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32 | FLORIDA HOMES MAGAZINE weddings l portraits l events www.johnnabrynn.com #843.457.3331 BR EA K ING GROUND, Continued. their parents were at retirement age. A n urban environment offers a lifestyle alternative to beach living. To have entertainment and cultural opportu- nities at their doorstep is proving to be ver y appealing to them. As a result, downtown communities along the coast are enjoying a renaissance. One of the best urban communities in Florida, downtown Sarasota, has sev- eral new projects under development, from the ultra luxurious residential towers, e Jewel, and the abstract design mar vel, Vue, to the highly anticipated mixed-use commercial/ apartment project by local developer Jesse Biter. "New projects and new construction is primarily driven by economics," says omas James Mannausa, developer of e Jewel. "Florida's grow th is more than 350,000 persons/new residents per year. at's 1,000 per day! We had such lile activity relative to new proj- ects over the past 7 years that it will take a long time to catch up...Build it right in a good location, provide great ser vice and customers will buy it!" e downtown centers of Naples and Tampa will also soon welcome new res- idential developments. Naples Square is scheduled to break ground this year and several new high-rise projects are planned in Tampa. A new high-rise project was recently announced for the intersection of Cass and Tyler streets in Tampa. It will include 350 residential units and approx imately 10,000 sq. . of retail space on the ground floor of the 36-stor y building. Smart Homes Smart home technolog y is gaining momentum in new construction today. Smart homes offer many automated features that can be controlled with a tablet or smartphone. Lights and air conditioning , for example, will be con- trolled remotely with no need for the user to walk across the room to make adjustments. ese kinds of additions require spe- cialized wiring and computerized devices to be installed into the home. Smart homes, say some, are the future of home construction and will be the cen- ter of new community developments. Increased demand for these ty pes of homes help build related demand for skilled workers in science, technolog y, electronics and math (STEM). "STEM skills are needed in all industries," Mike Steinerd, director of recruiting at Indeed, told Forbes magazine. "We live in an ever-evolving digital world, which is causing a shi towards technolog y in industries that aren't actually technolog y based. In essence, ever y industr y is becoming its own mini tech industr y." Building and renovating homes to include smart technologies requires general contractors and subcontrac- tors to employ workers and other firms skilled in STEM sectors. Project construction management firms, for example, design companies and spe- cialty trade contractors who provide specialized building ser vices, such as dr y walling and masonr y, will all need to understand how to incorporate smart technologies into their work. One thing that is certain about the current construction boom, times have changed and this is definitely a new dawn for the building industr y. Jay Tallman of Ascentia Development Group, developer of A ria on Longboat Key notes, "It's been years since any new condominiums have been intro- duced to the market. During the downturn, when nothing was being built, the approach to design, technol- og y, and construction evolved and improved significantly. We are now designing and building communities that are far different from what we built 10-20 years ago. is is an exciting time to develop properties, which are seing new standards of luxur y." e lessons of the past appear to have fostered more responsibility and beer standards for the housing industr y. As a result, Florida's future will be built on stable ground to ensure that the sun- shine state will continue to shine for the next generation of Floridians. " Florida's growth is more than 350,000 persons/ new residents a year. at's 1,000 per day! "

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