Lennar Promotes Mike Southward to Land Development Manager

TAMPA, Fla. --- Lennar’s Central Florida Division has named Mike Southward Land Development Manager. Mark Metheny, president of Lennar’s Central Florida Division, said Southward has more than 26 years of experience as a homebuilding executive in the Central Florida region and has been with Lennar more than 11 years, most recently as purchasing director. He attended Michigan Tech University.

AWARD WINNING TOAST OF TAMPA CHORUS PERFORMS LIVE TO SELL-OUT CROWD AT DEL WEBB STONE CREEK IN OCALA

OCALA, Fla. -- The 100 member Toast of Tampa Chorus recently performed to a sell-out crowd at the Reunion Center at Del Webb Stone Creek in Ocala. Sean Strickler, vice president of sales and marketing for Del Webb in North Florida, said “The Toast of Tampa Chorus is part of the Sweet Adeline International organization and they are known the world over.” Patti Naman, Del Webb Stone Creek resident and long time Toast of Tampa member organized the event, Strickler said, “and we look forward to more performances from this world class group.” The 25-year-old Toast of Tampa Chorus won the Sweet Adeline competition in 1993 and last year placed 5th worldwide before more than 10,000 chorale lovers at the Key Arena in Houston. Later this year Toast of Tampa will compete in Hawaii. “We have a busy year of rehearsing for our international competition, we’ll be at the Straz Performing Arts Center in Tampa for our October show, then off to Hawaii in November,” Naman said. Toast of Tampa Director Tony DeRosa, who also serves as musical director for the Voices of Liberty and the Dapper Dans at Walt Disney World, is an internationally renowned coach of gold medal choruses. Del Webb Stone Creek is one of the largest Del Webb communities in the U.S. featuring Reflection Bay – an amenity center encompassing almost 50,000 square feet with fitness and event gathering areas – the Stone Creek Grille, Stone Creek Golf Club with an 18-hole championship golf course and a planned 29 acres of open space and common areas. New homes at Del Webb Stone Creek are priced from the low $100s. Models are open daily for viewing.

Emerson International negotiates three leases that total almost 4,000 square feet of office space

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. --- Emerson International closed on three new long-term lease agreements that total 3,619 square feet of office space in the CenterPointe Office Park in Altamonte Springs and Louisiana Office Park in Winter Park. Zac Starkey, commercial leasing associate at Emerson International, negotiated all three lease agreements. At the CenterPointe Office Park, New Foundations Christian Ministries leased 2,148 square feet of office space and McGwier Family Law leased 740 square feet. The Astra Group leased 1,030 square feet at Emerson’s Louisiana Office Park on Louisiana Ave. in Winter Park.

Cuhaci & Peterson Architects complete design work on seven major projects totaling more than 200,000 square feet

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Cuhaci & Peterson Architects Engineers Planners, based in Orlando’s Baldwin Park recently completed the design of seven major commercial projects that total more than 200,000 square feet. Lonnie Peterson, chairman of Cuhaci & Peterson, said the design projects include: • Remodeling of the Sports Authority facility at Lakeland Square Mall in Lakeland, 40,000 square feet; • Publix Supermarket in Port Orange with 45,000 square feet; • Expansion of AbbieJean Russell Care, senior living facility at Fort Pierce, 20,000 square feet; • Remodel of Big Y Grocery in Palmer, Mass., 25,000 square feet; • Bottom Dollar grocery store in Philadelphia, Pa., 18,000 square feet; • Two Fresh Markets with 18,000 square feet each one in Daphne, Ala. and the other in Pensacola.

Lennar to Host Grand Opening for Grand Hampton Luxury Town Homes March 2

TAMPA, Fla. --- Lennar’s Central Florida Division will host a grand opening March 2 at its luxury town home community Grand Hampton, located on Grand Vista Lane off County Line Rd. in New Tampa. Mark Metheny, president of Lennar’s Central Florida Division, said Lennar is building 42 luxury town homes at Grand Hampton in three and four bedroom designs that range in size from 1,930 square feet of living space to 2,466 square feet. Town homes at Grand Hampton, located in the “heart of New Tampa,” Metheny said, are priced from the low $200s and offer two-car garages. Grand Hampton is a gated, master-planned community with stately oaks throughout and features a clubhouse, resort-style swimming pool, waterslide and hiking trails among its amenities. Visit www.LennarTampa.com.

ICI Homes Names Melissa Rigney New Home Closing Coordinator/ Warranty-Customer Service Rep

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. --- ICI Homes has appointed Melissa Rigney new home closing coordinator/ warranty and customer service representative in the Jacksonville office. Don Wilford, Northeast Florida division president for ICI Homes said Rigney served for five years as accounts payable coordinator at ICI Homes before relocating to Virginia in 2009. Most recently she was a business operations associate at Ace Private Risk Services in Virginia before returning to Jacksonville. Rigney earned her Associate of Arts Degree Patrick Henry Community College in Virginia and has more than 10 years of experience in financial accounts management, insurance and the real estate industry.

More Than 100 Realtors on Hand When ICI Homes, Plantation Bay Unveil Newly Remodeled Sales Center

Ormond Beach, Fla. --- More than 100 area Realtors attended the recent showcase reception at Plantation Bay Golf & Country Club in Ormond Beach when community developer ICI Homes and officials from the golf course community unveiled Plantation Bay’s newly remodeled sales center. Rosemary Messina, vice president of sales and marketing for ICI Homes, said Realtors from as far away as Jacksonville, Tampa and Orlando attended the event. “For this event we made use of social networking to reach out to Realtors and given the size, timing and impact of this unveiling, it ranks as one of the most successful events we have ever produced,” Messina said. Messina said Plantation Bay staff reached out to Realtors throughout the region with Facebook posts and invitations. Participants enjoyed foods and beverages as well as a tour through the elegant Plantation Bay sales center that boasts a new 46-foot display that tells the history of the Daytona community developer with a unique blend of maps and pictures and soon, a touch-screen video display. Realtor Kandi Schromm of RE/MAX Property Centre who responded to her Facebook invitation to join the reception, won a four-day, three-night getaway pamper package at Lighthouse Key resort in Orlando, complete with two tickets to Walt Disney World. Messina said participating Realtors also won additional gift cards and umbrellas, a popular accessory in the Ormond Beach area. ICI Homes spent more than a month extensively remodeling the 1,188 square foot sales center.

For residents of Del Webb Ponte Vedra, Community Service is More Than a Hobby — It’s an Obsession

Jacksonville, Fla. --- For residents of Del Webb Ponte Vedra, the active adult community located in Ponte Vedra FL southeast of Jacksonville, serving their community is more than a pastime. Sean Strickler, vice president of sales at Del Webb in North Florida, said residents at Del Webb Ponte Vedra compete with each other to see who can do the most good for the Northeast Florida community and for special interest groups that include returning war veterans, breast cancer survivors, victims of Hurricane Sandy and the more recent Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. “The Mah Jongg Club at Del Webb Ponte Vedra sold Willow Tree® Angels with personal messages to be mailed to the teachers, janitors and surviving faculty at Sandy Hook Elementary,” Strickler said. The Del Webb Ponte Vedra Dinner Club has been collecting aluminum tab tops to be sold to recyclers to benefit the Ronald McDonald House and they hold a barbecue fundraiser every summer to benefit various charitable organizations. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society was chosen as the summer 2012 charity and for 2013 it will be Dreams Come True. The Women’s Club raised hundreds of dollars for breast cancer research and awareness through the Susan G. Komen for the Cure project and $750 for The Donna Foundation, a local group dedicated to caring for women living with breast cancer. The Women’s Club also donated $1,200 to the Hugs Foundation, which feeds children in St. John’s County Schools. The Del Webb Ponte Vedra Sewing Club — the Stitchers — collected a whole SUV full of blankets and warm winter jackets for victims of Hurricane Sandy. The Men’s Club has donated nearly $1,000 to the Wounded Warrior Project® in addition to hosting a pancake breakfast and pasta dinner for a dozen warriors and their families. “The Bridge Club collected several hundred pounds of dog food and blankets for the St. Johns County Animal Shelter. The Del Webb Ponte Vedra Women’s Tennis Club collects food for BEAM, a group focused on keeping families in their homes and helping them become self-sufficient. At Christmas time, the Homeowners Assn. collected four large boxes filled with toys for the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation toy drive. Numerous other clubs and groups at Del Webb Ponte Vedra are also involved in community service. Giving back is a way of life for Del Webb Ponte Vedra residents. “The community at Del Webb Ponte Vedra is a very giving, very hard-working group of community activists, Strickler said. They are always coming up with ways to make a difference today,” he said.

NAI Realvest Negotiates New Industrial Leases totaling over 13,000 square feet in Sanford and Longwood

MAITLAND, Fla. – NAI Realvest recently negotiated two new lease agreements totaling 13,150 square feet of industrial space in Sanford and Longwood. NAI Realvest associate Michael Heidrich, Jr., was the lead broker in the lease of 9,300 square feet at 390 Hickman Drive in Sanford along with Michael Heidrich Sr., principal at NAI Realvest. Heidrich Jr. and Sr. negotiated the transaction on behalf of the local tenant, Powerplay Motor Sports, LLC and the landlords, Charles and Christel Stephens of Deltona were represented by David Hammett of CRE Advisors LLC. In Longwood, Heidrich Jr. represented tenant Flawless Physiques, Inc., d/b/a CrossFit RSX in the lease of 3,850 square feet at 600 Bennett Drive. The landlord, Poyner Warehouse LLC of Altamonte Springs, was represented in the transaction by Bill Bywater of Bywater Company.

DiVosta Homes to host Model Home Showcase with live music and refreshments March 2 at Castellina at Wellington

Wellington, Fla. --- DiVosta Homes will host a Model Home Showcase with live music and refreshments on Saturday, March 2 at Castellina at Wellington, the gated luxury community located on Stribling Way off Hwy. 441/SR7 between Lake Worth Road and Forest Hill Blvd. in Wellington. Scott Mairn, vice president of sales and marketing for the South Florida Division of DiVosta Homes, said admission to the event is free and the public is invited to enjoy live music and refreshments from 1 to 4 p.m. Mairn said DiVosta Homes’ Castellina Showcase will spotlight three professionally-decorated model homes and the new Castellina Amenity Center with a European Country theme that opened last summer. DiVosta Homes builds the single-story Jamison model home with four bedrooms and three full baths in 3,166 square feet of living space and three distinctive elevations with a particularly striking alteration: the “C” elevation with a Country Polermo stone exterior. The Jamison’s wide country kitchen serves a formal dining room, a separate breakfast nook, and an immense great room that opens onto a backyard lanai. A side entry two-car garage can be expanded to three cars. The Jamison model at Castellina is priced from $435,000. The Dartmouth model at Castellina, with three bedrooms and three full baths, features a counter-facing kitchen, dining room, great room and lanai that together total more than 1,200 square feet of family living area. The Dartmouth is priced from $399,000 with 2,535 square feet of living space and a three-car garage. The Ranier model at Castellina offers three bedrooms and two full baths in 2,428 square feet of living space and is priced from $356,000. The Castellina Amenity Center includes a resort-style swimming pool, a lap pool, a cabana and picnic pavilion, a spa and state-of-the-art fitness center, aerobics studio, coffee bar and catering kitchen, two tennis courts, two bocce ball courts and a community fire pit.