Montague resigns from Delray commission
DELRAY BEACH — Vice Mayor Brenda Montague will resign as a member of the Delray Beach City Commission effective at the end of business on July 18 for family reasons. READ MORE.
Pugliese PR adds six clients
BOYNTON BEACH – In the first half of 2008, Pugliese Public Relations has gained six new clients. They are Habitat for Humanity South Palm Beach County; Taylored Property Management: John Davis, Counseling and Psychotherapy; Paul Steven Photography; and Yofi Designs, all in Delray beach, and EJ Jewelry of Boca Raton. Pugliese will provide media relations, media coaching, publicity, and corporate communication programs.
“Each of our clients had a specific communications agenda that we needed to address,” said Tina Pugliese, executive coach with Pugliese Public Relations. “Most were looking for more visibility to their many audiences. Some were expanding a local business into a national market. Each of these clients is well on their way to measurable improvement in their communication strategies.”
Couture Cakes has sweet opening
By DAVID SEDORE, Palm Beach Business.com Staff
DELRAY BEACH — Couture Cakes officially is open for business. READ MORE.
Palm Beach County workforce summit set for Thursday
WEST PALM BEACH — Palm Beach County's Workforce Summit 2008 hosted by Workforce Alliance will be held at the Kravis Center Thursday from 7:45 a.m.-11:30 a.m. featuring two speakers and program on the future of Palm Beach County work force development.
"Over 200 leaders of small and large businesses, educators, union representatives, economic development groups and employers have signed up for the Summit and will offer input and participate in exercises to support the development of the future plans for Workforce Development in Palm Beach County," Workforce Alliance President and CEO Kathryn Schmidt, said.
Futurist Ed Barlow discuss options for recruiting and training future workers for the challenges of the workplace.
Erik Wahl, an expert on organizational excellence, will speak as well.
Mystery market potential tenant for Old School Square garage
DELRAY BEACH — A mystery candidate has emerged as a candidate to fill the city commission’s craving for a really great sandwich shop in the downtown. READ MORE.
Sun American celebrates 1 year
Sun American's Thomas Hayden chats with customers.
Delray Beach Branch Manager Duance O'Connor, with Sohaila Torrez, financial service manager, Gina Bargerstock, customer service manager and Julie Nichols.
DELRAY BEACH — Sun American Bank's Delray Beach office celebrated its one year anniversary Wednesday with a party for friends, customers and staff. Sun American actually opened the Delray office in February 2007 but didn't hold its grand opening until late April that year.
Boca Raton-based Sun American operates eight branches in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. The Delray office is at 2160 W. Atlantic Avenue.
Dockerty Romer arranges Delray Industrial Park refinancing
DELRAY BEACH — Joe Hepp of Dockerty Romer & Co. has arranged refinancing for the Delray Industrial Park. Americo Life Inc. provided the loan. READ MORE.
Gelato on the Grove officially opens with ribbon-cutting
From left: Mary Panchal, Delray Vice Mayor Brenda Montague, Jasmine Panchal, and Deputy Vice Mayor Woodie McDuffy.
DELRAY BEACH — With the assistance of Vice Mayor Brenda Montague and Deputy Vice Mayor Woodie McDuffy and a faux snip of a ribbon, Gelato on the Grove officially opened for business Monday.
The restaurant, at 269 NE 2nd Ave. in the Pineapple Grove section of Delray, has been selling its selection of sandwiches, salads and of course, gelato, for about a month-and-a-half says co-owner Jasmine Panchal. The gelato, or Italian ice cream, is made daily.
Also on hand for the official open were the Delray Chamber's Beth Johnston and Suzy Sims.
Deal for free Internet service dies; City holds line on parking fees
By DAVID SEDORE, Palm Beach Business.com
DELRAY BEACH — So much for free wireless Internet service in the downtown, at least for now.
The Delray Beach City Commission Tuesday agreed to terminate a contract with E-Path Communications, the Tampa-based firm that was supposed to wire Atlantic Avenue and provide the free service. READ MORE.
Delray commission honors Reardons for charity efforts
DELRAY BEACH — Delray Vice Mayor Brenda Montague, left, presents a certificate to Kerry Reardon and Joe Reardon, owners of Intracoastal Cruise Tours, for their efforts on behalf of local charities. The Delray Chamber of Commerce, Kids and Cops Program, Delray Art League, and American Cancer Society are some of the organizations that have benefited from their generosity.
Proton treatment center planned
BOCA RATON — Boca Raton Proton Therapy and ProCure Treatment Centers announced Tuesday that they will develop a proton treatment center in South Florida, and expect to begin treating patients within 26 months of breaking ground.
Proton therapy is an alternative to conventional X-ray radiation treatments, but without many of the short- and long-term side effects patients often experience. Proton therapy can be precisely targeted to a tumor, allowing patients to receive higher, more effective doses, and greatly reducing damage to healthy tissue near the tumor.
The 58,000-square-foot center will be built in Broward or Palm Beach County. It will be able to treat as many as 1,500 patients a year. The American Cancer Society estimates there were abouty 106,500 new cases of cancer in Florida in 2007. Radiation oncologists estimate about 60 percent of those patients will receive radiation therapy at some point during treatment and, using conservative estimates, about 30 percent of those patients could benefit from proton therapy.
The center will be the second proton therapy center in Florida and one of a handful that will be operating in the United States by the time it is completed.
Local builders to take part in Habitat home construction "blitz"
DELRAY BEACH — Local builders and other industry professionals are joining Habitat for Humanity South Palm Beach County to raise the roof on two homes in Delray Beach as part of the Habitat for Humanity “Home Builders Blitz” 2008 taking place May 31 to June 7. READ MORE.
Delray expands downtown shuttle
DELRAY BEACH — Delray’s Downtown Roundabout Shuttle service will expand as of Monday, thanks to the Florida Department of Transportation. READ MORE.
Work on Worthing Place condo project could begin soon
By DAVID SEDORE, Palm Beach Business.com Staff
DELRAY BEACH — Worthing Place, the 217-unit condo project in the downtown, could be coming out of the ground soon. Very soon. READ MORE.
Dockerty Romer arranges loan for California medical building deal
DELRAY BEACH — Craig Romer of Delray Beach-based Dockerty Romer & Co. has arranged $10.7 million in acquisition financing for Escondido Medical Arts building in Escondido, Calif. READ MORE.
Office Depot to offer free copies
DELRAY BEACH — Office Depot is offering customers free copies, up to 25 single-sided pages, of their 2007 tax returns between April 6 and 15. The service will available at more than 1,200 Office Depot stores nationwide.
“While the trend in taxes has shifted greatly in the direction of electronic filing, it’s always important to have a hard copy of all of your important tax information and paperwork,” said Randy Pianin, senior vice president of Office Depot’s Design, Print, & Ship Depot.Office Depot enters technology services, repairs business
DELRAY BEACH — Office Depot said Tuesday that it is launching a tech support service called Tech Depot Services. In-home and in-office services are available for customers throughout the country, while 85 Office Depot retail locations in Florida are also offering Tech Depot Services in-store.
Office Depot said it expects the service to be available at all of its stores nationwide this year.
Tech Depot Services will set up virtually any technology product, plus it will provide PC tune-ups and repairs, wireless network installation, new software installation, TV installation, and even setting up a data protection and back-up plan for critical files.
“Many small businesses and home office professionals simply don’t have the time or budget to handle their numerous computer and technology needs and are looking for help,” said Chuck Rubin, president of North American Retail for Office Depot.
VeriChip gets $8 million loan
DELRAY BEACH — VeriChip Corp., a provider of radio frequency identification systems for health-care uses, said Tuesday said it has received an $8 million loan from Valens Offshore II Corp.
The financing is a thirteen-month, non-convertible term loan bearing interest at an annual rate interest rate of 12 percent. In consideration of the financing, VeriChip issued to Valens 120,000 shares common stock.
The company will use $5.3 million to prepay debt owed to Digital Angel. As a result, VeriChip will not be obligated to make any further debt service payments to Digital Angel until September 2009, effectively increasing its working capital by more than $3.6 million for 2008.
City advisory board recommends holding the line on parking fees
DELRAY BEACH — The cost of new parking spaces for downtown businesses won’t be increasing — if the city’s parking management advisory board has its way. READ MORE.
King's Market deal dead; Delray seeks buyer for garage space
By DAVID SEDORE, Palm Beach Business.com
DELRAY BEACH — So much for King’s Market coming to downtown Delray. READ MORE.
Montague, Fetzer win re-election
DELRAY BEACH — Incumbents Brenda Montague and Fred Fetzer have won new two-year terms on the city commission.
The city has scheduled a March 11 election, but Montague and Fetzer did not draw opposition by the filing deadline.
Fetzer serves as vice mayor; Montague is deputy vice mayor.
Delray board continues to debate paid parking for the downtown
By DAVID SEDORE, Palm Beach Business.com staff
DELRAY BEACH — Lots of ideas, little consensus other than paid parking in the downtown won’t be popular.
Tuesday night, the Delray Beach Parking Management Advisory Board once again took up the thorny question of how to impose paid parking without creating — or at least minimizing — a public relations disaster. READ MORE.
Integrative Acupuncture holds open house for charity
DELRAY BEACH — Integrative Acupuncture officially opened for business Friday with an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony. READ MORE.
United Way opens VITA tax prep sites throughout county
BOYNTON BEACH —The United Way of Palm Beach County is offering free income-tax preparation service to Palm Beach County residents who earned $40,000 or less in 2007.
The program is available through the United Way’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites. Last year, over 10,000 individuals and families used this service, and received $14 million in refunds.
United Way operates more than 25 VITA sites, which are located throughout the county. More than 200 volunteers, IRS trained and certified, are recruited by United Way to prepare the tax returns.
Returns are e-filed so taxpayers can receive their return in 10 to 12 days. Sites are open days, nights and weekends, with many of them providing services in both English and Spanish, and services for the disability community.
United Way of Palm Beach County has an updated list of VITA sites on its Web site; residents can call 2-1-1, the county's information and referral line, to find a site.
Auburn gets $1 million loan write-off for Southwest redevelopment
By DAVID SEDORE, Palm Beach Business.com Staff
DELRAY BEACH — Auburn Development didn’t quite get what it originally wanted. But company executives didn’t leave Wednesday’s meeting with the Delray City Commission empty handed either. READ MORE.
Integrative Acupuncture to hold open house for charity
DELRAY BEACH — Dr. Harmony Brown and Dr. Kim Marrone of Integrative Acupuncture are sponsoring a free open house on Friday to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and AVDA of Palm Beach County.
The even will run from 5 to 7 p.m. at Integrative’s offices at 220 Congress Park Drive, Suite 239.
The open house will include free demonstrations of tai chi, pilates yoga, and free mini massages. Anyone who donates $20 or more to the Leukemia Society or AVDA will receive a free wellness consultation and stress screening from Integrative Acupuncture.
The event is co-sponsored by Blush Salon in Pineapple Grove and Avenue Pilates.
Dockerty Romer & Co. sees loan production rise in 2007
DELRAY BEACH — Dockerty Romer & Co closed more than $575 million in loans in 28 separate transactions during 2007.
Medical office buildings made up 33 percent of production; hospitality 24 percent; mixed-use/apartments 26 percent; office 10 percent and retail made up 7 pecent. The largest deal was a $134 million construction loan for the Seagate Hotel and Residences in Delray Beach.
In addition Dockerty Romer & Co arranged a $127 million for a multi-use apartment & retail joint venture in Boynton Beach. The average loan size was $20.5 million and 75 percent of the deals were in Florida.
Commercial banks were the source of loans for a third of the transactions; investment bank conduits 23 percent; and life companies/pension funds funded 34 percent of the transactions.
In 2006, Dockerty Romer & Co. closed $513 million in loans.
