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APRIL 2021 Events | Business + Development | Transportation + Planning | Community + Member News

REI Opens at Midtown Tampa The fifth Florida location for the outdoor retailer opened at Midtown Tampa last month. At 23,000 square feet it's the first retail store to open in the highly anticipated new development on the corner of I-275 & Dale Mabry Hwy. In lieu of a grand opening celebration, REI plans to invest a total of $10,000 in two local outdoor nonprofits, Friends of Alafia and Florida State Parks in support of Hillsborough River State Park. MORE

Ann Kulig, Mayor Jane Castor, Nick Haines and other notables at the March opening

BUSINESS + DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Air ambulance service Jet ICU relocating to Tampa International MORE Ben & Jerry's to join the lineup at Midtown Tampa MORE Miami's Grateful Hospitality to open Bird & Bone location MORE Excitement continues to build around Midtown Tampa MORE Turner Construction opens Tampa office MORE Tampa building boom continues despite pandemic MORE Drew Brees' sports bar coming to Midtown Tampa MORE Ulta Beauty now open at Walters Crossing

TRANSPORTATION + PLANNING

Governor wants $938M in Rescue Plan funds for transportation Florida transportation projects may not have to wait on a federal infrastructure bill to put shovels into dirt. Gov. Ron DeSantis has asked the State Legislature to allocate to transportation projects $938 million of Florida’s $4.1 billion from the American Rescue Plan Act. This means the transportation work program would be “fully funded at pre-pandemic levels” according to the Governor’s letter. There is cautious optimism that as more vaccines are delivered and COVID cases drop, Florida’s state budget situation will improve, and projects cut like the Westshore Interchange will at least be partially restored.

Cigar City Brewing among top craft brewing companies Cigar City Brewing and the CANarchy Craft Brewery Collective brands are the 6th largest producer of U.S. craft beer according to the annual list by the Brewers Association. The nationwide craft beer industry grew by 9-percent in 2020, but Cigar City grew by 27-percent, led by the new Jai Low IPA and the Florida Man Double IPA. The users of RateBeer ranked Cigar City the best brewery in Florida in 2020, and again among the best breweries in the world for the 11th consecutive year.

WESTSHORE ALLIANCE NEWS + EVENTS

2021 President Pat Kelly was featured in the Tampa Bay Business Journal last month. Read it here. Join Pat for a virtual Coffee on April 13! Event details below. Our own Michael Maurino, Director of Transportation and Planning, pictured above with his family at the NFL Experience, wrote a piece in 83 Degrees about the need for smarter growth policy. It's worth your time. Commentary: Running the risk of limiting our spaces

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Albatross Title Services BevelUp Brier Grieves Agency Inc Coastal Property Group International Gilbert Garcia Group, P.A. Poblocki Sign Company Providence Technology Solutions Spin The Egoscue Method Wood plc Do you know someone who would benefit from Alliance membership? Refer a new member and receive a certificate for FREE admission to an upcoming Westshore Alliance virtual event. Learn more about membership benefits.

MEMBERSHIP MILESTONES Thank you to the following companies that have recently renewed their Alliance membership.

20+ Years AAA - The Auto Club Group AECOM Air Animal Pet Movers DeLaVergne & Company   15 - 19 Years Bayport Plaza Best Buy Walter's Crossing WestShore Plaza 10 - 14 Years Bashor & Legendre, LLP Tampa Housing Authority Valley   5 - 9 Years BioSpine Institute Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Cigar City Brewing, LLC Fintech Florida Retail Partners, Inc. Hancock Whitney The Godfrey Hotel & Cabanas Tampa Wade Trim, Inc. Yacht StarShip Cruises & Events 1 - 4 Years Barrett School of Music Blind Tiger Cafe CDM Smith CenterState Bank/SouthState Bank Chick-Fil-A Tampa Stadium Computer Coach Training Centers My Neighborhood Storage Center Jolley Trolley Transportation of Clearwater, Inc. Ross Realty Group, Inc. Schooley Mitchell of Tampa Bay Sparxoo The Matassini Law Firm, P.A.

UPCOMING WESTSHORE ALLIANCE EVENTS 4/7:  Virtual Master Plan Committee Meeting - members only 4/8: WESTSHORE 101 sponsored by Cogent Bank 4/13: Virtual Coffee with the President sponsored by Roebuck Technologies 4/29: Virtual Cultivating your Connections with Sandler Training sponsored by CenterState Bank/SouthState  Join other members at an upcoming informal gathering - Meet Up Calendar

COMMUNITY + MEMBER NEWS

More news about Westshore and Alliance Members:  Academic Alliance in Dermatology selected as top place to work Reliaquest CEO named board chair TPA turns 50 with a request for historical images BRP Group announces new hire Golf coming to Raymond James Stadium Tampa Bay Partnership CEO to step down United Way offers tax assistance Tampa Bay Rays promotional lineup announced HCI Group names new COO HCC theatre department presents 5 short plays Florida Blue named top employer Namaste & Rose plus other enticing events at the Godfrey Hotel & Cabanas Bloomin' Brands names new head of human resources Florida Funders invests in micro-betting start up HCC film students work with actor Andy Garcia M2Gen gets private equity investment United Way Suncoast welcomes VP of Communications CAE acquisition and potential for future growth

Thank You, Media Partners

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