TALLAHASSEE --- Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet will be asked Tuesday to designate 22 acres at Hillsborough College into the talks involving a stadium location for the Tampa Bay Rays. Hillsborough College is working with the Rays ownership over the use of about 113 acres of the Dale Mabry Campus for a proposed stadium and accompanying mixed-use development. The proposal includes the use of 22 acres of non-conservation land at the college, which could “provide a grea

Most Florida voters are open data centers positively impacting their tax bill. Two controversial ideas. One unexpectedly warm reception. A new poll commissioned by the Associated Industries of Florida (AIF) Center for Political Strategy suggests Florida voters may be more receptive to data centers and homestead property tax abolishment if the two issues are fused. The McLaughlin & Associates survey found 64% of likely 2026 voters would support building a data center in their

F lorida lawmakers are moving closer to putting a major property tax cut before voters this fall, without yet agreeing on how far to go, or how to pay for it.  Gov. Ron DeSantis has urged legislators to send “one vehicle” for meaningful relief to the November ballot, and with roughly 3.5 weeks left in the regular session, House committees have advanced three competing constitutional amendment proposals. The measures would lower taxes for homeowners in sharply different ways

As Florida senators work to give Citizens Property Insurance customers more power to dispute claim denials, the state's insurer of last resort is moving in the opposite direction by expanding a controversial arbitration process that critics say unfairly favors the company over homeowners. New documents obtained by WPTV show Citizens is pushing more policyholders into its mandatory arbitration system, which forces disputes out of traditional courts and before a single judge pa

Over the course of last year, the median sale price rose in Martin and St. Lucie counties. It decreased in Indian River County. The local housing market is influenced by interest rates and state legislation. All three Treasure Coast counties leaned more toward a seller's market in 2025 compared to 2024. The number of homes sold on the Treasure Coast increased in 2025 compared to 2024. Will the housing market on the Treasure Coast in 2026 favor buyers or sellers? Time will tel

At one of our recent Let’s Hear It events in Wellington, we heard many of your concerns about new development projects in the western communities, including the controversial Project Tango. WPTV's Michael Hoffman is following through on this proposed project in Palm Beach County and the emergence of AI data centers, addressing concerns from residents and pressing county leaders for answers. WPTV has been hearing that some of the concerns about Project Tango go beyond the envi

The measure was filed in response to a controversial proposal to trade away 600 acres of wilderness preserve near St. Augustine The Florida House unanimously passed a bipartisan bill Tuesday that would shed more light on state conservation decisions after a series of recent public lands controversies gave little room for public input. The measure, House Bill 441, would require a month’s notice when the state considers selling or trading conservation land. The bill also requ

Fears about data centers using too much electricity and water are overblown, the authors say. Gov. DeSantis’s recent disparaging comments about data centers have left some in the media comparing him to Bernie Sanders, but luckily for Floridians the similarities aren’t much beyond hot air. While Sanders has called for a moratorium on the building of new hyperscale data centers, DeSantis is backing legislation as part of his AI Bill of Rights that encourages data center dev

A famous poet once said, “Life is a balance of holding on and letting go.”  This idea rings true when I think about development in Florida and the struggle to preserve as much of our beautiful state as possible while balancing the demand and the need for progress.  Landowners across the state of Florida have a unique responsibility and an even greater opportunity to shape the economic development of their communities and the advancement of our state.  Such an opportunity exis

The Florida Conservation Group (FCG) announced a significant conservation victory today, securing the permanent protection of more than 7,300 acres of working forests and farmland in rapidly developing Levy County. The massive effort was achieved through a coordinated partnership utilizing two key state land conservation programs: the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ (FDACS) Rural and Family Lands Protection Program (RFLPP) and the Florida Department o

Aging waterfront buildings become redevelopment jackpots as residents choose bulk buyouts over rising costs Along South Florida's sunny shorelines , aging waterfront buildings are turning into redevelopment jackpots as condominium owners increasingly choose control — and cash — over uncertainty. "The residents, the owners, understand how hard it is to keep up the maintenance of the buildings, and they understand that it's getting harder and harder every year with the increase

There is a rare stretch of undeveloped paradise with white beaches and serene waters located between Destin Harbor and East Pass. This is called Norriego Point, and it’s not just a scenic sandbar; it’s the heart of Destin’s harbor and a crown jewel of the Emerald Coast. The state’s recent decision to purchase 4 acres at Norriego Point is more than a real estate transaction. It’s a declaration of what kind of Florida we want to leave behind; one where public access to the coas

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida has permanently protected more than 2,200 acres of working agricultural land in Madison County through a conservation easement, a move the state’s agriculture commissioner says will strengthen food security and protect natural resources. Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced Friday that the Kip Whaley Ranch, an approximately 2,292-acre cattle and timber operation, has been preserved from future development through the Florida Department

Conserving land As a dedicated protector of Florida’s waters, I thank Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet for their leadership in approving several conservation projects last week. These approvals covered counties across the state, including Osceola, Martin, Hendry, Putnam, Collier, Duval, Okaloosa, Hardee, Okeechobee, Pasco, Hillsborough and Leon. Together, these projects will conserve thousands of acres of land through acquisitions, conservation easements and Rural an

In recent years, severe weather has dramatically increased beachfront homeowners' premiums and reduced their carrier options, ultimately...

With the federal flood insurance program paused, homeowners in flood-prone areas of Florida must navigate new challenges in securing...

Florida already applies the law as equally to AI as it does to humans, witnesses say. Although Gov. Ron DeSantis for months has hinted at...

Under SB 1080, counties and municipalities must now clearly define, in writing, the minimum information that an applicant must provide......

And a Republican sponsor of the measure says the law likely needs to be toned down. A leading advocacy organization has filed the second...

These recent decisions at the state level show that conservation and property rights can coincide with one another Land ownership has...