In a surprise, AdventHealth officials today announced the system will build a $100 million, 100-bed hospital on the south side of Palm Coast Parkway, adjacent to Market Street, the assisted living facility, with construction starting in September.
Business & Economy
Jacksonville University Plans Major Campus Expansion in Palm Coast in City’s 2nd Higher-Ed Partnership
Jacksonville University and Palm Coast announced a joint partnership that will open a JU campus in town–the university’s first-ever expansion beyond Jacksonville in its 86-year history–and enroll 150 to 200 full-time students within 24 months. The focus will be health-care education, and more specifically, nursing.
Fifth New Cell Tower in 2 Years, at Palm Harbor Golf Club, Draws Less Than Beaming Reception
A new, 150-foot monopole off of 20 Palm Harbor Drive, on the grounds of the city’s golf club, drew a little bit of resistance from a council member and a few residents, though the Palm Coast City Council appears ready to approve construction later this month.
Road Closure for Palm Coast’s Florida Park Drive on Nov. 20
Florida Power & Light is replacing a key power line infrastructure wooden pole with a concrete pole as a critical part of their infrastructure hardening program.
Palm Coast Faces a Town Center Reckoning: Too Many Apartments, No Commercial Development, and Looming Cash Crunch
The Palm Coast City Council is awakening to several converging realities about Town Center, the once and future promise of the city’s vitality: incentives for apartment construction have worked, incentives for commercial development have not–not yet–and turnover on the council and the administration means few recall the purpose of Town Center to start with. The mayor is looking for a reset.
Covid ‘Superspreader’ Night and Other Events at Social Club of Palm Coast Cause at Least 2 Deaths and Up to 50 Infections
An August 28 singing night at the Social Club of Palm Coast on Old Kings Road, where people sang and socialized, many without masks or social distancing, triggered a rare covid-19 superspreader event whose toll in infections and deaths the Flagler Health Department is still tallying.
Palm Coast Council Approves ‘Luxury,’ Woods-Ringed 256-Apartment Complex on West Side of W-Section
The development of 12 three-story buildings on 92 acres of woodlands and lakes near U.S. 1 in Palm Coast has drawn little attention and none of the opposition that traditionally barnacles to large apartment complex proposals in the city.
In Major Coup for Palm Coast, UNF in Town Center Is a Go as MedNex Initiative Survives Veto
The University of North Florida’s plan to build a satellite presence in Palm Coast’s Town Center as a feeder of health care practitioners to regional hospitals and clinics is a go as the $24 million dollar MedNex initiative survived Gov. Ron DeSantis’s veto pen today.
Long-Awaited, Weirdly Revered Wawa Finally Opens to Cheers in Palm Coast
At 8 this morning, Palm Coast’s Wawa, with its hoagies, its coffees, its interiors lit brighter than the set of a sitcom, and of course its plexiglass and social distancing markers, opened to the public after a four-year wait.
Palm Coast Data Laying Off 150, Closing Shop on Commerce Blvd. and Looking For New Home in the City
A combination of legal wrangles and financial difficulties led to Palm Coast Data’s eviction from its Commerce Boulevard location and layoffs of 40 percent of its workforce as it outsources core services. The company pledges to remain in Palm Coast.
Palm Coast Data Battles Eviction Lawsuit and Calls “Fraud” on Landlord and Former Owners, Casting Pall on 600 Jobs
Both the lawsuit and Palm Coast Data’s answers combine to paint a grim picture for one of Palm Coast’s largest employers, months after losing a major account and now facing yet another major blow from the coming economic consequences of the public health emergency.
Debate Over Restricting Dollar-Type Stores Divides Palm Coast Planning Board as Moratorium Advances
Palm Coast government is moving toward a 120-day moratorium on permitting new dollar-type stores out of concern that the stores’ proliferation may damage the availability of quality grocery stores.
City Planners Urge Significantly Scaling Back 300-Home Matanzas Golf Course Development to Preserve Views
Palm Coast city planners’ response to a planned 300-home development along the disused Matanzas golf course cites rules that prevent building on fairways and blocking existing residents’ backyard views. That would eliminate swaths of planned homes within the 278-acre project.
Rezoning of Long-Gestating Mega Development on Old Kings Road Stirs Residents’ Anxieties Anew
The Bulow Creek development starting just south of State Road 100 on both sides of Old Kings Road would consist of 2,250 houses and apartment units and 1.7 million square feet of commercial and office space, built over four phases stretching over 20 years or more.
Palm Coast Unveils UNF’s Futuristic MedNex Foothold in Town Center as Officials Lobby Lawmakers
Renderings of UNF’s MedNex project in Palm Coast’s Town Center, along with a new infographic about the innovative plan, are part of a lobbying offensive planned for next week by Palm Coast officials to advocate for the initiative.
Critical Lack of Exhibit Space Hobbling Palm Coast Art Scene Even as Organizations Thrive
For the first time in 20 years, the Flagler County Artist of the Year will not have a show, for lack of space. The critical lack of exhibit space is on the radar of the Flagler County Art League, the fledgling Palm Coast Arts Foundation and the Grand Gallery at Grand Living Realty.
Palm Coast’s Inaugural Tech Beach Hackathon Glimmers With Stress-Tested Innovations
Palm Coast’s first “Tech Beach Hackathon” at City Hall was a weekend cramming session of tech developers connecting their just-designed apps to local healthcare problems looking for a solution.
Palm Coast’s War on Dollar Stores and Their Customers Contradicts City’s Inclusive Plan
The Palm Coast City Council imposed a 120-day moratorium on new dollar-type discount stores, citing vague fears of “long-term effects” on the community, a decision that runs counter to free-market ideals.
2 Big Developments Would Change Complexion of Palm Harbor Neighborhood; City Would Take Over Marina
Two proposed developments–along the Palm Harbor golf course and at the Palm Coast marina–would total 120 hotel rooms and 318 multi-family units–town houses and condos, as the city prefers to describe them.
UNF Pitches Medical Hub in Palm Coast’s Town Center in Major Partnership With City, Schools and AdventHealth
The University of North Florida is submitting a $23 million request to the State Board of Governors that includes Palm Coast’s Town Center as a hub of an innovative concept of medical higher education that ties directly to medical-sector jobs in Northeast Florida, a concept UNF calls MedNex.
Palm Coast and Flagler Rally For the Bahamas, With Caution To Ensure Efforts Aren’t Wasted
Palm Coast businesses and individuals such as Shane Bonner are leading herculean efforts to help hurricane-shattered Bahamas. The Red Cross’s Rebecca DeLorenzo cautions against uncoordinated efforts that could lead supplies never delivered to their intended recipients.
St. Augustine’s Flagler Hospital Planning Medical Inroad in AdventHealth’s Palm Coast Backyard, on Matanzas Woods Parkway
Flagler Hospital–now Flagler Health Plus–has a contract to buy 4 acres on Matanzas Woods Parkway, where it would build a small medical-village type development, down the road from AdventHealth’s planned stand-alone emergency room.
Palm Coast Wawa Re-Files Permit Application to Build at State Road 100 Site, Resuming Process
Weeks after cancelling its permit applications, Wawa, the much-anticipated convenience store planning at site at Bulldog Drive and State Road 100, on Monday re-filed a permit application with Palm Coast government.
Permits Cancelled For Palm Coast Wawa, But City Insists “All Indications” Store Still a Go. Just Not Yet.
The permitting process for a planned Wawa at the corner of State Road 100 and Bulldog Drive was cancelled last week, ostensibly so the developer could switch contractors, when plans would be resubmitted.
Flagler Beach Fireworks and “Fabulous Fourth” Parade on July 4
Flagler Beach this year hosts its traditional July 4 celebration, with its Fabulous Fourth parade at 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. fireworks. In Palm Coast, fireworks are on July 3 in Town Center. Both events will feature kid zones and games.
Palm Coast Cell Tower Update: 2 of 3 Monopoles Are Up, With Carriers On The Way
AT&T Wireless will be the first to have service on a new tower behind Palm Coast Parkway, with a tower also up in Palm Harbor and the tallest of the three going up near the tennis center.
Ex-Councilman Jason DeLorenzo, a Voice for Homebuilders, Is Palm Coast’s New Development Chief
Jason DeLorenzo served as a Palm Coast City Council member for five years until the end of 2016 and was the government affairs director of the Flagler Homebuilders Association, two roles that will factor in his running of the city’s development department.
Allegations of Falsified Records and Bogus Inspections Lead to Resignation of Palm Coast’s Chief Building Inspector
Charlie Mini, Palm Coast’s Chief Building Inspector, resigned after an investigation concluded that he was falsifying records about inspections he did not perform and favored one pool contractor in particular.
To Spur Town Center’s ‘Innovation District,’ Palm Coast Eagerly Gives Developers
What They Want
Palm Coast’s Town Center is finally stirring with sustained development after a decade and a half’s slumber, with generous financial breaks and changes in regulations attracting developers.
Palm Coast Wins 1st Place in National Mayor’s Challenge as Residents Pledge to Save 33 Million Gallons of Water
Palm Coast won first place in the 8th Annual Wyland National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation for cities its size, with 8,022 Palm Coast residents pledging to cut water use by 33 million gallons over the next year.
Irish Company Studio Media Buys Palm Coast Data and Signals 10-Year Local Commitment
Studio Media Group, an Irish company, today acquired Palm Coast Data from Pennsylvania-based Amrep Corp., the third time in 17 years that one of Palm Coast’s largest private employers is changing hands.
Palm Coast Mayor Hails ‘Striking’ 10-Ft. Sculpture as Inaugural Symbol of Town Center’s Creative Future
Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland dedicated the first of five sculptures that will form a sculpture garden in Central Park, all privately paid for and donated to the city as a cultural component of Palm Coast’s emerging Innovation District.
W-Section Drainage Improvements Launch Aggressive Ditch-Upkeep in Palm Coast
Palm Coast’s just-launched ditch-maintenance targets overgrowth of aquatic vegetation and plans are being developed to address localized drainage issues in the W, E, F and R sections.
Among Qualities Sought in Next Palm Coast Manager: Many of Those Not Found in Former One
Only 13 people turned up at the first of two meetings designed to give the public a voice in Palm Coast’s choice for its next city manager, but those 13 had an outsize voice.
Shopping Center Eyed Across From Matanzas High School as County and City Play Nice
The shopping center on Matanzas Woods, the first, would serve the north end of Palm Coast and I-95 traffic, but is still in its earliest planning stages.
Palm Coast Council Fires City Manager Jim Landon, Ending 11-Year Tenure
The Palm Coast City Council this morning voted 4-0 to fire City Manager Jim Landon, ending his 11-year tenure after weeks of mounting tension and clashes with the council.
Dr. Fruehan Will Surrender License, Quitting Medicine in Face of Allegation of Sexual Improprieties With Patient
Palm Coast physician Florence Fruehan will surrender his license ahead of the conclusion of a state investigation into allegations that he groped a female patient. He is also under local sheriff’s investigation.
Florida Hospital Flagler Will Change Name to AdventHealth Palm Coast in Companywide Rebranding
The change to AdventHealth Palm Coast, by Jan. 2, is part of a company-wide rebranding across all 47 Adventist Health System hospitals and dozens of other facilities in nine states.
Palm Coast Would Raise Water and Sewer Rates 20.6% Over the Next 4 Years
The average monthly residential bill for water and sewer is $65.76. It would rise to $79.33 by 2022, when the average annual bill will be $163 higher than it is now.
‘Funworld Place’ Business Owner Accused of Selling Crack Out of Palm Coast Parkway Store
Jerard K. Davis of Palm Coast, who’s twice served prison stints for selling cocaine, was arrested at his business near Sunshine Academy and allegedly found with crack and other drugs that he was selling.
At Palm Coast Data, A Surprise Bonus to Employees Highlights Reset of Invigorated Company
In the most intimate and detailed look at Palm Coast Data from the inside in 10 years, the company is less than half its former size but producing solid revenue, projecting optimism, and hiring.
‘No Breach’ Says CEO of Exactis, Palm Coast Company at Heart of Reported Massive Data Leak of Personal Information
Palm Coast-based Exactis CEO Steve Hardigree spoke with FlaglerLive of the data breach that exposed 340 million records, saying nothing actually leaked.
Sea Ray Boats’ Palm Coast Plant Shutting Down in Major Blow to 440 Workers
Palm Coast’s Sea Ray Boats plant, one of the top five employers in the county, with some 440 employees, is shutting down as Brunswick corp. abandons the yacht line.
Construction Brisk in Flagler and Palm Coast, Prompting Glimmers of Steady Boomlet
Brisk construction activity in Palm Coast and Flagler is sending building inspections soaring, reflecting healthy but not boom-like activity in the sector.
RaceTrac Station at Old Kings and SR100 Starts Construction in June as Kings Pointe Resurrects
The new RaceTrac gas station is a breakthrough for the long-dormant Kings Pointe development, until now one of the symbols of the housing collapse.
Gov. Scott’s Boasts of “Recovering” $1.2 Million From Palm Coast Data Aside, New Documents Detail Extent of Deal’s Failures
Documents obtained by FlaglerLive and disclosed for the first time show the extent of Palm Coast Data’s difficulties and some of Palm Coast government’s own deception along the way.
At Coastal Cloud in the Hammock, a Culture More Cutting Edge Than Cutthroat Breeds Startling Success at 5-Year Mark
Palm Coast’s Coastal Cloud marked its 5-year anniversary with startling successes, including 40 percent annual growth, 140 employees and near-parity between men and women in the ranks.
Getting Over Resistance Against Apartments in Palm Coast: Less Prejudice, A Bit More Height
Housing, real estate and local government officials this morning diagnosed the sources of Flagler-Palm Coast’s affordable housing crisis and proposed a few solutions in a unique discussion at the Hilton Garden Inn.
New RaceTrac Gas Station Coming To Old Kings and SR100, Apartment Complex Eyed
Hidden Lakes residents spoke in opposition to a zoning change allowing a 136-unit apartment complex at Old Kings Road just north of Kings Pointe.
Palm Coast Approves Its First Microbrewery: Moonrise Brewing Co. at European Village
The brewpub and restaurant, opening in October, will produce about 15,000 pints a month. Its three owners, in the industry many years, expect it to become a big draw for European Village.