• The Urban Land Institute North Florida will host its annual “Emerging Trends in Real Estate” program Nov. 2 at the Hyatt Downtown. National and local speakers, including Dean Schwanke, executive director for the ULI Center for Capital Markets and Real Estate in Washington, D.C., will discuss 2012 trends and forecasts. ULI Chairman Peter Rummell will moderate a panel discussion by Charles Carlisle of Bristol Development Group, Jerry Mallot of JAXUSA Partnership and Jim Taylor of Eastdil Secured, New York. The event is 5-8 p.m. Tickets are $45 for members and $55 for non-members. For more information, contact Carolyn Clark at 486-8256 or [email protected] or visit www.northflorida.uli.org.
• Unemployment in Duval County fell to 10.83 percent in September from 11.14 percent in August and 12.38 percent in September 2010, according to state numbers adjusted by the University of North Florida Leading Economic Indicator Project. Project director Paul Mason, an economics professor, said employment usually improves in September when students return to school. He called the dip “movement in the right direction.”
• Alyson Wise joined the sales and marketing team of The Players Championship. She is responsible for selling hospitality packages and sponsorships to local and national businesses for the PGA Tour’s flagship event, held each May in Ponte Vedra Beach. It will be May 7-13 next year.
• Rosemary Tutt, a Flagler College assistant professor of communications, earned professional certification in public relations and received the designation of Certified Public Relations Counselor. Tutt is from the Jacksonville Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association.
• Over the year in Duval County, the labor force fell by 1,884 people from September 2010 to the past month. However, there were 3,965 more people employed and 5,849 fewer people unemployed, according to state numbers.
• It’s that time again. The City issued a permit for the installation of 5,442 temporary seats for the Florida-Georgia game this weekend at EverBank Field. Ballard Finishing Contractors Inc. will handle the $270,000 project. The game is Saturday.
• Baptist Health COO John Wilbanks and Baptist Medical Center Beaches Chief of Staff Pamela Rama, a cardiologist, will announce a community heart initiative at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Baptist Heart Hospital on the Downtown Southbank. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women.
• Health care and related businesses are considered targeted industries for the area. The City issued several building permits the past few days in those areas: A $161,147 project by McCree Inc. for interior renovations of 6,736 square feet of administrative and medical records space for Wekiva Springs center at 6575 Charing St.; a $146,300 tenant build-out by Osterer Construction Co. Inc. for Oakleaf Family Practice at 9680 Argyle Forest Blvd., No. 20; a $129,000 tenant build-out by Tri-City Environmental Inc. for Greenberg Dental at 5995 University Blvd. W.; a $100,000 interior renovation by Auld & White Constructors for Mayo Clinic Jacksonville on the fifth floor at 4500 San Pablo Road for physical therapy; and a $87,898 remodeling job of 5,000 square feet of enrollment space on the fourth floor of Allstate at 4920 San Pablo Road S. by M.A. Mortenson Co.
• Several more building permits of note were issued over the past few days: A $384,000 permit for demolition and finishes by Urban Partners Construction LLC by Equity One for Planet Fitness at 7628 103rd St.; a $79,500 interior remodeling by J.C. Harward & Associates Inc. for Premier Rental-Purchase, also at 7628 103rd St.; a $148,200 renovation of 2,470 square feet of space for the Child Guidance Center at 4595 Lexington Ave., by Breaking Ground Contracting Co.; a $262,204 exterior cooler project by Tenant Contractors Inc. for Mellow Mushroom Pizza in the Tinseltown area; a $134,690 new fueling canopy by Carr-Tech Industries Inc. for the Shell station at 9143 Baymeadows Road; a $21,750 project by Pattillo Construction Corp. for construction of a new demising wall in the Bridgestone warehouse at 4101 Bulls Bay Highway; and a $221,000 parking lot striping by Stripe-A-Lot for Sam’s Club at 10690 Beach Blvd.
• Appointments from the Jacksonville Fraternal Order of Police to National FOP committees: President Nelson Cuba to chairman of the Health Care Committee; Second Vice President Lonnie Miller Jr., also First Vice President of the state FOP, to membership on the Diversity Committee; and Treasurer Lt. Clarence James to the Pension Committee. The National FOP represents more than 320,000 members nationwide.
• The Seasons 52 grill and wine bar restaurant opened Monday at St. Johns Town Center. It is the company’s first location in North Florida and the 20th Seasons 52 restaurant in the country. Hours are 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday. It seats 331 diners, including 36 seats on the patio and 91 in the piano bar.