Business Observer

Founded in 1997 as the Gulf Coast Business Review, this newspaper stands out as the top source for business and economic news in the Gulf Coast area, stretching from Tampa Bay to Naples. It focuses on covering industry developments and economic trends in the region, highlighting new companies, corporate strategies, and profiling emerging entrepreneurs and influential business leaders. Additionally, it keeps its audience informed about government actions at the state, regional, and local levels that impact the business landscape and economy.

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College preps for digital future with new fintech degree program

2 weeks ago | businessobserverfl.com | Eric Snider

This spring, Hillsborough Community College quietly rolled out a new program that directly addresses a significant need in the Tampa Bay business community. It’s called fintech — short for financial technology — and it’s offered on the Brandon campus. The course of study has two basic prongs: a 60-credit-hour associate in science degree; and a certificate that requires 24 credit hours. Both programs are directed squarely at the workplace.
Pasco County affordable housing development brings 360 units, 234 for seniors

2 weeks ago | businessobserverfl.com | Louis Llovio

Fort MyersFirst of its kind of hotel to openMarriott International opened a new studio only extended stay hotel in Fort Myers June 5. And it’s not only new for the city. This is the chain’s first ever StudioRes branded hotel, a concept it announced about two years ago. The 124-room hotel is at 9251 Hilsman Lane just off of the Alico Road exit of Interstate 75.
Nearly 80,000-square-foot Lakeland medical building breaks ground

3 weeks ago | businessobserverfl.com | Louis Llovio

Construction has started on a new medical office facility in Lakeland. The 77,200-square-foot Watson Clinic Medical Office building will be part of Orlando Health’s Lakeland Highlands Hospital campus under construction on Polk Parkway where it meets Lakeland Highlands Road. Hoar Construction, the general contractor for the Watson Clinic project, says work is expected to be completed by midyear 2026. The building, Hoar says, will include offices and imaging labs.
$300M Tampa project positions Coke Florida for generational growth

3 weeks ago | businessobserverfl.com | Louis Llovio

Just a few days after Memorial Day last month, Coca-Cola Beverages Florida invited more than 100 people to Tampa. It was for a grand opening event. This was the kind of affair where prominent local attorneys, a former Tampa mayor, the current Tampa mayor, economic development officials from two counties, business and nonprofit leaders and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cheerleaders all gathered under a tent in the Florida heat and swatted away bugs.
Downtown Tampa hotel owner borrows $38M

3 weeks ago | businessobserverfl.com | Louis Llovio

Newbond Holdings, the owners of the Aloft Tampa Downtown hotel, have refinanced the property at the gateway to the city’s downtown for $38 million — just two years shy after buying it. The loan, a five-year, floating-rate refinancing, was announced by JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group, which says the money comes from affiliates of New York-based Fortress Investment Group.
Ratings firm says regulators give pass to big banks with weak capital ratios

3 weeks ago | businessobserverfl.com | Mark Gordon

Shades of 2009-2010 — when there were 297 bank failures nationwide — are looming in an unusual battle between the Federal Communications Commission and one of the most recognized bank rating agencies. The FCC isn’t a banking regulator, per se, but it dipped into the field late last year when it eliminated the use of Weiss Ratings as the standard for U.S. banks to be considered “acceptable” to the commission for purposes of issuing qualifying program letters of credit.
Lee County opens emergency center expansion ahead of hurricane season

3 weeks ago | businessobserverfl.com | Louis Llovio

Manhattan Construction Company has finished an expansion at the Lee County Public Safety Center, just as the 2025 hurricane season kicks off. The company, with dual headquarters in Naples and Tulsa, Oklahoma, built the 36,873-square-foot, two-story wing at the center on Ortiz Avenue. The addition, according to a statement, was built to improve emergency response capabilities across the county’s public safety agencies.
Mental health text service extends reach in Charlotte, Pasco schools

3 weeks ago | businessobserverfl.com | Mark Gordon

Tampa mental health platform Cope Notes, which delivers text messages that foster emotional resilience and mental well-being, has extended its partnership with the Central Florida Behavioral Health Network to provide mental health services for school districts in Pasco, Charlotte and DeSoto counties.
Tampa General, combining tech and high-touch care, leads US in organ transplants

3 weeks ago | businessobserverfl.com | Laura Lyon

In 2022, Tampa General Hospital, already a top-five hospital in size with 1,040 beds and the 17th largest in the nation, set its sights on what Dr. Kiran Dhanireddy, vice president and chief of the TGH Transplant Institute, called two "big, hairy, audacious" goals: to be the largest transplant center in the country and to perform 1,000 transplants in one year.
More St. Pete layoffs after Trump administration cuts youth jobs program

3 weeks ago | businessobserverfl.com | Louis Llovio

Eckerd Connects, a Clearwater-based nonprofit that assists children, young adults and families in need, will lay off 47 employees in St. Petersburg in response to the Trump administration’s decision to cut a federal jobs program for young people. The nonprofit notified state and local officials it was eliminating the jobs shortly after Exceed LLC announced that it was cutting 119 workers because of the closing.