Thursday, June 9, 2011

Allogy Interactive Names Michael Hallberg Creative Director

ORLANDO, Fla., – Allogy Interactive, a leading developer of applications for mobile devices such as smart phones and notebooks, recently appointed Michael Hallberg creative director.

Colin Forward, Communications Director for Allogy Interactive, said Hallberg has a storied career that ranges from politics to NASA to the entertainment industry.

“In the early 1990s, Hallberg helped organize the Florida presidential campaign for Republican candidate Jack Kemp and later President Bill Clinton, Forward said.

At NASA, Hallberg helped develop an engineering and troubleshooting interface for the revolutionary Hubble telescope.

Allogy Interactive is a member of the University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program located at Central Florida Research Park in east Orlando.

About Allogy Interactive:
Allogy Interactive, a leading developer of mobile applications for education, healthcare, business, and social enterprises, connects people to promote learning, opportunity, and economic growth by understanding the relationships, creating intuitive interfaces and using data to promote the transparency and accountability necessary for achievement.

About the UCF Business Incubation Program:
Since its founding in 1999, the UCF Business Incubation Program has helped more than 160 emerging companies (including 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, Volusia County and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council. For more information, please visit www.incubator.ucf.edu.

Lennar’s Heritage Isle in Viera in Brevard County named one of the Nation’s top 50 Master Planned Communities by “Where to Retire” Magazine

VIERA, Fla. --- Where To Retire Magazine has named Heritage Isle in Viera one of the nation’s 50 Best Master Planned Communities.

Mark Metheny, president of Lennar’s Central Florida division, which is developing Heritage Isle, said this is the second time Heritage Isle has been named one of the Best 50 master-planned communities in the U.S. Where to Retire Magazine first cited Heritage Isle among its top 50 master planned communities in 2007.

The 478-acre active adult community includes several individual villages connected by beautifully landscaped Legacy Boulevard and pedestrian bridges. Luscious trees and plants frame the route by day, while double acorn street lamps light the way at night.

Heritage Isle boasts the award-winning 21,000 square foot Heritage Isle Club, which ranks as the largest community clubhouse facility in Florida with a state-of-the art fitness center, a library with computer stations, five multi-purpose rooms for pottery, arts and crafts, billiards, cards and other pastimes, and a Grand Ballroom for social functions.

Outdoors, Heritage Isle features basketball, tennis and bocce ball courts and an outdoor swimming pool.

Heritage Isle is located adjacent to the 18-hole Duran Golf and Country Club, which ranks as one of Florida's premier championship golf courses.

Heritage Isle is no stranger to national awards. The readers of Florida Today voted Heritage Isle the “Best 55+ community in Brevard County,” and the National Association of Home Builders bestowed its annual Innovation Award on the community.

Right now, according to Sara Nakamine, active adult marketing spokesperson at Heritage Isle, Lennar now has 20 new 60 foot home sites available priced from the $190s.

Visit www.Lennar.com.

Celebration Golf Club to close for major renovations, in preparation for October 15th anniversary celebration

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Celebration Golf Club near Walt Disney World is closed through Aug. 22 so owners can undertake major renovations in preparation for the 15th anniversary celebration of Celebration Golf Club in October.

Gene Garrote, president of Celebration Golf Management, said he plans to redo 18 older greens, along with bunker renovation and turf conversion. Garrote said Celebration Golf Management will spend more than $500,000 on the project.

Champion Turf Farms is handling the renovations, Garrote said.

Mercantile Capital Corporation Provides Commercial Real Estate Loan in Orlando Worth $476,000

Altamonte Springs, Fla. – Mercantile Capital Corporation, which ranks as one of the nation’s leading providers of U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 504 loans for small business owners who want to acquire or develop their own facilities, closed a commercial loan for Suhaag Garden, Inc. recently for $476,000 in total project costs.

Suhaag Garden, Inc. is a full service event décor and design company specializing in South Asian weddings and events.

“With the help of MCC, we were able to secure an SBA 504 loan for our new property and are excited to serve the Orlando community on a full-time basis with a brand new state-of-the-art showroom,” said owner, Jilna Jasani.

“We especially want to thank Monica and Zenia from MCC, who guided us through the whole process and answered all our questions in a timely manner,” she added.

The SmartChoice Commercial Loan Program helps owners of small to mid-sized businesses, like Suhaag Garden, Inc., have an opportunity to create wealth and financial freedom. Their specialization in SmartChoice Commercial Loans, also known as SBA 504 loans, allows borrowers, like Jigar and Jilna Jasani, to own their commercial property with the highest cash-on-cash return financing available, without tying up their precious capital, so they can grow even faster.

For more information, visit www.TheSmartChoiceLoan.com and www.504Blog.com.

Avalon Park Expects Record Crowds at Annual July 4th Celebration with Apple Pie Bake-Off, Hot Dog Eating Contest, and Fireworks

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Avalon Park in east Orlando is bracing for record crowds at its 9th annual Fourth of July celebration, slated for 5 to 9 p.m. in Downtown Avalon Park, located off Alafaya Trail south of Colonial Drive.

Stephanie Hodson, marketing director at Avalon Park Group, said family friendly activities will include more than 100 vendors, an apple pie bake-off sponsored by Davis Bakery and a bike parade sponsored by Eastside Cycling and the Avalon Park YMCA; live community performances, a hot dog eating contest sponsored by Pop Pop’s Ice Cream & More , a special ceremony honoring fallen Soldier Cpl. Patrick Deans, a home run derby sponsored by Brianto’s Original Hoagies and Avalon Park Baseball, and fireworks with special 3D glasses sponsored by Avalon Town Center Realty.

Admission to the event is free and there is ample parking, Hodson said. Guests are advised to arrive early and bring blankets and folding chairs.

“We anticipate a big crowd,” Hodson said.

Ashton Woods Homes Starts Construction of New Model Home at Starling at FishHawk Ranch

TAMPA, Fla. --- Ashton Woods Homes has started construction of its first new single family model home at Starling at FishHawk Ranch, the unique Tampa community that ranks as Hillsborough County’s first “green” certified neighborhood.

Michael Roche, vice president of sales and marketing at Ashton Woods Homes in the Tampa Bay region, said the new model home offers four bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths in 2,972 square feet of living space.

Roche said Ashton Woods plans to build 36 new homes priced from the mid-$200s in the first phase at Starling at FishHawk Ranch.

Ashton Woods Homes is one of the nation’s largest private homebuilding companies, with operations in Orlando, Tampa, Atlanta, Raleigh, Dallas, Houston, Austin and Phoenix.

NAI Realvest Negotiates New Lease for 6,618 Square Feet of Industrial space for Boxing and Fitness Club Expansion at Goldenrod CommerCenter

ORLANDO, Fla. – NAI Realvest recently negotiated a new lease agreement for 6,618 square feet of industrial space in the Goldenrod CommerCenter located at Suite 200, 1468 N. Goldenrod Rd. in East Orlando.

Michael Heidrich, principal at NAI Realvest brokered the transaction on behalf of the landlord, Maitland-based COP-Goldenrod, LLC.

The tenant, SOA, Inc. d/b/a The Source Athletics, Inc., is a boxing, and fitness club that subleases suite 310 with 4,382 square feet at Goldenrod and will be relocating and expanding into the larger suite.

About NAI Realvest
NAI Realvest, 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.

Commercial Real Estate Experts to Stage Summit Conference on Current Economic Conditions, Future Trends June 23

ORLANDO, Fla. --- The Florida Chapter of the Turnaround Management Association will hold a summit conference on the current economy and future commercial real estate trends on Thursday, June 23 at the Citrus Club in downtown Orlando.

Panelists for the summit conference include a who’s who of Central Florida commercial real estate advisors.
• George Livingston, chairman emeritus of NAI Realvest, one of the region’s most active commercial real estate developers, investors, brokers, and sources of development capital;
• John Crossman, president of Crossman & Company, one of the largest retail management, leasing and development companies in the Southeast;
• Jay Ballard, senior director of Apartment Brokerage Services at Cushman & Wakefield, Inc.;
• Patrick Chisholm, vice president of Maury L. Carter Associates, Inc.;
• David Murphy, senior vice president of Industrial Properties at CB Richard Ellis; and
• Frank M. Mock, an attorney at Lowndes Drosdick Doster Kantor & Reed, PA, will moderate the panel discussion.

Cost to attend the event is $45; to register or for more information, visit www.tmaflorida.org or telephone 954-653-2484.