Cuhaci & Peterson Architects Begins Design of Four Fresh Market Stores in Houston

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Cuhaci & Peterson Architects based in Orlando’s Baldwin Park recently started design of four Fresh Market stores in Houston at locations including the Uptown/Tanglewood, Memorial, River Oaks and West University areas. Lonnie Peterson, chairman at Cuhaci & Peterson Architects, said each store is approximately 23,000 square feet and are slated to open toward the end of 2013.

Chris Hurn of Mercantile Capital Corp. in Orlando is Major Media Resource for Small Business Banking, Lending Reports

ORLANDO, Fla. — Christopher G. Hurn, chief executive officer of Mercantile Capital Corporation in Orlando, is getting use to his new role as the in-demand resource for major media reports that range from the Washington Post to the Huffington Post to Fox News. Hurn, whose expertise ranges widely but centers on financing small business enterprises, writes regularly for the Huffington Post website and even produces his own videos for YouTube. “It makes for a very demanding schedule, but I’m on a mission,” Hurn admits. “I believe small business entrepreneurs fuel the national economy, and I enjoy the work I do to help them grow their businesses,” Hurn said recently. Off hand, Hurn can only recite a short list of his recent media appearances: “The Washington Post article I contributed to; a Fox business article I appeared in; my recent Huffington Post column; a radio interview with The Small Business Advocate; a YouTube video of my appearance on Fox Business a few weeks ago — there have been about eight other radio shows as well, in addition to a local television interview on News Channel 12 in Minneapolis-St. Paul,” he said. He is more eloquent when he talks about the importance of his work financing small business enterprises. “Small business entrepreneurs are the Kit Carsons and Daniel Boones of my generation,” Hurn said. “They play a huge role in how we can make America a better country,” Hurn said. Led by Hurn and chairman Geof Longstaff, Mercantile Capital Corporation is a three-time member of Inc. magazine’s Inc. 500|5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. and ranks as one of the nation’s leading providers of U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 504 loans, also known as SmartChoice Commercial Loans. In the first 10 months of this year, Mercantile announced it closed 85 commercial loans to finance projects totaling $364 million in total project costs. By the end of the year the company’s loan volume could reach $450 million. Hurn, named a Top 100 Small Business Influence Champion for 2012, recently published his first book, The Entrepreneurs Secret to Creating Wealth: How the Smartest Business Owners Build Their Fortunes, which has become an Amazon.com bestseller.

CUHACI & PETERSON ARCHITECTS WRAP UP MAJOR DESIGN, REMODELING PROJECTS IN THREE STATES

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Cuhaci & Peterson Architects, Engineers, Planners based in Orlando’s Baldwin Park, recently completed a major remodeling project and facelift for the 49,600 square foot Big Y Supermarket in Palmer, Mass. Lonnie Peterson, chairman of Cuhaci & Peterson Architects, said the firm also completed design work to remodel the 80,000 square foot Stop and Shop supermarket in Warwick, R.I. Cuhaci & Peterson Architects also recently completed design work for a new warehouse and distribution center on Landstar Blvd. in Airport Industrial Park for Hoshizaki Ice Machine Company. Peterson said the 25,000 square foot, office and warehouse center will start construction next year. Over the past 12 months Cuhaci & Peterson Architects completed design work for nine L.A. Fitness centers in Jacksonville, Atlantic Beach, Sarasota, Windermere in the southwest Orlando area, Valrico near Tampa and in Houston. Peterson said L.A. Fitness center facilities average 50,000 square feet of space.

Park Square Homes to open two model homes in January at Summerbrooke in Mount Dora

ORLANDO, Fla. – Park Square Homes will open new model homes in January at Summerbrooke, the luxury community located off U.S. 441 near SR 46 in Mount Dora. Abbie Mirata, director of sales and marketing at Park Square Homes, said the Walton model home offers three bedrooms and two baths in 1,821 square feet of living space with a two-car garage, priced from $156,900. The Margate model, priced from $171,900, offers 2,000 square feet of living space with three bedrooms and two baths and a two-car garage. Summerbrooke features a community clubhouse and recreation areas and parks. Visit www.parksquarehomes.com

Pulte Homes Has Two New Models under Construction at The Plantation in Fort Myers

Fort Myers, Fla. --- Pulte Homes is currently building two new luxury model homes at The Plantation, a gated golfing community located off Treeline Avenue, just north of Daniels Road in Fort Myers. The single family home models are scheduled to be completed by the end of January. The Dartmouth II model offers three bedrooms plus a den and three baths in 2,547 square feet of living space priced from the mid-$350s with a two-car, plus golf-cart garage. The Jamison II model offers four bedrooms plus a den and three baths in 3,093 square feet priced from the $400s with a side load, two-car garage. Scott Mairn, vice president of sales and marketing for south Florida, said Pulte Homes plans to build approximately 1,100 carriage homes and single family homes at The Plantation in nine distinctive floor plans priced from the high $100s to low $400s. New two, three and four-bedroom homes at The Plantation range in size from 1,641 square feet to 3,093 square feet with two to three baths, Mairn said. The Plantation is a gated and guarded community that features an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Hurdzan-Fry, a golf clubhouse with formal restaurant and bar, tennis courts, a pro shop, billiards and card rooms, and a state-of-the-art fitness center.

Park Square Homes Unveils the Abbey Luxury Model Home at Waters Edge at Lake Nona

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Park Square Homes has opened the Abbey, a single-family luxury model home at Waters Edge at Lake Nona, the gated, master planned luxury community located off Narcoossee Road in Southeast Orlando. Abbie Mirata, director of sales and marketing at Park Square Homes, said the Abbey model home at Waters Edge offers five bedrooms and four baths in 3,500 square feet of living space with a three-car garage, priced from $332,900.

Royal Oak Homes to Start Construction in New Phase with three, four and five bedroom homes at Hammock Trail in Kissimmee

BALDWIN PARK, Fla. --- Royal Oak Homes, based in Baldwin Park will start construction of single family homes priced from the $150s early next year at Hammock Trails located on Ham Brown Road in Kissimmee. Matt Orosz, vice president of operations at Royal Oak Homes, said 224 home sites are planned in the new phase with new single family homes priced from the $150s. Orosz said Royal Oak plans to build three, four and five bedroom single family homes at Hammock Trail that range in size from 1,800 square feet of living space to 3,000 square feet. Currently Royal Oak Homes builds single-family homes in seven Central Florida communities. The third generation family home builder’s track record includes more than 14,000 new homes in Central Florida over the past 30 years.

Lennar opens three-bedroom Isabella executive model home at Millbrook at Fiddler’s Creek in Naples

NAPLES, Fla. --- Lennar has opened the three-bedroom Isabella executive model home at Fiddler’s Creek, the award-winning, private master-planned residential community located just off SR 41 south of Collier Boulevard between Naples and Marco Island. Matt Devereaux, vice president of sales at Lennar Homes in the Southwest Florida region, said the one story Isabella model, in the Millbrook phase of Fiddler’s Creek, offers 2,246 square feet of living space with three bedrooms, two baths, and two-car garage priced from $379,990. Devereaux said the Isabella model home features Lennar’s popular open concept floor plan that connects the living room, kitchen, formal dining room and breakfast nook. Lennar plans to build 54 new two, three and four bedroom Executive homes at Millbrook at Fiddler’s Creek that range in size from 1,649 to 2,246 square feet priced from the $300s. Devereaux said Lennar plans to start its Estate home collection in the next phase, Runway Bay at Fiddler’s Creek, early next year. All Lennar built homes at Fiddler’s Creek come with the homebuilder’s “Everything’s Included” pledge: Extras such as Granite kitchen countertops, wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, crown molding and tile are all included in the Lennar Homes price. Fiddler’s Creek features a private 54,000 square foot square foot Club & Spa, fitness center, resort-style pools, tot lot, tennis, casual and elegant restaurants and a very active social calendar for the entire family. Homeowners may join The Golf Club at Fiddler's Creek, featuring an 18-hole Arthur Hills signature course ranked among Golfweek’s Top 100 Best Residential Golf Course Communities for eight consecutive years and The Tarpon Club, offering a desirable beach and boating lifestyle. Fiddler’s Creek is an award-winning community that has been selected by the readers of the Naples Daily News and Bonita Daily News as “Best Community” in the 2012 Southwest Florida Readers’ Choice Awards. The community is also the recipient of three 2012 CBIA Sand Dollar Awards for “Community of the Year,” “Best Special Event for Residents – New Year’s Eve Party” and “Best Community Newsletter.” For more information on the Millbrook village at Fiddler’s Creek, call 239-732-9300, stop by the Fiddler’s Creek Information Center located at 8152 Fiddler’s Creek Parkway or visit the community online at http://www.fiddlerscreek.com.

Centex Recognizes Sales Consultant of the month for November

Fort Myers, Fla. --- Centex has named Steven W. Palmer Sales Consultant of the Month for selling the highest number of new homes during November at Hawthorne in Bonita Springs and the community is nearly sold out. Palmer joined Centex nearly one year ago and is a native of New Jersey who has lived in Florida most of his life. He holds an AA degree in Business Administration from Daytona Beach College. Scott Mairn, vice president of sales and marketing for the company in South Florida, said Palmer began his real estate career in 1988, earned a sales director position at a timeshare firm in 1995 and in 2001 he was named second highest sales achiever for another nationwide homebuilder.