Governor Ron DeSantis announced today that the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) will award the City of St. Pete Beach $2 million in Florida Job Growth Grant funds. This money, together with a $2 million match from the city, will be used to complete the renovation of the city’s sewerage infrastructure, allowing for hotel and motel expansion. The project is estimated to generate approximately $13 million in annual revenue for the local economy and create 1,316 new permanent employment. Governor DeSantis made the announcement at Crabby Bill’s, a local institution and one of many businesses that will profit from more tourism.
Governor Ron DeSantis said, “I am thrilled to announce $2 million to complete wastewater system enhancements that will assist economic growth in St. Pete Beach.” “This infrastructure will play an important role in conserving the magnificent environment here while also allowing the area to increase accommodations and welcome more guests, boosting the local economy in all areas.” We continue to make Florida the #1 destination in the country for job development and economic activity by investing in projects like this one.”
The Governor will spotlight projects that are keeping Florida’s economy robust during a week-long series of events. While the national economy is faltering, Florida’s economy continues to flourish thanks to common-sense policies that promote local economies and strategic investments that attract firms from all over the country. The following are some data about Florida’s economic development:
Florida has had private sector job growth over the past 16 months, adding 19,400 private sector positions in August 2021.
Since the pandemic’s height in April 2020, Florida has added 990,400 jobs in total.
The unemployment rate in Florida has remained below the national rate for 13 months in a row.
The labor force in Florida is also continuing to expand. Florida’s labor force has expanded by 373,000 in the last five months, demonstrating the success of the state’s ‘Return to Work’ effort as more Floridians return to work.
According to data, there are still a lot of work prospects for Floridians all around the state, with over 520,000 jobs posted online.
Since July 2020, 27 large corporations have relocated or extended their operations in Florida, resulting in the creation of 10,400 new jobs and a $1.4 billion investment in the state.
All aspects of tourism in Florida are surpassing the national average, including hotel demand, passenger spending, and air travel capacity. In August 2021, hotel room revenue in Florida climbed by 11% over the previous year. Over the same time period, the rest of the country had a 5% fall.
“Governor DeSantis is furthering our state’s commitment to support Florida businesses and promote economic and environmental resiliency with this award to the City of St. Pete Beach,” said Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Secretary Dane Eagle. “This financing will assist the City of St. Pete Beach in completing current wastewater upgrades, opening doors to redevelopment, and assisting in the creation of new jobs, all of which will serve to support the lives of Floridians who live there.”
“Today’s grant to the City of St. Pete Beach goes a long way toward helping redevelopment and future economic growth in the area,” stated Jamal Sowell, President & CEO of Enterprise Florida, Inc., Florida Secretary of Commerce. “This will help fund a critical project that will improve wastewater infrastructure and spur employment creation across the city.”
DEP Secretary Shawn Hamilton said, “This grant award is a clear indication of how investments in the protection of our natural resources can help bolster our economic resiliency.” “This is fantastic news for the city of St. Pete Beach,” says the mayor. Infrastructure funding, such as this, is vital to the health of our environment and the growth of our state’s communities.”
The Florida Job Growth Grant Fund is a state-funded economic development initiative that promotes public infrastructure and workforce training. The Governor selects proposals from the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and Enterprise Florida, Inc. (EFI) to address the requests for workforce training and infrastructure needs in communities around the state.