Miami Tower Among House Economic Development Initiatives
TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) -- Skyrise Miami, a proposed 1,000-foot-high waterfront glass and steel tower intended to offer an observation deck, a nightclub and a bungee jump-like platform, would receive $10 million from the state as part of the House's $11.49 billion transportation and economic-development budget plan released Tuesday.
The proposal isn't matched in the Senate's $11.7 billion combined budget plan for the Department of Economic Opportunity, Division of Emergency Management, Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Department of Military Affairs, Department of State and Department of Transportation.
The Senate Transportation and Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee's budget proposal was released Monday.
Other proposed economic development projects and initiatives included in the House Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee plan include $1.5 million for renovations at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport; $2 million for Scripps Florida in Jupiter; $350,000 for the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce Minority Business Development; $750,000 for the Bethune-Cookman University Entrepreneurship Institute; and $150,000 for the Doral Business Council Expo.
The Senate has proposed several projects, including: $2.5 million for the Collier County Soft Landing Accelerator; $1.5 million for the Tampa Bay Innovation Training Center; $500,000 to support the Gainesville-based Institute for the Commercialization of Public Research; and $600,000 for the National Entrepreneur Center in Orlando.
The National Entrepreneur Center was budgeted for the same amount in 2013, but the item was vetoed by Gov. Rick Scott who said at the time his "filter" was asking if the project would help families get jobs, improve the education system or make government more efficient.
"The News Service of Florida contributed to this report."
