FYI Miami: August 8, 2013

JUNE CONSTRUCTION BLIP: Tri-county contracts for future construction fell noticeably in June, McGraw Hill Construction said. Nonresidential contracts fell 52% from June 2012 and residential contracts fell 19% for a total 37% drop, the company said. But contracts are up significantly for the first six months in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties, the company said, a total of 21%, with residential rising 44% and nonresidential falling 2%.Future construction contracts for Florida as a whole role 12% for both June and the first half of the year.
GROVE BANK QUIET ON MOVE: If they’re moving, they’re not talking. The Coconut Grove Bank is likely to move into leased space in property erected on its current site following sale of its headquarters, but officials are keeping the details under wraps. Marketing Director Christine Woll says all details are confidential under the bank’s contractual sales agreement, so details of the move won’t be coming from the neighborhood bank.
TAPPING SCHOOL FUNDS: Businesses looking to do business with the Miami-Dade County Public Schools as they upgrade facilities via a $1.2 billion bond package that voters approved in November can learn the steps “to tap into these funds” at a Doral Business Council seminar on Aug. 16. They’ll hear Brian Williams, the school board’s economic development officer, discussing how to register as a vendor, the local business preference policy, lobbyist information, the minority and women business enterprise program, the small business enterprise program and prequalification criteria from 8-9:30 a.m. at the Miami Free Zone Conference Center, 2315 NW 107th Ave in Doral. The seminar is free for business council members, $20 for others. RSVP: (305) 470-9597.
BAPTIST SPREADS SOUTH: Baptist Health South Florida has expanded a longstanding tie to the Medical Center at Ocean Reef in Key Largo, entering a formal agreement to provide support services to the medical center. Eric Wenke, an assistant vice president of Baptist Health, has been appointed chief operating officer of the Medical Center at Ocean Reef and will be based there. Ocean Reef is a private development of 1,700 luxury homes.
GAS GAUGE STABLE: With oil prices stable, retail prices of gasoline in Miami are edging slowly down, falling 1.4 cents per gallon in the past week to average $3.64, according to GasBuddy. AAA, the Auto Group, said prices in Florida on Monday averaged $3.571 per gallon, down from $3.597 a week earlier.