Florida's Latest News

Florida gubernatorial nominees David Jolly and Byron Donalds to headline WLRN's inaugural Sunshine Economy Summit

WLRN will bring Florida's Democratic and Republican gubernatorial nominees, David Jolly and Byron Donalds, to its inaugural Sunshine Economy Summit on Sept. 23 at the Downtown Event Center in Fort Lauderdale.

The candidates will participate in separate, moderated conversations about their economic priorities ahead of the November election, anchoring a gathering focused on the decisions shaping South Florida's future.

Presented by Platinum Sponsor Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, with support from Gold Sponsor Kaufman Rossin, the summit will connect statewide policy with the concerns facing South Florida residents and employers.

Housing affordability, insurance costs, workforce changes and opportunities for investment and job creation will frame a regional conversation about how growth can translate into lasting prosperity.

Hillsborough eyes $24M USF infrastructure partnership with possible MOSI payoff

Hillsborough County Commissioners are poised to formalize a $24 million infrastructure partnership with the University of South Florida that could also help the county address transportation demands tied to its broader redevelopment of the county-owned Museum of Science & Innovation campus.

Commissioners on Wednesday will consider an agreement allowing Hillsborough to provide up to $24 million in existing Community Investment Tax revenue for transportation, mobility, public safety and other public infrastructure associated with Uptown Landing, USF’s nearly $500 million mixed-use development formerly known as the Fletcher District.

The agreement also connects that investment to what county officials have described as a roughly $2 billion redevelopment of the MOSI campus in the same USF-area corridor.

County documents say redevelopment of both properties is expected to create transportation, mobility, public safety and other infrastructure demands in the surrounding area.

New federal housing law could reshape manufactured homes in Florida

A new federal housing law could change how manufactured homes are financed and, over time, how some are built.

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, signed into law July 11, raises FHA-insured loan limits for manufactured housing and changes the federal definition of a manufactured home by allowing homes to be built with or without a permanent chassis.

At Jacobsen Homes in Florida, longtime industry veteran Mike Wnek said manufactured housing has changed dramatically since he entered the business in 1978.

“Night and day. Back in ’78, we were building trailers. We were building a new modern manufactured home, but it was still essentially a trailer,” Wnek said. “Today, we build a true manufactured home that is built to codes that meet or exceed all the standard building codes in America."

Tampa, Jacksonville and Orlando land in top 10 list of best boomtowns in America

Tampa, Jacksonville and Orlando are among the top 10 cities in the U.S. for boomtowns, according to a new study released by the financial loan firm LendingTree.

Analysts with LendingTree looked at the country’s largest metropolitan areas and considered factors such as people moving there, housing, work earnings and the economy to compile the boomtown list. Tampa finished fifth in America while Jacksonville came in seventh immediately followed by Orlando in eighth. Miami placed 16th among overall boomtowns.

Towns in Southern states dominated the top 10 list among rising boomtowns with Austin, Texas topping the list followed by Raleigh, North Carolina in second and Charlotte, North Carolina in fourth. Only two towns in the top 10 were not from the South.