October 19,2020ByDAVID VEGA

Snowcat Ridge Alpine Snow Park, a first-of-its-kind entertainment venue in Florida

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SAY IT AIN’T SNOW! Its hard to believe but Florida will soon have a winter wonderland for families and tourists to enjoy come this November. Tickets are now on sale to the Snowcat Ridge Alpine Snow Park. The attraction located in Dade City, which is about 35 miles north of Tampa, will feature a 60-feet tall snowy slope and a 10,000 square foot arctic igloo snow-dome where families can build snowmen and castles. The igloo will feature a smaller “bunny slope” for children. A pair of Magic Carpet lifts will whisk riders and their snow tubes to the top of the hill. Guests can ride in a single, tandem or family-style tube down Snowy Slopes. Officials said the park will feature magical music and a light show on the slopes nightly which can be seen from the Holiday Market at the park’s Alpine Village. According to the company website, The Alpine Village will have a variety of food vendors offering hot and cold beverages, beer, wine and food. The pre-season sale began Friday and runs for a limited time. Use discount code SNOW10 to save 10 percent off the regularly priced general admission ticket. Tickets start at $24.95. To purchase a lift ticket, click here....

October 14,2020ByDAVID VEGA

Amazon adds 9th facility with Another $15 million in Jacksonville.

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Amazon.com Inc. continues its Jacksonville expansion with a 477,946-square-foot package delivery hub in North Jacksonville that is being built-out for $15 million. Amazon is bringing 1500 additional jobs to Jacksonville It is the Seattle-based online retailer’s ninth identified facility in Northeast Florida. The city issued a permit Oct. 13 for the Threecore LLC in Sarasota to build-out a new warehouse at 250 Busch Drive E. in Imeson Intern Industrial Park. Baker Barrios Architects Inc. of Orlando is the architect. Plans show the project is an Amazon.com package delivery service with employees in two shifts days and evenings and a possible third seasonal shift. No job count was stated. It is labeled DJX3, an Amazon code. Packages arriving at the facility will be labeled for shipping within local neighborhoods and surrounding areas by vans. The city approved construction of the shell building in May 2019 for Webb Southeast Construction Corp. to build the distribution center on 30.69 acres at a construction cost of almost $13.7 million. No tenant was specified, but utility JEA’s description in a service availability letter called it a “478,000-square-foot warehouse with 200 employees and 102 loading bays, 337 parking spaces, and 133 spaces for trailer parking.” Amazon operates two area fulfillment centers, JAX2 at Pecan Park Road in Northwest Jacksonville and JAX3 in Cecil Commerce Center in West Jacksonville; the JAX5 Westside sortation center; and the AMXL HJX1 facility in Westside to handle heavy bulk freight. The JAX7 fulfillment facility is under construction in Imeson Park, not far from the new package delivery center. Another, DJX6, is planned in St. Johns County. Amazon has also pledged to invest over $700 million to provide upskilling training for 100,000 U.S. employees for in-demand jobs. These programs will help Amazonians from all backgrounds access training to move into highly-skilled roles across the company’s corporate offices, tech hubs, fulfillment centers, retails stores, and transportation networks, but they can also choose to pursue career paths outside of Amazon. “Florida is a great state for business, and building this site in Jacksonville gives us the opportunity to better serve our customers in the region,” said Alicia Boler Davis, Amazon’s vice president of global customer fulfillment. “We are excited about our growth and remain committed to creating a positive economic impact in the region with job opportunities that come with great pay and industry-leading benefits.” Amazon said that since 2010, the company has created more than 30,000 jobs in Florida and invested more than $9.5 billion in the state, including infrastructure and compensation. Also, these investments created 29,000 indirect jobs from jobs in construction and logistics to professional services....

October 13,2020ByDAVID VEGA

Chicago newest bar and restaurant on Jewelry Row

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There’s a new gem in the area after all the destruction and mayhem. An Upscale sports bar called Row Tavern featured Mama’s Kitchen as its home cooked dining specials. This is not your typical sports bar! All class and their very own home cooked meals from mother’s kitchen brings a tasty experience like no other – food just like your mama or grandma used to make. And if the delicious, home cooked meals aren’t enough to entice you, The Row Tavern’s extensive tap and bar menu and 50 televisions including 2 big screens should do it! With 12,000 square feet of space available, there is plenty of room to spread out and catch your favorite team’s win, celebrate with friends and family or simply enjoy a drink or two after work. Personally, a great local addition to watch all sports games and mingle with business professionals. Website: https://therowtavern.com/...

October 13,2020ByDAVID VEGA

Puttshack’s new Social Mini-Golf venues are first of many to come stateside

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The world’s first super-tech mini golf experience ⛳️. Tee Up | Eat Up | Drink Up – This Mini golf concept Puttshack is coming to Oakbrook Center and has its River North HQ in Chicago. Puttshack is part of a ground-breaking social entertainment brand founded by Adam Breeden, founder of Acebounce and co-founder of Flight Club, and Steve and Dave Jolliffe, founders of Top Golf. Chicago’s Oakbrook mall space in the city’s western suburb will be the first of many of 25k+ sq ft fun, with another in the works in Miami and Atlanta expected to open in 2021 as more plans for others in the same year. Puttshack uses space-age technology called Trackaball™, so it knows exactly who the ball belongs to, how many times it’s been hit, how far it has traveled, and so on. Your scores will then immediately appear on the leaderboard, so you can see how your skills compare to your mates’, your work colleagues’, and random strangers who played last week. Puttshack offers a full kitchen, a cocktail menu, and refreshments. While the menu has yet to be released for its coming US locations, the company promises edible options “from vegans to omnivores to craft cocktail connoisseurs.” LinkedIn profile, Puttshack launched in June 2018, bringing the world’s first super high-tech indoor mini-golf course and ultimate social entertainment venue to West London. Brought to you by the brains behind London and Chicago’s favorite ping pong venues, Bounce, dart venues of Flight Club, and the founders and tech whizzes behind global phenomenon Topgolf. Puttshack is the world’s first mini-golf venue to feature sophisticated ball tracking and scoring technology, Trackaball™. The brand-new technology means pencils and scorecards can be thrown away and you’ll never get away with cheating again! Puttshack features four interactive and innovative nine-hole courses alongside a 750-capacity rum bar and restaurant, which boasts a refined, hand-crafted menu curated by Richard Edney. Puttshack has further plans to expand across the UK and the US within the next 24 months. Visit the locations on their website: https://www.puttshack.com/...

October 9,2020ByDAVID VEGA

Broadway continues shutdown till June 2021

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Bad news for the arts. The Broadway League reportedly will announce another extension of the stage shut down in New York City today. The shutdown will be extended, and that there will be no Broadway performances before June 2021. That’s according to NY1 sources. Several new shows that have been scheduled to open have been canceled or postponed. According to sources, “The Lion King” and “The Phantom of the Opera” will most likely not reopen until the fall of 2021. Sarah Jessica Parker was set to appear in a spring revival of “Plaza Suite” opposite husband, Matthew Broderick. She hopes people will come back and support the theaters. If theaters remain closed through June 1, 2021, that will mean between 14 and 15 months of closures....

October 5,2020ByDAVID VEGA

Jaguars, Jacksonville city announce $450 million mixed-use development at Lot J

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The Jacksonville Jaguars and Mayor Lenny Curry’s administration released details Oct. 5 and announced a deal to finance team owner Shad Khan’s $450 million proposed development at Lot J near TIAA Bank Field. Mayor Curry proposes the city pay for its portion during construction with revenue bonds. The city would spend no more than $50 million for the Live! district under the deal and $77.7 million in the project’s infrastructure. No more than $25 million in incentives would go toward the hotel and residential development. That comprises a mix of grants and completion payments. Curry’s administration also wants to provide Khan’s development team with a $65.5 million construction loan, which he said would be secured by a $13.1 million deposit into a city trust. The loan included in the deal is known in the real estate industry as a “breadbox loan,” a novel financial program designed to allow developers to receive money from municipal governments, much like a grant, while avoiding the significant federal tax impact of actually receiving one, according to documents created by UTW Capital, LLC, a firm that manages these types of loans. Mayor Lenny Curry said that the city would loan Khan’s development team $65.5 million, but he didn’t say the loan would be interest free or take the city as long as 50 years to be repaid. The mixed-use development dubbed the “Live! District,” will include:two residential buildings with a total of 400 for-rent residences, a 150-250 room hotel, 75,000 square feet of street-level retail, 40,000 square feet of Class A office space, a 750-space surface parking lot, two 350-space parking garages, and a 100,000 square-foot entertainment center with bars and restaurants, as well as indoor and outdoor facilities. Lot J site work could start in early 2021 and construction will take 36 months. The Jaguars and city said there will be 2,300 construction jobs to build Lot J and 1,000 permanent jobs. “I am very proud to invest in this project and reinforce my commitment to Jacksonville, our downtown and all of Duval,” said Shad Khan, owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars. “A vibrant downtown drives economic upside and opportunity for the entirety of a community. This is our moment to make that happen in Jacksonville while creating jobs and bringing people together in the process.” The city’s $92.8 million infrastructure responsibilities include $33.3 million for site improvements, $6.3 million for environmental remediation, $44.9 million for structured parking, and $8.3 million for surface parking. In May, city Director of Public Affairs Nikki Kimbleton told a teleconferenced meeting of the Jax Chamber’s Downtown Council on Friday morning that Lot J was a priority. Jacksonville City Council President Tommy Hazouri added: “Economic development is a major priority of our City Council, and the revitalization of downtown is a key priority for the economic growth of Northeast Florida. This unprecedented project at Lot J will further enhance Jacksonville’s growing reputation as a world-class destination for citizens and visitors alike....

October 3,2020ByDAVID VEGA

St. Augustine’s Nights of Lights will begin earlier this year in 2020

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City commissioners have passed Resolution 2020-26, which will allow for the annual Nights of Lights event to kick off on Saturday, Nov. 14. The city will be draped in white lights each evening through Jan. 31, 2021. Nights of Lights has been listed among the top ten holiday light displays globally by National Geographic. During Nights of Lights, St. Augustine glows and sparkles with holiday magic – from the ground to the rooftops. St. Augustine’s Nights of Lights features millions of tiny white lights that create a magical atmosphere in the Nation’s Oldest Historic City, and it’s free of charge. Para información sobre Nights of Lights en español, presiona aquí. Local secret: One of the hidden treasures in sight-seeing this beautiful night is on the water, with the crew of Old Town Cycle Cruise. The best boating Experience on the matanza. So, Don’t miss out and start booking the 2.5 hours in boating fun....

October 1,2020ByDAVID VEGA

Florida’s eviction and foreclosure moratorium will expire – DeSantis

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Desantis allows Florida’s eviction moratorium to expire. DeSantis announced Wednesday evening that he would be allowing the state moratorium to expire at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday (Oct. 1st). This means some single-family homeowners may be left without protection against foreclosure proceedings. In the release, DeSantis spokesman Fred Piccolo said the governor was allowing the moratorium to expire “to avoid any confusion over whether the CDC’s evictions order should apply in a particular circumstance.” Since the federal order was announced, lawyers and court staff have been left to work through their own interpretations of which order would prevail and how it would affect eviction filings. The bigger picture, the CDC’s order requires renters to earn less than $99,000 annually and submit a report showing they cannot pay rent or are likely to become homeless if evicted. Renters must also offer that they tried to obtain all government assistance available for rent or housing. They cannot make payments due to loss of household income, a layoff, or extraordinary out-of-pocket medical expenses. A Side note, The CDC’s eviction order is currently being challenged in federal court and may be struck down soon. Of note: Estimates from August found that 23 million Americans are at risk of eviction due to the pandemic....

September 21,2020ByDAVID VEGA

The 65th anniversary of the Jacksonville fair has been cancelled

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The Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair, which was to run Nov. 5 through Nov. 15, usually attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors, is now canceled. The fair usually helps small businesses in various arts and craft displays, livestock shows, rides, and other live concert events. “The safety of the Jacksonville Fair’s visitors, participants and community is the highest priority in producing the annual fair. After much discussion and debate with the Fair Board and stakeholders, it became clear that cancellation was the prudent choice for the fair to do its part to improve community health and safety and reduce the cycle of infection. The Jacksonville Fair will return bigger and better than ever November 4 – 14, 2021.”...

September 18,2020ByDAVID VEGA

YouTube Shorts – Google’s attempt to TikTok?

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Like Instagram did with Reels, YouTube is rolling out a new short-form video creator called YouTube Shorts that the company hopes will take some attention away from TikTok. A unique feature being tested in limited markets, and India is the first beta testers. YouTube Shorts offers the following features to video creators: Create and upload videos of 15-seconds or less. Edit videos with several creative tools. Stitch shorter clips together with a multi-segment camera. Add music to videos from YouTube’s library. Speed up or slow down videos. Timers and countdowns. Similar to TikTok, Shorts will let people make 15-second videos that can be set to music. Tag Music is available via an “in-product music picker feature,” a YouTube spokesperson told Tridence. The selector “currently has 100,000s of tracks, and we’re working with music artists, labels, and publishers to make more of their content available to continue expanding our catalog.” These videos are up to 15 seconds and can be seen on the YouTube homepage, called the new Shorts shelf, and across other parts of the YouTube app. The company announced in an official blog post, and here are more details on what to expect from the official blog: Create: Creation is at the core of short-form video, and we want to make it easy and fun to create Shorts. We’re starting to test just a few new tools for creators and artists with our early beta in India: A multi-segment camera to string multiple video clips together, The option to record with music from an extensive library of songs that will continue to grow, Speed controls that give you the flexibility to be creative in your performance, And a timer and countdown to easily record, hands-free. Get discovered: Every month, 2 billion viewers come to YouTube to laugh, learn, and connect. Creators have built entire businesses on YouTube, and we want to enable the next generation of mobile creators also to grow a community on YouTube with Shorts. Watch: You may have recently seen a row on the YouTube homepage, especially for short videos. Starting today, we’re also introducing a new watch experience that lets you quickly swipe vertically from one video to the next, plus discover other similar short videos. We’re also going to make it even easier to start watching Shorts. In short, YouTube’s competitive advantage over both TikTok and Instagram boils down to one thing: numbers. YouTube has more monthly active users than both TikTok and Instagram combined at 2 billion. That’s a considerably greater audience of people who can discover content created with YouTube Shorts. Currently, in Android, YouTube noted that Shorts would expand to iOS as more features will be added over time, and it’s confirmed that YouTube Shorts will expand to more countries in the coming months....