* The American Rescue Plan has delivered $2.4 billion to Florida colleges, universities and students to help weather the pandemic. Regional beneficiaries of ARP funds: Erwin Technical College ($4.1 million); University of Tampa ($18.4 million); Pasco-Hernando State College ($24.7 million); St. Petersburg College ($50.3 million); Hillsborough Community College ($63.9 million); and the University of South Florida ($102.2 million).
* The Florida Legislature has included $75 million in the ($112 billion) state budget for the USF Interdisciplinary Center of Excellence in Environmental and Oceanographic Sciences (EOS). “It’s going to impact not only St. Petersburg but Pinellas County, the Tampa Bay region and coastal communities throughout Florida and the world,” said USF St. Petersburg Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock. In short, it’s a big deal on a lot of levels, including helping elevate USF’s stature as a Preeminent State Research University.
* TIA’s new 9-story SkyCenter One office building is leased at 88 percent capacity.