishment of a “world-class” dog park. 

Hillstrom estimates implementation of the plan will require an additional $400,000 beyond the organization's current budget and the EDC is working in partnership with other agencies, organizations and individuals. The presence of organizations like IMG Academy and Realize Bradenton will play a role in bringing the plan to life, officials said. “This is a town of doers,” Hillstrom said. “When our community is presented with a challenge or an opportunity, people come together. They roll up their sleeves, figure out a plan, execute it, and get it done.” 

[Education]  Schools Remain Open

Sarasota County Emergency Management officials continue to monitor the remnants of Erika, after the storm dissipated Saturday. Sarasota County schools will be open today. Parents are encouraged to continually monitor weather reports and watch for potential flooding issues in their neighborhoods. Residents are urged to remain alert and prepared as increased rainfall and localized flooding are still possibility over the next few days. The National Weather Service considered the storm's impact to be diminished but still warned of the potential for 35 mph winds and rainy conditions as the storm passes over or near the Florida peninsula.  

Sarasota County

[Renovations]  Pier 22 Getting Makeover

Starting on Aug. 30, Pier 22, a popular downtown Bradenton restaurant known for its waterside dining, is getting a makeover. A $450,000-renovation will update and upgrade interior decor, furniture, flooring, kitchen and air systems. Pier 22 will continue to take reservations and special event bookings throughout the renovation process and will reopen to the public on Sept. 15.  

Pier 22

[Renovation]  Palmetto Museum Closing for September

From Sept. 1-30, Palmetto Historical Park and Manatee County Agricultural Museum in Palmetto will be closed to the public. This time will allow staff and volunteers to make repairs, change exhibits and spruce up the sites. The museum is expected to re-open on Oct. 1. 

Manatee County Clerk of Courts

SRQ Media Group

SRQ DAILY is produced by SRQ | The Magazine. Note: The views and opinions expressed in the Saturday Perspectives Edition and in the Letters department of SRQ DAILY are those of the author(s) and do not imply endorsement by SRQ Media. Senior Editor Jacob Ogles edits the Saturday Perspective Edition, Letters and Guest Contributor columns.In the CocoTele department, SRQ DAILY is providing excerpts from news releases as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by SRQ DAILY. The views expressed by individuals are their own and their appearance in this section does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. For rates on SRQ DAILY banner advertising and sponsored content opportunities, please contact Ashley Ryan Cannon at 941-365-7702 x211 or via email

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