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SRQ DAILY Jan 11, 2016

Monday Business Edition

Monday Business Edition

"It could in effect create a minor moratorium until the dust settles."

- John Mast, Manatee Sarasota Building Industry Association
 

[Trade]  Wholesale Sales Down

Sales by merchant wholesalers nationwide in November totaled $442.8 billion, according to statistics released Friday by the U.S. Census Bureau. That is down 1 percent from October. End-of-month inventories were $582.9 billion, down 0.3 percent from October. But the total remains higher than most periods over the past 20 years. 

[Development]  Builders Brace as Impact Fees Rise
Jacob Ogles, jacob.ogles@srqme.com

Builders constructing homes in Manatee County this April will soon have to pay more in impact fees, not just thanks to a school impact fee restored by county commissioners last week but also thanks to an increase in other fees that have been charged at reduced levels for years.

John Mast, CEO for the Manatee Sarasota Building Industry Association, said once the fees go into effect, a new 2,201-square-foot home will have just under $28,000 worth of fees of some sort charged “before you even pay for the first load of dirt.” The most recent addition to that will be the school impact fee, set at $3,327.50 for a single-family home starting on April 18. The fee will go up over the next two years, rising to $6,475 come April 18, 2018, but would stay at the same rate if Manatee County voters renew a school sales tax. Fees vary for other types of residential construction. An impact fee is a one-time charge assessed when a building permit is pulled on a home.

The condition proved the most contentious issue when Manatee County commissioners debated the issue on Thursday. County Commissioner Charles Smith openly worried that the sales tax might be endangered if opponents criticize the associated cut in the school fee as a giveaway to developers. “I really want the School Board to get as much money as possible,” he said. “But this is troubling to me.” He and County Commissioner Robin DiSabatino ultimately voted against the fee, citing the possibility of keeping the fee at a 50-percent level as the chief reason.

But the fee was passed 5-2. Some commissioners who voted with the majority said they shared some of the same concerns Smith voiced, but felt ultimately that it was a matter best left to the School Board, which recommended the fee, the phasing schedule and the plan to tie levels with the sales tax. “Do I like having the sales tax mentioned? No, I’m not crazy about it,” said County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh. “But it’s not up to me to second-guess.”

As for builders, as a group most were opposed to having a fee at all. Mast said many developers are also encouraging people to buy new homes before fees kick in this April when the cost of new homes leaps up by around $20,000. The schools fee, going into effect for the first time since 2009, goes online at the same time as steep spikes in road impact fees, Mast noted. “It could in effect create a minor moratorium until the dust settles,” he said. “I’m sure the no-growthers are happy about that, but as the stock market tanks this week and we have more taxes on top of new construction, we could have another recession. Nobody knows.”

Based on history around the state, many building permits will likely be pulled right before the fees go into effect. The revenues collected through school impact fees are earmarked for constructing new schools to accommodate growth associated with new construction. But Mast noted that money raised through the sales tax would be available for a wider variety of uses. “It’s just reinstating a tax that sunsets in 2017, but if the sales tax referendum doesn’t pass and the tax sunsets the School Board will lose a lot of money.” 

[Film]  CineBistro Combines Fine Dining and Luxury Cinema
Philip Lederer, Phil.Lederer@srqme.com

In preparation for a February opening, officials from CineBistro afforded the community a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the incoming theater and dining establishment as the first silver screen was installed this past Friday at Westfield Southgate. Measuring 16 feet by 38 feet, six more screens of similar dimensions will be installed, some with 3D capabilities, in addition to an attached restaurant serving around 100 patrons, before the 35,000-square-foot project is complete and Sarasota’s luxury cinema experience begins, combining restaurant-style dining with high-end theater-style viewing.

With an emphasis on service and comfort, a movie ticket will cost $15 but will also provide a theater experience unlike any other currently in the market. Seating is reserved and assigned, with each attendee being met by one of the expected 120-person CineBistro staff and escorted to his or her seat, a mechanically-reclining plush leather affair with plenty of room and an attached adjustable table, where one can then order as much or as little to eat and drink from a custom-designed Sarasota menu created by the Alabama-based CineBistro in conjunction with Florida chefs. “You get to decide if it’s a popcorn movie night or a full, coursed meal,” said CineBistro regional operations director Matt Russell, frequently emphasizing the conjunction of flexibility and upscale pampering inherent to the CineBistro brand.

But those more concerned about the sanctity of the cinema experience need not be alarmed at the notion of added dining distractions and servers moving up and down the aisles, said Russell. Orders must be placed before the start of the film, he said, with on-screen prompts reminding the audience of this window, and will be delivered to the seats before as well. And once the movie begins, the viewing aspect takes precedence, said Russell. It may be a juggling act, but “we respect the movie experience as much as we respect the dining experience,” he said. In a testament to the operation’s dedication to luxury viewing, added Russell, seating arrangements emphasize customers over profits, comfortably seating 80-90 per theater where other chains would seat 150-160.

Tickets sell out fast, according to Russell, but those just looking for a nice dinner out can still stop by, as this will also be the first CineBistro with an attached dining room functioning as its own restaurant separate from the theater experience. Also under the vaulted ceilings, a bar and lounge affords opportunity to relax before a show or reconvene after. 

Pictured: A theater screen is installed at CineBistro. Photo by Wyatt Kostygan.

[Launch]  Entrepreneurs Announce Intus from Sarasota

Michael Kline, Howard Stanten and Erin Wright, entrepreneurs who have built nine businesses over the last decade, just announced Intus: Personal and Group Transformation, a venture launched with the intention of helping individuals and small businesses flourish. Intus is offering an on-going workshop series, "The Flourishing Life," beginning Jan. 19 through March at Argosy University, Kieser University and Ionie Retreat and Raw Food Cafe.  

Intus: Personal and Group Transformation

[Recognition]  Clapp Named Realtor of Year

David Clapp, RE/MAX Alliance Group managing broker and director of education, has been named 2015 Realtor of the Year by the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee. The Realtor of the Year is selected based upon the member’s lifetime contributions to RASM and Florida Realtors, as well as service to the community and business accomplishments. 

RE/MAX Alliance Group

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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