Growth, stability and opportunity in the Sunshine State

ORLANDO, Fla. – Oct. 4, 2007 –The Milken Institute/Greenstreet Partners 2007 Best Performing Cities Index – 200 Largest Metros, along with its complementary study of the best 200 small metro areas, ranks cities on their ability to create and sustain jobs, which translates into employment opportunities and salary growth.

For the third consecutive year, Florida metropolitan areas scored high on the 200 Largest Metros index, taking three of the top six spots – including this year’s top-ranked metro, Ocala.

The Orlando-Kissimmee MSA ranked No. 5, followed by Naples-Marco Island at No. 6. All together, 16 metro areas in Florida placed in the top 100 spots nationally in the largest metros index. In the complementary small metro area index, two areas in the Panhandle (Panama City-Lynn Haven and Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin) ranked in the Top 20 for Best Performing Cities Index.

The index measures both long-term (five years) and short-term (one year) projections for employment and salary growth. Researchers attribute Ocala’s strong showing to job growth, averaging 5.8 percent during the past two years, and a robust housing market.

According to the research, Ocala, as well as the Orlando-Kissimmee and Naples-Marco Island metro areas in Florida, scored well in the index because of their tourism and tech-based manufacturing.

“There are dynamic forces at play at the national level that are being reflected at the local metro level,” says Ross DeVol, director of regional economics at the Milken Institute. “One of the key distinguishing characteristics of successful places over the long-term is the entrepreneurial strength of its residents. Entrepreneurs replenish the jobs lost in declining industries and firms,” DeVol said.

Here are the Top 10 performers (with last year’s ranking in parentheses) of the 200 largest metros:

1. Ocala, FL (13)
2. Wilmington, NC (59)
3. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA (10)
4. Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ (15)
5. Orlando-Kissimmee, FL (6)
6. Naples-Marco Island, FL (3)
7. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX (7)
8. Provo-Orem, UT (23)
9. Las Vegas-Paradise, NV (11)
10. Raleigh-Cary, NC (45)

The full study is found at: http://bestcities.milkeninstitute.org/

© 2007 FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

22,000 acres in Brunswick to cost group $70 million

Wilmington-based Amici Group has agreed to pay $70 million to acquire 36 tracts of land in Brunswick County totaling 22,000 acres, the private equity and development company said Tuesday.

The land is being sold by International Paper, and the first portion of the transaction closed Sept. 28, the company said.

The land is between U.S. 74 and 76 and north of U.S. 17 and along both sides of N.C. 87, said Donna Cote, president and founder of Amici Group. Some of the tracts are contiguous, she added.

The land will be put to a variety of uses, including residential and conservation areas, Cote said, explaining that Amici would develop some of the tracts and other pieces would be sold to other developers. "Some of it will stay timberland for a while. Some may be commercial," she said.

"We are in the very initial stages of evaluating the portfolio," Cote said Tuesday.

She said Amici Group has formed a strategic partnership with investor Teresa Matsui Sanders, a long-standing business partner of Cote and president of InnWorks, a hotel company with operations in 10 states.

"There are a variety of options right now, and right now we're exploring what makes the most sense," Sanders said Tuesday.

She said hotels are a possibility, but not necessarily high on the list.

"We need to see where growth is taking place, what kinds of things are taking place in areas near our tracts and what makes sense from a development standpoint," she said.

Cote said Brunswick County is "a market we've been tracking carefully for over a decade. We aim to be a thoughtful contributor to the area's expansion."

Both Cote and Sanders are interested in creating conservation areas.

"We're undertaking a study of wetlands," Cote said. "The majority is uplands - almost 70 percent.

"We have some neat wetland area," she said, referring to several thousand acres that surround Town Creek. "We have some really cool cypress swamps."

Amici Group, founded in 2006, is made up of Amici Capital, a real estate private equity fund, and Amici Development, a regional development firm.

Its collaboration with Sanders includes a proposal for the Wilmington convention center.

"You have to believe it will be years" before development goes forward on the Brunswick property, said John Cavin, a broker with Prudential CRES Commercial Real Estate Partners in Wilmington, which represented Amici Group in the transaction.

"We will spend a lot of time analyzing what we have," Cavin said. "We're going to have to meet with the county to find out the location of water and sewer and its proximity to the tracts.

"Raw land in general is tough. Something that big takes a lot of work."

Reporter Shannon Bowen of the Star-News Brunswick Bureau also contributed to this report.

Interview from our President and CEO

Recently, Platinum Properties USA President and CEO Sean Scanlon was interviewed by Joel Finsel for local media.  In the interview, Mr. Scanlon spoke all about Platinum Properties USA, from our dedication to excellence to our environmental conservation efforts, along with the significant growth and changes that our area is going through.  You can watch the video of the interview below!

Town Creek Nature Park and Access site

educational uses. Brunswick County is one of the fastest growing counties in the state with population growth increasing 43.5% between 1990 and 2000. The Town Creek Nature Park (Project 1) and the Town Creek Access Site (Project 2) is located in one of the most rapidly growing areas of Brunswick County and both sites are conveniently located off of major growth corridors - US 17 & NC 133. Additionally, two major transportation projects are also being proposed in the areas that will connect Brunswick County to New Hanover County via a proposed Skyway Bridge and the I-140 Bypass.

In 2003, Brunswick County completed a Shoreline Access Plan that designated both Town Creek locations (out of 15 Brunswick County sites) as high priority sites that need to be developed in the future. This was based upon current needs, user analysis, and projected growth. The Town Creek Boat Access Site (Project 2) is designated as one of the first locations to begin implementation. Brunswick County also is in the process of drafting a Greenway/Blueway Master Plan. Funding for this plan came from a technical assistance grant awarded by the National Park Service. This plan will designate Town Creek as a vital location that will provide connectivity to Brunswick County's proposed greenway/blueway network. Together, both the Town Creek Nature Park (Project 1) and the Town Creek Access Site (Project 2) will provide essential connections along Town Creek needed to create Brunswick County's first Blueway.

Read complete proposal by clicking the link below.

http://www.brunsco.net/Portals/0/bcfiles/2006_Town_Creek_RFP_-_Final.pdf

Brunswick developer takes meaning of
Earth Day to heart

Platinum Properties has taken a stand against the status quo. Instead of creating huge tracts of homogenous sprawl, Platinum Properties USA CEO Sean Scanlon has chosen a more eco-friendly way to provide a true sense of community for Brunswick County’s ever-increasing population.

“Our mantra at Platinum Properties USA is Creating unique coastal neighborhoods, one family at a time,” Scanlon says of his 3 current projects – Oak Creek, Cypress Bay, and Spring Lake at Maritime Shores – each slated to contain approximately 50 home-sites.

“Instead of going out and clear-cutting vast terrains of pristine woodlands,” Scanlon continues, “our intention is to revitalize transitional neighborhoods while preserving the natural beauty inherent to the land, along with incorporating traditional southern architectural themes and use of indigenous construction material and plantings for landscaped gardens. We hope that from our example of implementing the appropriate infrastructure elements and construction guidelines, residents will be encouraged to build more greenly so that their children and grandchildren will have access to the same precious natural resources too many developers tend to ignore.”

Environmental protection infrastructure elements for Platinum Properties USA neighborhoods include: utilizing state-of-the-art storm water run off measures that exceed both Federal and State requirements which includes the implementation of pre-treatment bio-filters that remove any solids or contaminants in the storm water runoff before it seeps into the ground where the Earth’s natural filtration takes place. Other measures required by homeowners include, time-release fertilizers and specific clauses that protect all trees outside of the specific home’s building envelope. Homeowners are encouraged to leave as much of the natural environment as possible while planning their home design and property layout. Platinum Properties USA is also actively pursuing partnerships with local builders who specialize in Green Home Building.

Link to artice on  www.wilmingtonstar.com

Best Places For Business And Careers

The news on the economy in recent months has been uninspiring. The subprime lending mess threatens to accelerate the housing slowdown. Gas prices are at their highest in eight months. Gross domestic product growth this year is expected to be less than 3% for the first time since 2003. But one part of the country consistently manages to produce strong economic growth and still keep costs down. For the second straight year the Southeast placed 5 metros in the Top 10 of our Best Places for Business and Careers. While most economies in the West have also outperformed their peers in the Northeast and Midwest over the past four years, living costs there have risen dramatically. Housing prices in Phoenix, spurred in part by easy lending, are up 57% in the past two years, knocking it off our Top 10.

#19 Wilmington NC

Read complete article on Forbes.com

Brunswick Boom

The Wilmington Star-News recently published an article titled "Brunswick Boom," which mentioned some of the many improvements that have come to Leland and Brunswick County over the past few years.  The article also went on to discuss a number of upcoming businesses moving to the area.  Many viewed the recent opening of the Super Wal-Mart to be the defining moment, but really, the area had been growing long before the SuperCenter opened its doors.  Signs of this growth are everywhere, with highway improvements made to meet the demand of business and residential areas.

We would encourage everyone to read this article, in its entirety, on the Star-News Website.

Along with the recent improvements, there are a number of businesses slated to open in the very near future.  Just a small sampling of these businesses is the addition of an Applebee's Restaurant, which will sit beside the new Arby's, along with a new P.T.'s Grille, and talks are underway for the building of a hotel, pharmacy, and many more dining facilities.  We hope you will read the article, and discover just how popular our wonderful region has become.  We are committed to the growth of this beautiful area, and we are proud to have such strong roots within the community.

Top 10 cities: Where to buy now

37%	Projected gain in home prices (5-year)*
	Median home price 2006: $217,000 2011: $297,000
	Population 2006: 325,000 2011: 361,000
	Per capita income 2006: $30,500 2011: $38,300
*Metro region statistics