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Talk of the bay: Minimum is all that is bid for Pearlman site

By Times staff
Published April 6, 2007

Developer Cameron Kuhn was the only bidder when Orlando's Church Street Station went on the auction block Thursday. He bid $34-million, the minimum bid set by the bankruptcy court because that's about what is owed to secured creditors. The retail, office and entertainment complex is owned by F.F. Station, part of music producer Lou Pearlman's holdings. Pearlman is accused of bilking investors out of $317-million and banks of millions more. He is believed to be out of the country.

Confidence waning in local job market
Tampa is often tops in creating happy workers, say surveys over the past six months or so by the Hudson Employment Index. But in March, Tampa fell behind Atlanta, Dallas and the Twin Cities in Hudson's measurement of worker confidence, which it tracks in 11 cities. The index says fewer local workers predicted their companies would be hiring, fewer rated their finances as excellent, and fewer were happy with their jobs. Still, area worker confidence is still higher than in most cities surveyed.

Sneak preview for movie tax breaks?
A tax-break plan supported by Gov. Charlie Crist to bring more filmmakers to Florida is set for a vote on the House floor. House Bill 1325 was unanimously passed by the Policy and Budget Council on Thursday, after sailing through two other House panels. HB 1325 would let the state allot $75-million in tax incentives over three years to producers who shoot their movies, TV shows or music videos in Florida. It's less than what Crist had hoped for - $75-million per year for three years - but more than the state's current annual limit of $20-million. The sister bill, SB 96, is still in committee in the Senate.

AutoNation boss' fuel plan in gear
Mike Jackson, head of Fort Lauderdale's AutoNation, has belittled auto executives when it comes to upping their cars' fuel economy. Now Jackson's upping the ante. Starting next week, AutoNation, the country's largest auto retailer, which operates as Autoway in the Tampa Bay area, will single out fuel-friendly cars that get at least 28 miles to the gallon or 10 percent better fuel efficiency than other cars in their class. Each car will get a green, leaf-shaped E-Vehicle logo. Hybrids and diesels fill the list, but surprises like the Dodge Grand Caravan minivan and the Chevrolet Malibu also appear.

[Last modified April 5, 2007, 23:21:22]