​Meet the first woman ever to run this often-overlooked but vital part of San Diego’s economy

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After a yearlong national search to find a chief executive, the Port of San Diego turned to Randa Coniglio, a long-time executive who has spent the past 15 years working with the port’s most valuable asset — real estate.

In June, Coniglio became the first female president and CEO in the port’s 52-year history, overseeing an agency with a $150 million annual budget and 530 employees. She also steps in at a delicate time for the port. Her predecessor, Wayne Darbeau, was ousted as CEO last year… …read more

Housing market shines for home builders; sales, buyer traffic continue to grow

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It’s been nearly 10 years since home builders have been this confident about the housing market.

The Housing Market Index, which is based on a survey by the National Association of Home Builders, rose 1 point to 61 this month, its highest level since November 2015. Builders were asked about current sales of new single-family houses, sales expectations for the next six months, and traffic of prospective buyers. Two components — current sales and buyer traffic — were up, while sales expectations… …read more

Channel district’s newest apartments to break ground (Renderings)

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The Channel district’s newest residential development is under way.

The real estate development arm of Florida Crystals and the city of Tampa plan to officially mark the groundbreaking of a 300-unit, eight-story apartment building on the former Amazon Hose and Rubber site on Wednesday.

The warehouse was demolished months ago, and site work is under way for the new apartments at the intersection of Kennedy Boulevard and North 12th Street. The development will include a six-story parking garage and… …read more

For JE Dunn VP, Tampa office a homecoming

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JE Dunn Construction is coming back to Florida — and Jake Nellis is coming home.

Nellis, a vice president with JE Dunn, is a Tampa native who’s moved back to the city to helm the company’s Florida office.

When the real estate market collapsed, JE Dunn closed its Florida office in 2008. But after winning major contracts with Brandon Regional Medical Center and BayCare Health System, the company sees enough potential growth in the Sunshine State to open another office here — and Tampa is… …read more

New List for 2015: Custom homebuilders

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The Tampa Bay Business Journal is surveying for its Lists of homebuilders and custom homebuilders. This is a new approach from prior years where we published just a single Homebuilders List.

The Lists are open to any companies that are building new homes in the Tampa Bay area, which includes Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Sarasota counties.

The initial survey links were sent out via email on Aug. 13. Anyone who did not receive a survey link or received the wrong one… …read more

Port’s ambitious Channel district real estate plan includes retail, residential and commercial

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The expanse of pavement that lines Channelside Drive could some day be home to a glitzy mix of residential towers and retail and commercial space — a total of 9 million square feet of space and $1.5 billion in development costs.

Port Tampa Bay on Thursday unveiled a “vision plan” for its Channel district real estate that would redevelop 45 acres of port-owned land along Channelside Drive and the Ybor Channel, north of the Florida Aquarium. It will be divided into four districts: the cruise… …read more

Kriseman: Thanks, Glenn Beck, for labeling St. Pete among ‘least religious’ cities in U.S.

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St. Petersburg on Tuesday was labeled one of the ” least religious cities” in the U.S. by conservative radio commentator Glenn Beck — a distinction that thrilled Mayor Rick Kriseman.

“Woke up, sun shining, & @glennbeck lumping #StPete in w/ Portland-San Fran-Seattle-Denver-Phoenix as cities to avoid. An honor! #ThanksGlenn,” Kriseman, a Democrat, tweeted.

Beck certainly didn’t mean the label as an honor.

“This is the list of the top 15 least religious cities in America,” Glenn said. “These… …read more

In Tampa Bay, you’re better off buying a house near Trader Joe’s versus Whole Foods

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In Tampa Bay, cookie butter, cheap wine and edamame hummus are better for your home value than organic produce and ethically raised meat.

That’s according to data from RealtyTrac, which shows that home values in the same Tampa Bay ZIP code as a Trader Joe’s are on the rise in Tampa and St. Petersburg.

Of course, there are many variables to home values and how much the property has appreciated in the time since it was purchased. Trader Joe’s most recent Bay region locations are in two in-demand… …read more

Port Tampa Bay to unveil plan for Channel district property

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Port Tampa Bay will unveil its plans for its real estate holdings in downtown Tampa’s Channel district on Thursday morning.

The port said Tuesday that it would “provide an overview of the proposal and distribute renderings” of the plan. Its real estate in the Channel district includes the ground beneath Channelside Bay Plaza and the 5.65-acre parking lot immediately west of the plaza. It also includes the expanses of pavement on the eastern side of Channelside Drive — cruise terminal 3, which… …read more

Walter Investment 2Q loss swells on tax expense, goodwill charge

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Walter Investment Management Corp. piled on the red ink in the second quarter of 2015.

Walter (NYSE: WAC), a Tampa-based mortgage firm, posted a net loss of $38.1 million, or $1.01 a share, for the three months ended June 30, compared to a net loss of $12.9 million, or 34 cents a share,in the same period a year ago.

Revenue for 2Q 2015 was $412.4 million, relatively flat compared to the same period in 2014.

A key reason for the larger loss appears to be a $23 million income tax expense in 2Q.… …read more