Tolaris Realty Group Expands to Sarasota area, Reports Record Transactions in April

LAKE FOREST, Fla. –Tolaris Realty Group, which sells homes throughout Orange, Seminole, Lake and Volusia Counties, has expanded to Sarasota County.

Rick Bavec, president of Tolaris Realty Group, said the real estate company located off SR 46 in Lake Forest west of Sanford now employs 22 associates in five counties.

Bavec said he expects to see record sales transactions in April.

EPIC Engineering Coaches Super 7 Team of Elementary School Students to Trophy in State Robotics Competition

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Central Florida’s Super 7 team of Seminole County elementary school students from Stenstrom Elementary, Evans Elementary, Tuskawilla Montessori and St. Luke’s Lutheran School earned the “Rising Star” trophy in FIRST LEGO League state championship competition recently.

Sponsored and coached by EPIC Engineering and Consulting Group, (EPIC) at the University of Central Florida’s Business Incubation Program, the Super 7 team designed, built and programmed a LEGO-based robot for the competition.

EPIC chief executive officer Prasad Chittaluru, coached the seven member team, including two of his own children.

“The theme for this year’s competition was Biomedical Engineering and the kids chose the central nervous system as their focus,” Chittaluru said.

“The kids researched and learned about the diseases of the nervous system and chose to study MS, a disease that can cause many problems such as blurred vision, loss of balance, slurred speech, numbness, extreme fatigue, memory problems, paralysis and blindness,” Chittaluru explained.

Using a programmable computer motor module and a defined set of LEGO parts, the Super 7 team designed, built, programmed and tested a LEGO robot from scratch that can autonomously perform up to 12 tasks in 2.5 minutes.

“It was very sophisticated work. I had a blast coaching these wonderful kids and learned with them,” Chittaluru said.

“The kids did everything from design to construction and all the programming in the computer,” said Shri Varadarajulu, co-coach and a team parent.

They had so much fun doing it that they are already planning on competing in next year’s competition,” Varadarajulu added.

“These kids are very bright and hard working and did an excellent job competing. Now we want to make it to the national competition,” she added.

The team was also supported by AMD and the ASCE East Central Florida Branch.

About EPIC Engineering & Consulting Group, LLC

EPIC Engineering & Consulting Group, LLC (EPIC) is a Central Florida-based engineering and IT solutions provider. EPIC simplifies their clients' operations by streamlining business processes, eliminating redundancies in data capture, analysis and retrieval, and assisting them in transforming their business information into actionable intelligence resulting in saving time and money. They apply their decades of experience in business process optimization and enterprise software applications development to designing and implementing powerful yet simple to use solutions for the public and private sector organizations, human services agencies and utilities. For more information visit www.epicgroupllc.com.

About the UCF Business Incubation Program:

Since its founding in 1999, the UCF Business Incubation Program has helped more than 160 emerging companies (including nearly 100 current clients) create over $800 million in annual revenue and more than 1,600 new jobs with an average salary of $59,000. With eight – and soon nine – facilities opened across the Greater Orlando community, the Business Incubation Program is a collaboration in economic development between the University of Central Florida, Orange County, the City of Orlando, Seminole County, the City of Winter Springs, The City of Sanford, Lake County, the City of Leesburg, Osceola County, the City of Kissimmee, City of St. Cloud, the Florida High Tech Corridor Council and will be adding Volusia County. For more information, please visit www.incubator.ucf.edu.

Crossman & Company Negotiates New and Renewal Leases totaling 6,638 Square Feet at Retail Centers in Winter Park

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Crossman & Company, one of the largest retail leasing and management firms in the Southeast, recently completed four lease agreements at Aloma Shopping Center and the Shoppes of Aloma in Winter Park.

Courtney Kowalchuk, vice president of leasing at Crossman & Company, negotiated all four transactions representing the landlords.

Two renewal agreements at Aloma Shopping Center on Aloma Avenue just east of Lakemont Drive included Coast Dental Services, Inc. with a five-year renewal agreement for 2,500 square feet at 2063 Aloma Ave. and H&R Block Eastern Enterprises, Inc. who renewed its lease of 1,800 square feet for three years at 2205 Aloma Avenue.

At the Shoppes of Aloma, Kowalchuk negotiated two new three-year leases for 1,169 square feet to Ocean Blue at 2246 Aloma Avenue and Florida Blood Centers, Inc. at 2242 Aloma Avenue

About Crossman & Company:

Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, Crossman & Company is a commercial real estate brokerage firm that specializes in the retail industry. Currently their portfolio under leasing and/or management exceeds 150 shopping centers throughout the Southeast US. Founded in 1990, Crossman & Company focuses solely on landlord representation and serves clients including Publix, PREIT, and GE. Please visit www.crossmanco.com, or call 407-423-5400 for more information.

NAI Realvest Negotiates New Long Term Lease for 4,800 Square Foot Retail Building in Altamonte Springs

MAITLAND, Fla. – NAI Realvest recently negotiated a new long-term lease agreement for the 4,800 square foot retail building at 802 E. Altamonte Drive, west of SR 427 in Altamonte Springs.

Robert Blackwell, SIOR principal at the firm who brokered the transaction, said tenant Tampa-based New South Windows leased the space for five years.

The landlord is Kin Properties, Inc. of Boca Raton.

About NAI Realvest:

NAI Realvest in Orlando, covering all of Central Florida, is a fully integrated commercial real estate operating company specializing in brokerage, development, investment, leasing and management, consulting and research services in the U.S. and worldwide. NAI Global is an international commercial real estate network with over 350 offices spanning the globe. Since 1978, clients have built businesses on the power of NAI Global’s expanding network. Extensive services include multi-site acquisitions and dispositions, sublease, tenant representation, lease administration and audit, investment services, due diligence and related consulting and advisory services. To learn more, visit www.NAIRealvest.com.

Meritage Homes is offering Three New Floor Plans at Overlook at Lake Louisa in Clermont

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Meritage Homes now has three new floor plans available at The Overlook at Lake Louisa on Lake Louisa Rd. off U.S. 27 in Clermont.

Brian Kittle, director of sales for Meritage Homes in Orlando, said the new floor plans range from the six-bedroom Kerrville with 4,153 square feet of living area to the Del Rio, with eight bedrooms in 5,107 square feet of living area.

Homes at the Overlook at Lake Louisa range in size from priced from $169,990 to $246,990.

First Green Bank of Eustis to Open New LEED Platinum-registered Headquarters in Mount Dora in June

EUSTIS, Fla. – First Green Bank, one of the first banks of its kind in the U.S. to focus on positive environmental and social responsibility while operating as a traditional community bank, will open its new headquarters in June at 18251 U.S. 441 in Mount Dora.

The new headquarters is being built to the highest standards of energy efficiency and environmental sustainability, seeking a LEED Platinum Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Kenneth E. LaRoe, chairman and chief executive officer of First Green Bank, said the new 11,000+ square foot facility aspires to be only the second privately-owned building in Florida certified with the LEED Platinum Certification, and the only bank denoted as such.

Schmid Construction of Clermont is general contractor for the new facility.

First Green Bank, which opened facilities in Eustis and Clermont in February 2009, has been profitable since October 2010, LaRoe said.

Currently, First Green Bank reports assets valued at more than $133 million.

Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty’s Named Exclusive Sales, Marketing Agents for European Luxury Home in Howey-In-The-Hills

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty was named exclusive sales and marketing agents for a $625,000 European luxury home near the Mission Inn Country Club in Howey-In-The-Hills that cost more than $1 million to build.

To view a video of the home and property visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DJCbV6FBQc

Roger Soderstrom, founder and owner of Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty, said it took Master Craftsman John Artimovich of Olde Mill Company four years to complete construction of the 4,415 square foot home with five bedrooms, four baths, and one-of-a-kind features that include a secret stairway hidden behind a library bookcase.

“This is truly a unique home,” Soderstrom said. “Everything in the home was custom built or custom ordered from Europe. We expect it will get a lot of attention from buyers from around the world,” he added.

International Luxury Home Specialist Michelle Norris listed the home for sale.

“The three-story manor home features two fireplaces,” Norris said. “The one in the living room is crowned by a 1,100 pound mantle piece,” she said.

A luxury master suite is located on the ground floor. The den features a copper ceiling. A secondary bedroom features a private reading loft and the living room sports a 20 foot teak ceiling.

“Besides being a unique property, this home is an exceptional bargain, it was once listed for $1 million,” she said.

About Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty:

Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty is affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty, the largest luxury real estate brand in the world. Stirling Sotheby’s exclusive services include luxury residential, new homes, commercial, property management, in addition to supporting builders, developers, lenders, and asset managers. The company operates three performance zones which serve all of Central Florida. Visit www.StirlingSIR.com.

Cuhaci & Peterson Architects completed design work on LA Fitness facility in St. Petersburg

ORLANDO, Fla. --- With design work completed by Orlando Architects Cuhaci & Peterson, the LA Fitness facility located off 22nd Ave. in St. Petersburg is now opened.

The facility is 50,000 square feet, according to Lonnie Peterson, chairman at Cuhaci & Peterson Architects.

VOLUSIA LAW FIRM TO SPONSOR POKER RUN AND MUSIC JAM BENEFIT ON MAY 21

HOLLY HILL – The personal-injury law firm of Rue & Ziffra will sponsor the Bikers for First Amendment Rights’ May 21 fundraiser, “Poker Run to Nowhere and All Day Jam,” and will match every $10 entry fee collected that day.

The event, which begins at 10 a.m. Saturday at the BFFAR building at 144 Ridgewood Ave., is a benefit for the Tracy Dillon Mammogram Foundation. Dillon, a disc jockey at WHOG Radio Station 95.7 FM, was diagnosed with cancer.

Additional highlights include live music by groups like Big Engine and Anthony Wild, as well as a scavenger hunt, silent auction, 50/50 raffles, games, body airbrushing, T-shirts, a variety of food, and breast-cancer screenings to help women detect cancer as early as possible.

Allan L. Ziffra, president of the Port Orange-based law firm, said he and his staff are proud to be a part of the benefit.

“We’ve worked with HOG Radio on numerous fundraising events for other charitable organizations and now it’s time for us to help a cause close to one of their own,” he said.

BFFAR, a non-profit organization that fights for Constitutional rights, is one of the largest citizen-activist groups in Volusia County. And, while most members are motorcycle riders, many others are not.

For details, call 386-253-3993.