Pasco County officials broke ground Thursday, Oct. 5 on the Double Branch development project.
Developers have been trying to turn the area into a community hub for two decades. However, the support for the project hasn’t been there until now. Columnar Holdings and Phillips Jordan have teamed up to turn the nearly 1,000-acre space into an industrial gem.
The new space will feature 4 million square feet of industrial space, 400,000 sq. ft. of retail space, 3500 housing units and 300 hotel beds.
“Economic growth, job growth and we are really at a pinnacle time in Pasco County to foster that with the population growth quickly exceeding 650,000, heading rapidly towards a million,” said Mike Wolf, Columnar Holdings SVP of Land.
The development is estimated to generate $600 million and nearly 6,000 jobs for the community. It is expected to take 12 to 15 years to complete.
Even though county officials celebrated today’s announcement, some locals have taken to social media to express their concerns with the construction.
Biden announces additional $9 billion in student loan debt relief
Source: Public Domain
President Joe Biden plans to use the $9 billion for student loan forgiveness by updating pre-existing relief programs.
For three years, student loan payments have been at a standstill thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, borrowers are expected to begin paying back their loans this month.
On Wednesday, Biden said 125,000 borrowers are now eligible for loan forgiveness.
According to the Department of Education, over $5 billion of the new budget is going to borrowers enrolled in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Close to $3 billion will go to borrowers who have been paying back loans for 20 years or more. The final $1.2 billion will go to approved borrowers who have permanent disabilities.
These changes bring the Biden-Harris administration’s total relief for students to $127 billion. About 3.6 million Americans have been impacted through relief programs. Of that number, more than 40,000 borrowers in Florida have already had their loans forgiven, totaling more than $3 million.
Marshall Student Center elevators go on strike
Students looking to skip leg day in the Marshall Student Center at the University of South Florida continue to be let down as elevators malfunction.
Source: João Pedro Magalhães
Out of the three elevators, only one is currently operational. Budget plans are being implemented to fix the lifts but time remains a problem.
“Right now we are predicting by summer 2024, that’s when the elevators will start to be fixed,” said Matt Marshall, MSC director.
Repairs are expected to be completed in January 2025.
Grab your tickets for 3rd largest Powerball jackpot
For those hoping to quit their jobs and live on the beach, it might be time to buy a Powerball ticket.
Source: Abi Saxe
With no winners in last night’s drawing, the Powerball jackpot rises to $1.4 billion. Yes, you did read that correctly, billion. According to Powerball’s website, this is the third-largest jackpot in history.
The next drawing is set to happen this Saturday, Oct. 7, at 10:59 p.m., and for only a $2 investment the chance to win could be yours!
Credits:
Anchor: Garrett Shumake
Producer: Aviva Kram
Assistant Producer: Jadon Rolle
Reporters: Carsen Fraser, Eduardo Reksiedler, Matt Narváez, João Pedro
Magalhães, Abi Saxe
Social Media: Abi Saxe
Technical Director: Layth Mekkaoui
Teleprompter: Eduardo Reksiedler
Graphics: Layth Mekkaoui
Video Editor: Emily Ward
Cameras: João Pedro Magalhães
Web Editor: Justin Michael
Graduate Assistant: McKenzie Muskett
Faculty Adviser: Dr. Stephanie Anderson