Latest news with #MikeSutton
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
More affordable housing coming to South St. Pete with Habitat for Humanity partnership
The Brief To address the affordable housing crisis, the City of St. Petersburg is partnering with Habitat for Humanity to build new homes in South St. Pete. A new community of 40 townhomes called Pelican Place is coming to South St. Pete. The city donated a vacant lot off 18th Avenue for the project, which sits across from the mostly empty Tangerine Plaza. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - In a bold effort to address the affordable housing crisis, the City of St. Petersburg is partnering with Habitat for Humanity to build new homes in South St. Pete. It's to ensure that families who live and work in the area have a real shot at staying in their community. As the Tampa Bay region continues to grow, so does the cost of housing — forcing many long-time residents out. Follow FOX 13 on YouTube "The need continues to increase, and we continue to see so many people priced out of our community," said Mike Sutton, the president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Tampa Bay and Gulf Side. The people most affected? Teachers, firefighters, police officers and essential workers who form the backbone of the city. Local perspective Habitat currently has 140 families enrolled in its homeownership program. One of the developments they'll have access to is Pelican Place — a new community of 40 townhomes in South St. Pete. READ: Florida ranked as the worst state in the country for aging in place: Study The city donated a vacant lot off 18th Avenue for the project, which sits across from the mostly empty Tangerine Plaza — also slated for redevelopment. "By putting 40 homeowners across the street in these townhomes... we hope it's a catalyst to get Tangerine Plaza redeveloped," Sutton said. Big picture view What sets this project apart is Habitat's commitment to sourcing future homeowners from within the surrounding neighborhood. "There's a pretty significant effort on our end to recruit future homeowners from the CRA [Community Redevelopment Area]," Sutton explained. MORE: New affordable housing complex opens in Winter Haven, offers on-site medical, mental health services City Councilmember Brandi Gabbard praised the move, saying, "That is something for a very long time we needed to make a greater effort at... so I just want to applaud you for taking that extra step. Dig deeper The homes at Pelican Place will be priced at $300,000 each, available to families earning less than 80% of the area's median income. And to keep the homes truly affordable, buyers will have zero-percent mortgages. Still, building homes isn't cheap — especially post-pandemic. "It costs us about $100,000 more to build a home than it did before 2020," Sutton said. What's next Pelican Place is expected to break ground by the end of this year. The Source The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Genevieve Curtis. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app:Apple |Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Associated Press
10-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Duke Energy Florida and Its Foundation Continue Their Commitment to Affordable Housing With $75,000 in Donations to Habitat for Humanity
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. April 10, 2025 /3BL/ - Duke Energy Florida and its foundation announce $75,000 in grant funding to several Habitat for Humanity organizations in Florida. This brings the five-year total investment in affordable housing initiatives in the state to more than $200,000. 'Habitat for Humanity builds homes, communities and hope,' said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. 'Supporting nonprofit organizations like Habit for Humanity allows the company to improve the vitality of the communities we serve while making a lasting difference in the lives of individual customers.' To advance home affordability in the state, Duke Energy Foundation has provided the following grants to directly support new homes and workforce training: Additionally, Duke Energy has provided $20,000 to support these nonprofit organizations' operations this year. 'We appreciate the support from companies that recognize the significance of affordable homeownership and the need to assist hard-working families within our communities,' stated Mike Sutton, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside. 'Both Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside and Duke Energy Florida are committed to a shared vision of constructing safe, affordable and energy-efficient homes that advance our communities.' In addition to foundation grants, employees will be building homes during volunteer events in west Orange and Citrus counties later this year. Through this volunteer effort, teams will contribute not only time and labor, but also a sense of community and hope, reinforcing our long-standing partnership with Habitat for Humanity to leave a lasting impact. Working together to support neighbors and customers through Habitat for Humanity is a longstanding tradition across Duke Energy. Since 2020, Duke Energy Florida and its foundation have contributed over $200,000 in the state. These funds are part of $1 million in donations and over 10,000 volunteer hours to Habitat for Humanity across all jurisdictions. To learn more about Habitat for Humanity's work through its 49 affiliate organizations across Florida, or to find the local Habitat for Humanity in your community, please visit here. Duke Energy FoundationDuke Energy Foundation provides more than $30 million annually in philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The Foundation is funded by Duke Energy shareholders. About Duke Energy FloridaDuke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,300 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida. Duke Energy Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 54,800 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. Duke Energy is executing an ambitious energy transition, keeping customer reliability and value at the forefront as it builds a smarter energy future. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including natural gas, nuclear, renewables and energy storage.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The big-name businesses opening their doors in south Essex next month
There are plenty of big businesses setting up shop across south Essex next month and we have collected all you need to know right here. The big names have not stopped coming for the area as The Range moves into the former Homebase store in Rayleigh Weir on April 25, while Waterstones is set to open in Basildon's former Superdry store in the Eastgate Shopping Centre. Meanwhile, Mexican food chain Chipotle will open its newest branch in the Lakeside Shopping Centre on April 5. Here's what we know about the stores: The Range - Rayleigh Weir The major DIY retailer confirmed earlier this month that its Rayleigh Weir store would be transformed into The Range superstore in April, and is set to feature a "Garden Centre by Homebase". This comes after months of uncertainty following Homebase's fall into administration, with the Basildon store having been closed in February and remaining empty. Councillors have welcomed news of the opening and believe it will serve as a boost to the entire area. Mike Sutton, Liberal Democrat councillor for Wheatley ward, said: "It's brilliant that we've got a big strong reputable national supplier coming in, it's better to have a business like that than an empty unit. "It's bringing more jobs, it has a fantastic range of products which are not offered in the immediate range of the area. It's great to have that on our doorstep' 'There's people that have worked at Homebase for years, hopefully there's some they can be transferred. I think this could be an excellent opportunity for the area. 'It was a shock to see the Homebase go, I can't remember a time when I didn't see the Homebase. 'It's always nice to see where some businesses are closing and others are growing, these thriving can take over.' Waterstones - Eastgate Shopping Centre Waterstones will move into the Eastgate Shopping Centre at the end of April, with company bosses and councillors hoping the store will bring a 'renewed sense of community' to the town centre. The Eastgate's Waterstones will take control of the unit previously housing a Superdry store. Dave Sheldrake, retail manager at Waterstones, said: 'We are absolutely delighted to be opening a bookshop in Basildon. 'At Waterstones, we pride ourselves on being at the heart of the community and our booksellers will always be on hand to make recommendations for books and gifts. 'We are passionate about helping our customers of all ages discover a new favourite read. From children's picture books to the latest non-fiction releases, our tables and shelves will offer something for all tastes. 'We can't wait to open our doors and to welcome the book lovers of Basildon into our beautiful new shop.' Chipotle - Lakeside Shopping Centre The new Grays store will be the first of its kind to open in Essex and will be opening on April 5. It will join Wingstop which opened its location in the shopping centre in March.
