Construction | Development

TALLAHASSEE - With budgets slashed, courts across Florida have laid off staff, quit buying law books and curtailed building maintenance. Programs like drug courts, which have helped thousands of people stay out of trouble, have been limited. Mice run rampant in a Tampa courthouse, while in West Palm Beach judges struggle to get courtroom temperatures below 90 degrees because of a malfunctioning air-conditioning system. Meantime, in Tallahassee, the 1st District Court of Appeal is building a courthouse that some call a "Taj Mahal.''

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Government | Policy

URBAN TALLAHASSEE - On Wednesday, August 25, Tallahassee's City Commission was given an update on the fundraising progress for the Florida Center for Performing Arts slated to be built on the John's property, which the city now owns at the corner of Gaines and Bronough Streets in downtown Tallahassee.

On hand presenting the update on the project to the Commission was former City Treasurer Clerk, Bob Inzer, now President of the The Florida Center for Performing Arts and Education foundation. Inzer made a point to mention that a performing arts center has been a priority of this city since the Civic Center Authority was created in the early 1970's. At that time he noted the economy wasn't much different from the way it is today, "The Original Plan for the Civic Center project called for the construction of a Performing Arts Center as well... at that time people also voiced opposition to the Civic Center project. Could you imagine what our community would be like today if it was never built?"

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Quality of Life | Spotlight

PRESS RELEASE - $1.2 million to be used to expand digital services in low-income areas - The City of Tallahassee has been awarded a $1.2 million federal grant using Recovery Act funds to assist with the expansion of broadband services in local low-income neighborhoods. Vice President Joe Biden announced the grant awards, with Tallahassee being one of 94 communities throughout the nation to receive broadband project funding. Tallahassee's grant application was a collaborative effort between Mayor John Marks and the City's Information Systems Services Division.

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Business | Economic

AGENDA -- Staff from the City, Leon County, and the Tallahassee/Leon County Economic Development Council (EDC) have been working with a company that is evaluating Tallahassee as a location to develop components for a magnet–based propulsion system. The company has an agreement with NASA to construct the propulsion system, which is slated for testing in low earth orbit in 2015.

The EDC has requested that the identity of the company be kept confidential at this time and has labeled the recruitment effort as Project Rock. A major component of the system is based on super conducting materials. Because of Tallahassee’s growing prominence in magnetic technologies, the company is considering Tallahassee for its new facility.

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Government | Policy

PRESS RELEASE -- Acquisition Will Help Preserve Environment, Protect Water Quality. Leon County held a Property Donation Ceremony on Wednesday morning to announce a donation of land from the Florida Gas Transmission (FGT) Company to mitigate the impacts of the construction of a new gas line.

FGT is constructing a gas transmission expansion project that includes approximately 26 miles of new pipeline across Leon County. The donation consists of roughly 132 acres of land, including wetlands and floodplains. Any construction on the already environmentally sensitive area could potentially have been damaging, so development rights were eliminated upon the County’s acquisition in order to protect the land.

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