Ashton Woods Homes Has Six Move-In Ready Town Homes nearing completion at Fountain Parke in Lake Mary

Lake Mary, Fla. --- Ashton Woods Homes is completing six luxury town homes at Fountain Parke, located off Rinehart Road north of Lake Mary Blvd. in Lake Mary and they will be ready for move-in by April. Michael Roche, vice president of sales and marketing for Ashton Woods Homes in the Orlando region, said the three and four-bedroom town homes range in size from 2,170 square feet of living space to 2,504 square feet and are priced from $224,990. Ashton Woods also has three professionally decorated and furnished models open for viewing at Fountain Parke.

NAI Realvest Negotiates Renewal Lease at Wekiva Center in Apopka

MAITLAND, Fla. --- NAI Realvest recently completed a renewal lease agreement for 3,360 square feet of office space at Wekiva Center, 1706 E. Semoran Blvd. near the intersection of U.S. 441 in Apopka. Tom R. Kelley II, CCIM, principal at NAI Realvest, brokered the transaction on behalf of the landlord, Wekiva Center Partnership based in Maitland. The tenant is CORA Health Services, Inc.

Meritage Homes Holds Lottery to sell first of 20 home sites at Parkside Community in Dr. Phillips area

Orlando, Fla. --- Meritage Homes held a lottery recently to sell the first 20 home sites at Parkside, located on Apopka-Vineland Road and Buenavista Woods Boulevard in the Dr. Phillips area of southwest Orlando. Brian Kittle, vice president of Meritage Homes in the Orlando region, said 84 potential home buyers pre-qualified for residential mortgage loans to participate in the invitation-only lottery event at Bay Hill Country Club. Meritage Homes plans to build 315 new three, four, five and six-bedroom single-family homes at Parkside priced from the $400s. So far, nearly 500 families expressed an interest in buying a new home at Parkside, Kittle said. “Location is driving demand for new homes at Parkside,” Kittle said. “The Dr. Phillips area hasn’t seen much new community development in some time,” he explained. Meritage Homes, which builds single-family homes priced from the $200s in 17 Florida communities, reported sales increased by 24 percent in 2012 over 2011. Construction starts during the same period increased by 54 percent.

Team Florida, Team USA sets Classic Play March 29 at Amway Center

ORLANDO, Fla. --- The 15th Annual Seniors Showcase All Star Weekend highlight is scheduled March 29 starting at 2 p.m. with the Florida vs. USA teams taking the court. Hardwood Classic Director David D. Davis said the event is the centerpiece of the Senior Showcase All-Star weekend an NBA style All-Star event for many of the top high school basketball players in the country. The All-Star Weekend will start Wednesday, March 29 and continue through March 30. Players, according to Davis, will participate in various athletic, educational, community service and social activities throughout the weekend. Team rosters are available by contacting Davis at 407-687-0048.

Cuhaci & Peterson Architects awarded contracts to design three Ale House Restaurants

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Cuhaci & Peterson Architects, Engineers Planners based in Baldwin Park was awarded contracts to design three Ale House restaurants -- in Winter Park, Queens, N.Y. and the Philadelphia area. Lonnie Peterson, chairman of Cuhaci & Peterson, said the restaurants average 10,000 square feet each and are located on Lee Rd. and Hwy. 17-92 in Winter Park, in the Rego Park neighborhood of Queens N.Y. and in the Philadelphia suburb of Springfield, Pa.

UCF Executives Forge Ties with Colombian Universities to Support Emerging Innovation Economy

Orlando, Fla. --- University of Central Florida’s Office of Research and Commercialization was selected to participate in a special trade mission to Bogota, Colombia to share best practices and collaborate on opportunities for building technology transfer, commercialization and entrepreneurship capacity with some of the top universities, research centers and technology development organizations in Colombia. “Our selection to participate in this trade mission is a testament to our strength and leadership in providing a continuum of programs that result in successful technology transfer, research commercialization, and economic development outcomes” said Dr. Tom O’Neal, associate vice president for Research and Commercialization at UCF, and founder of UCF’s internationally recognized Business Incubation Program. Michael O’Donnell, executive director of UCF’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Rafael Caamano, director of the UCF Business Incubation Program in Kissimmee, and Robin Phelps, team leader in UCF’s GrowFL program represented UCF on this trade mission. The three met in Bogota with representatives of 20 Colombian universities and research organizations to discuss technology transfer processes, entrepreneurship support services, and capacity-building programs. The three-day trade mission was jointly sponsored by iNNpulsa, the Colombian government agency that supports innovation and entrepreneurship, the U.S. Commercial Service in Bogota, and intellectual property and technology transfer law firm Becker & Poliakoff. "The objective was to exchange knowledge and experiences and explore opportunities for collaboration," O’Neal explained. “The caliber and the quality of the collaborative opportunities were outstanding” stated Michael O’Donnell. “We received a large number of expressions of interest from the Colombian participants for follow-up discussions,” O’Donnell added. In addition to UCF’s structure and approach to technology transfer, other areas of interest were UCF’s Venture Lab and Business Incubation programs as well as Florida Angel Nexus capital fund. One new program that generated quite a bit of discussion from the participants is UCF’s U.S. Soft Landing Program, a series of services and access to facilities intended to connect international startups with marketing, businesses development and other services, according to Caamano. “International startups can tap into the rich ecosystem of commercial opportunities in the U.S. We already have our first Soft Landing client from Colombia,” Caamano said. “Our participation in this program is consistent with and is in support of one of UCF’s top strategic goals to be America’s leading partnership university. This was an opportunity to forge stronger international academic ties with a country that may just be one of the greatest turnaround stories in recent history,” stated O’Neal.

Park Square Homes Wins Major Awards at Lake-Sumter Parade of Homes

ORLANDO, Fla. – Park Square Homes was the big winner in the recent 2013 Lake/Sumter County Parade of Homes. The Orlando-based homebuilder captured the Grand Award for its Pensacola model home located at Summerbrooke off SR 46 in Mount Dora. Anthony Rouhana, sales and marketing coordinator at Park Square Homes, said the Pensacola also won First Place in the category of homes priced from $250,000-$300,000. Not to be outdone, Park Square Homes’ Summerbrooke community also won a top prize as it was voted the Number One Community in the Parade. Rouhana said Summerbrooke now has 50 home sites available for sale with prices starting in the $160s. The top-winning Pensacola model home is a two-story design that offers four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths in 2,575 square feet of living area. Visit www.parksquarehomes.com

Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty Appoints Beth P. Weinbrenner, International Luxury Homes Specialist

Orlando, Fla. --- Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty has appointed Beth P. Weinbrenner an International Luxury Home Specialist at its Lake Mary/Heathrow Marketing Center. Roger Soderstrom, founder and owner of Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty, said Weinbrenner earned her Associate’s in Science Degree in Architectural Design and Construction Technology from Daytona State College and specialized in Architectural CADD drafting and Interior Design. “Beth Weinbrenner has a strong background in architectural design and residential space and landscape planning,” Soderstrom said. She has lived in the Central Florida area for over 35 years and has more than four years of experience as a kitchen and bath designer,” Soderstrom said. Weinbrenner is a resident of Oviedo and a member of the Orlando Regional Realtor’s Association. Weinbrenner has extensive experience in marketing and selling luxury properties to local, national, and international clients, and will also focus on representing home builders and community developers in the marketing and sale of new residential communities and individual custom homes.

Luhse Tea Celebrates One-Year Anniversary, Launches New Campaign to Support the U.S. Economy

Kissimmee, Fla. --- Luhse Tea LLC celebrated its one-year anniversary recently with a New Year’s Resolution to support the U.S. economy. Mindy S. Ferris and Brittney M. Wholihan, co-founders of Luhse Tea, said the company is practicing what it preaches. “We have appointed a new web maintenance firm headquartered in Minnesota and a new art design company headquartered in New York,” the co-founders said. Ferris and Wholihan said Luhse Tea is transitioning to U.S.-based products and plans to continue its growth by purchasing US goods and services. Luhse Tea’s wide variety of fine teas and tea accessories is available online at www.luhsetea.com, on FaceBook at facebook.com/luhsetea, and on Twitter at twitter.com/luhsetea. Luhse Tea is a client member of the University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program’s Kissimmee Incubator.

Three Model Homes Underway at Rosedale Country Club by Ashton Woods Homes

Lakewood Ranch, Fla. --- Ashton Woods Homes has started construction of three new model homes at Rosedale County Club located on Lakewood Ranch Blvd. near 44th Ave. West in Lakewood Ranch. Michael Roche, vice president of sales and marketing for Ashton Woods Homes in the Tampa Bay region, said the model homes, each with three bedrooms and a study, will range in size from 1,962 square feet of living space to 2,580 square feet and are priced from $319,990. Roche said the homes will be ready for viewing on April 8.