This month St. Petersburg launched OpenCounter - a new online tool designed to make starting or expanding a business easier. In the video above, Mayor Kriseman provides a quick overview of how the tool works. OpenCounter allows you to check zoning, predict permitting fees, and submit an inquiry before signing a lease. You can check out OpenCounter here.

On Wednesday, February 22nd from 9:00 to 11:00 am, a 2020 Plan Taskforce Meeting will take place at Tropicana Field. Topics include a community conversation with County Commissioner Ken Welch,  Sheriff Bob Gualteri, Chief Tony Holloway, as well as updates on workforce development, Cohort of Champions, housing, and updates from partners. RSVP to [email protected]. A continental breakfast will be served and parking is available in Lot 1.

Phillips Development officially closed on the 9-acre former Home Depot site at 30th Ave S and US-19 in the Skyway Marina District. Phillips has big plans for the site with a $70 million mixed-use project that includes 300+ luxury apartments and 13,000 SF of retail. "It is areas like this that we focus on. The Skyway Marina District is screaming for retail, luxury living and involvement from the St. Petersburg art scene," says Donald Phillips, managing director.

321 Books, one of the largest ecommerce booksellers on Amazon, is opening their first retail location in 10,000 SF of space at Tyrone Square Mall. The bookseller will stock over 100,000 books that are all priced at $3 or less. The store will also stock DVDs, CDs, and video games.

"We are really excited to have our first store opening at Tyrone Square Mall. 321 Books buys and sorts over 25,000 books per day and most of them can't be sold on Amazon. Mostly, because the books weigh too much. I think people will be shocked at the books they qill be seeing in the store, they're like new and some are over 90% off MSRP," said Tim Russell, Principal for 321 Books.

Join 321 Books for the Grand Opening on March 4th !

The 20th Annual BioFlorida Conference will take place October 15-17, 2017 at the Vinoy Renaissance Hotel in St. Petersburg. The conference is currently looking for sponsors and exhibitors and is offering a 10% discount for those who register before March 17.  The BioFlorida Conference attracts 400+ individuals from across Florida and beyond to hear from life science executives and industry leaders, and connect with other life science professionals.  If you are interested, visit BioFlorida's sponsorship page . 

Entrepreneurial Academy is a 10-week course designed to educate existing and future entrepreneurs on the essentials of business ownership. Topics covered include accounting, business plans, marketing, and more. The course runs Monday evenings, 6 to 9 pm, starting March 20 through May 22. Learn more about the program and register here.