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Talk of the bay: Publix back in Bucs' huddle as top sponsor

By Times staff
Published August 23, 2007

Publix Super Markets Inc. has renewed its top-tier Pewter Partner sponsorship with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after a four-year hiatus. Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. replaced Lakeland-based Publix in 2003, but gave it up when the chain was in Chapter 11 bankruptcy two years ago. Publix has similar deals that include stadium signs with the Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Braves.

Downtown rent up, as are vacancies
More offices go begging in downtown St. Petersburg. Vacancies are approaching 11 percent, up from 7 percent last year. But the market's not griping. In fact, average rents have skyrocketed. In the quarter ended June 30, rents surged 9 percent, to $24.21 per square foot from $22.15. The Grubb & Ellis real estate firm tracked the increases to large jumps at the Bank of America Tower and the Plaza Tower. Vacancy clicked up when Progress Energy Florida vacated its old quarters and moved into its own 16-story tower at 299 First Ave. N.

Builder CCI wants a piece of Coast
Former business partners Construction Compliance Inc. and Coast Bank, the companies behind busted deals to build investment homes in Sarasota County, are duking it out in court. CCI, a builder based in St. Petersburg, followed through this week with its threat to sue Coast. Among other demands, CCI wants restitution for damages, lost profits and fees tied to its deal with Coast that left more than 400 homebuyers with construction debt but no homes to show for it. Also named as defendant was American Mortgage Link. CCI filed the lawsuit as part of its bankruptcy proceedings. Coast, hobbled by unpaid loans of about $60-million from the CCI deals, plans to merge this year with First Banks Inc. of Missouri.

Clarification
- A story Wednesday named Jabil Circuit Inc. as a local manufacturer that has expanded production offshore. A company spokesman said none of those jobs had been relocated from St. Petersburg.

[Last modified August 22, 2007, 23:19:02]