Business Observer · Venice, FL
The city of Venice recently oversaw the demolition of its public works facility on Seaboard Avenue as it makes way for redevelopment. The former public works site at 221 Seaboard Ave. encompasses about 2.5 acres. It is adjacent to 3.3 acres of cleared property also owned by the city, so the combined area is about 5.8 acres, according to a statement. Historically, Seaboard has served as the city’s industrial district. In 2025, Venice approved a Seaboard Master Plan that established a new vision for the area that will transform it into a walkable, mixed-use district, the statement says. The plan is to create an area that can accommodate residential, commercial, retail and continued light-industrial activity. “Seeing the Public Works facility come down was bittersweet for many of our long-time employees who spent more than 20 years of their careers there,” Venice Public Works Director Ricky Simpson says in a statement.
Laurel Outlook · Laurel, FL
Nearby: Laurel, FLBruce Devries is part magician, part saint.Dowser is his official title. Devries is now in his 80s and has been finding water hundreds of feet below the surface of the earth for more than six decades. He calls it a “gift from upstairs.”Devries and his wife Lil live in the rolling hills north of Laurel near Molt. Devries worked for years driving the gas truck for Cenex Refinery in Laurel and raised his family, including two daughters and a son, near Laurel.Devries got his first dowsing wand in 1957 after being shown how dowsing works by his father-in-law. They were sitting on his father-in-law’s porch in the Snowies when he remembers fiddling with the dowser, and finding that he had the touch. Not everyone does, Devires said.In those early days of dowsing, Devries used a solid piece of wire, but the constant pull on it was hard on his hands so he switched to an old CB radio antena that has a spring to absorb some of the shock of the pull.
Business Observer · Sarasota, FL
Nearby: Sarasota, FLA Baptist church in one of the most high-traffic areas of Main Street in downtown Sarasota is in expansion mode — the combination of an aging structure and a fast-growing congregation. The cost estimate for the master plan for the project for the organization, First Sarasota Church, is $37 million. The first phase, already underway at the 4-acre campus at 1661 Main St., tucked between Orange and Osprey avenues, is projected at about $17 million. Currently surrounded by blue construction fencing, initial components of the project include everything from a new steeple to interior renovations to a public park are planned. The project is coming together after about five years of planning, according to Senior Associate Pastor Keith McBroom. “Our buildings were long overdue to be refreshed and renovated,” McBroom says. “We were not ADA compliant, but now we will be. We didn't have a fire suppression system. We will now.
Big Bear Grizzly · Sarasota, FL
Nearby: Sarasota, FLSarasota, FL / Storyteller / Nov 11, 2026 /Badger Bob's Services, a local air conditioning repair company serving Sarasota and surrounding communities, is proud to announce its sponsorship of Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Sarasota 2026. Badger Bob’s Services offers AC repair near you in Sarasota, FL, and has been in business since 1984.The event, organized by the American Cancer Society, brings people together to raise awareness, support individuals and families affected by breast cancer, and contribute to the fight against the disease.For Badger Bob's Services, the sponsorship is about more than putting the company's name behind a community event. It's an opportunity to support a cause that has touched the lives of countless families, including people living and working throughout the Sarasota area.Breast cancer affects more than the person receiving the diagnosis.
Business Observer · Sarasota, FL
Nearby: Sarasota, FLA new grocery store is opening Thursday in Sarasota. Trader Joe’s will begin welcoming customers for a grand opening celebration at 9 a.m. to its location at 8199 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 100, near Beneva Road, offering samples and a Florida bag giveaway. Previously, the 8,500-square-foot space was occupied by Staples, and it has been under construction for months in a shopping center that also includes Hobby Lobby and Dollar Tree. More than 20 employees will staff the store, including new hires and those transferred from nearby Trader Joe's, according to a statement. The new Sarasota store will be about 5 miles south of the other Sarasota Trader Joe’s, which is located at 4101 S. Tamiami Trail. That store opened in Sarasota in 2012 and at the time was the second Trader Joe’s location in the state after the brand made its Florida debut in Naples, according to sister publication YourObserver.com.
Business Observer · Sarasota, FL
Nearby: Sarasota, FLGlobal furniture company Ikea has set an opening date for its Sarasota store. The location in the University Town Center shopping district will begin welcoming customers on Nov. 18, according to the Ikea Sarasota website. The storefront a147 N. Cattlemen Road has been under construction for months, between DWS and Golf Galaxy near Target and REI, since the retailer first announced in April it was coming to Sarasota. The Sarasota Ikea will occupy about 48,000 square feet. That is smaller than the brand’s traditional big-box store, which spans about 300,000 square feet. Ikea previously told the Business Observer that it plans to have about 46 employees staffing its Sarasota store. About 5,000 items will be on display in Sarasota, of which 3,000 will be available for immediate takeaway, including home furnishings like textiles, lighting, accent pieces and more than 100 smaller furniture items.
Business Observer · Lakewood Ranch, FL
Nearby: Lakewood Ranch, FLCharley’s Steak House, a popular Florida eatery with three locations, is planning a new restaurant in Lakewood Ranch on a site it purchased about four years ago. The chain’s parent company, Talk of the Town, formerly submitted a site plan application to Manatee County Friday. According to a project narrative included in records from a pre-application meeting in late September, plans call for the construction of a 14,000-square-foot restaurant along with ancillary parking, utility and drainage infrastructure. The project also includes a possible 4,000-square-foot bank with associated parking to be built on the site. (Copies of the site plan were not immediately available on the county’s planning website Monday.) A conceptual plan drawn up by Kimley-Horn, the engineering and design firm working on the project for Talk of the Town, shows the eatery will be built just southwest of Exchange Place Way and back up to an existing pond.
The Bates Student · Bradenton, FL
Nearby: Bradenton, FLAfter a successful season, for the first time in history, Bates Men’s Club Soccer qualified to compete in the U.S. College Club Soccer (UCCSC) National Championship in Bradenton, Fla. Aside from the talent on the field with experienced seniors, an eager freshman class, and former Bates varsity soccer players, the team’s organizational structure and chemistry contributed to an exceptional season. In addition to this being the first time the Bobcats have made the tournament, this is their first season in the UCCSC New England North Division, where they formally competed in the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA). Given strong past season performances, the Bobcats were invited among other colleges to compete in UCCSC New England North as this would give them the opportunity to contend in a more competitive league and qualify for a national championship.
Business Observer · Bradenton, FL
Nearby: Bradenton, FLA distinctive 3,500-square-foot office building in Bradenton has hit the market for the first time. The concrete block stucco structure at 2904 Manatee Ave. W. has been occupied by Gary W Sweetman Photography for more than four decades. The photography entrepreneur worked with Sarasota architect William Zoller to design the building, which was constructed in 1984, according to commercial real estate broker Daniel Douglass, who listed the property. Gary W. Sweetman Photography has been operating since 1971. The owner announced in fall 2025 he was planning to retire, according to his Facebook page. Sweetman and Linda M. DiGabriele purchased the 0.15-acre site on Manatee Avenue West near 29th Street West for $33,000 in 1981, according to Manatee County property records. It is now listed for nearly $1.29 million. If the sellers received the full asking price, that would mark a nearly 3,794% return on investment.