With cooperation from three landowners and input from residents, the City of Auburndale is creating a Lakes District to preserve its rural heritage, create community focal points and protect its pedestrians and bicyclists. The result could meld nicely with the Central Florida Innovation District to attract researchers, entrepreneurs and businesses to a growing high-tech area in […]
Have you ever wondered why Polk County and its cities come up on so many “best” lists, whether it’s the best place to retire, start a business, attend college or the like? We asked six leaders in different fields why they love living and working in Polk, here’s what we found out. Crown Jewels “I […]
The Central Florida Development Council hosted an informational preview event on Monday to continue the process of outlining a vision for the Central Florida Innovation District (CFID) and seek feedback. Community leaders, CFDC investors, area landowners and the public were invited to the meeting at Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland. The goal of the meeting […]
Middle and high school students now have one more tool to help them prepare for college or careers, thanks to a collaborative effort led by Polk Vision. “Be The Future Be U is two things: It is a collection of resources and it is a community of engaged students focused on preparing for their future,” […]
At a little over a year old, the Advanced Mobility Institute at Florida Polytechnic University is garnering attention, partnerships and money that will further its work on autonomous vehicles and its role in the Central Florida Innovation District. The National Science Foundation recently awarded the AMI a $350,000 grant for equipment. “NSF grants are very […]
One man was so well-respected, so instrumental, so admired when the county began emulating the state Department of Commerce’s initiatives nearly 35 years ago that the Central Florida Development Council has named its small-business award in his honor. Addressing Jim Brantley, the first director of the agency that has since been renamed the Central Florida […]
The Lunz Group and Draken International are the winners of the Central Florida Development Council’s 2019 Success in Business — Economic Development awards, the highest honors the agency awards yearly. The Lunz Group won the 2019 Jim Brantley Economic Development Award – Success in Small Business, while Draken — the 18th fastest-growing private company in […]
When you think of manufacturing in Polk County, you should think beyond citrus and phosphate, two industries that paved the way for the county to become a manufacturing hub. Patti Gander, director of the Manufacturing and Supply Chain Alliance of Mid Florida (formerly the Polk County Manufacturing Association), said manufacturing is often defined as a […]
In September, after 20 years as the Southern Strategy Group, Florida’s largest lobbying firm changed its name to The Southern Group Inc. to better reflect its mission for the next decade. “The Southern Group signals our firm’s further evolution in the influence business,” said Seth McKeel, managing partner of the Tampa office. “We pride ourselves […]
Quantifying the impact and value of local parks now a tool for municipalities and communities to use in their evaluation for investment. The Florida Recreation and Park Association started talking about ways to provide quantifiable value to area parks and recreation facilities a decade ago, and now, with a lot of help from the City […]