Commercial Truck Insurance in Sanford, FL

More than a dozen Floridians are back home after being rescued from Haiti.

A plane carrying 14 Sunshine State residents landed at Orlando Sanford International Airport on Wednesday night via an emergency flight coordinated by the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

Governor Ron DeSantis said this is the first rescue mission from Haiti with evacuees who were otherwise unable to return home due to the ongoing political crisis in Haiti.

"This is the second time that Florida has stepped up to ensure that Americans have a way out of an unstable political situation abroad," said Governor Ron DeSantis. "I am proud of the work we have done to get Floridians home and reunite them with their families. We will also continue to dedicate resources to prevent the flow of illegal immigrants from reaching our shores while the situation in Haiti deteriorates."

"It took a couple of tries. They didn’t give up. They stayed with us until the end of the mission," said Phillipe Armand, one of the evacuees.

He added that the journey wasn’t easy.

"The biggest stress was dealing with little kids," Armand shared. "Not adults. It made it more stressful on the parents".

They were supposed get out of Haiti three days ago, but the danger was too high.

"The biggest hurdle was getting transportation to the city," Armand explained. "There were many barricades. Main roads are closed off. Side roads are closed off because of what is going on. Every neighborhood is trying to protect themselves and limit outsiders. It’s very hard to go to the airport to fly out".

Florida Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie says 378 Floridians are trying to make it home, but it’s a dangerous mission.

"There are a lot of challenges in Haiti right now. I would say it’s worse than a war zone. Easier to get people in and out of Israel than in and out of Haiti," Guthrie said.

He added, "our helicopter got surrounded at the airport. After we dumped everyone off and into the plane, they tried to surround the helicopter. They had to take off".

But now, the 14 people rescued on Wednesday will enjoy the safety of being home.

"Everyone made it safe and sound. We are grateful and appreciate all the hard work," Armand said.

Haiti is being overrun with gang violence. Gangs have reportedly been responsible for raiding some of the nation's largest prisons and freeing thousands of inmates.

DeSantis has been trying to dissuade refugees from fleeing to Florida. The governor previously announced that he'd directed more than 250 additional officers and soldiers from the Florida State Guard, Division of Emergency Management, and other state law enforcement agencies to southern Florida and the Keys to stop Haitian migrants from arriving on shore.

"The last thing we're looking to do is to fly anybody you know here that doesn't belong here," shared DeSantis on Wednesday.

Haiti's prime minister resigned after gangs overran the capital of Port-au-Prince. The main airport in Port-au-Prince was also ransacked and has been closed following gang attacks.

When DeSantis was asked about the UN report that revealed how Haitian gangs are armed with Florida's guns, he stated that it was an issue for the federal government.

"In terms of what is going into the country from the United States, that's something that is the federal government's responsibility," responded DeSantis.

According to the governor, the ports that are controlled by the state of Florida are capable of intercepting illegal activities.

"We intercepted a vessel that had 25 people coming from Haiti that had drugs and had firearms, and those folks were stopped before they reached our shores," shared DeSantis.

DeSantis said that the state is willing to continue dedicating resources to rescue efforts that help Floridians who are stuck in Haiti.

"We're going to do everything within our power to be able to bring more and more Floridians back to safety," said DeSantis.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday announced the first of what he said would be many flights evacuating Floridians and other Americans out of Haiti amid the country’s spiral into violence.

DeSantis spoke at the Orlando Sanford International Airport shortly before the first chartered flight was scheduled to land Wednesday night. He left before its arrival.

DeSantis and state Division of Emergency Management director Kevin Guthrie said 14 people were on the flight, including some children.

“We’re committed to rescuing Floridians from a bad situation,” DeSantis said.

DeSantis and Guthrie said 360 Floridians and 501 other U.S. citizens had requested the state’s help in being evacuated so far.

The state conducted similar flights out of Israel after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, for which charter company ARS Global was paid $18.5 million by the state. But DeSantis said there was far less coordination with the Haitian government than with Israel’s.

“So it’s a more challenging situation,” he said. “But there’s been people that have been doing a lot of great work, and in really difficult circumstances, to be able to bring people to safety.”

Guthrie said the state sent its Orlando Regional Coordinator to the Haitian Consulate in Orlando “to knock on the door and try to get some help. … We’re just running into problem after problem getting people vetted.”

Guthrie said that for the last five days, “I’ve had a room of about 25 people working … with our federal government, State Department, [Bureau of] Consular Affairs.”

But DeSantis and Guthrie criticized the U.S. State Department’s requirement that people evacuated on their chartered planes reimburse the federal government.

Orlando resident Abson Louis flew out of Haiti on the first such flight Sunday.

Orlando man escapes chaos of Haiti, hopes for family’s safety

“I think the last thing these people want is to get stuck with a bill when they’re just basically running for their lives,” DeSantis said.

As for Haitians themselves, however, DeSantis said anyone attempting to arrive in Florida by boat would be caught and turned back.

“People should just understand that the last thing you want to do is get into a boat and go over very dangerous waters just to get intercepted and sent back to where you came from,” he said. “It’s just not worth it.”

DeSantis told a conservative podcaster on Tuesday that for Haitians who land in Florida, “their next stop very well may be Martha’s Vineyard,” a reference to the controversial migrant flight program funded by the state that has enticed migrants onto planes bound for Democratic states and abandoned them there.

Earlier this week, Louis told the Orlando Sentinel that DeSantis should allow refugees into Florida and not send them back to the war zone.

“I think a lot of people want the same opportunity to come here out of the chaos,” he said.

Staff photographer Stephen Dowell contributed to this report.

Winter Park-based CTO Realty Growth, Inc. announced today that they purchased Marketplace at Seminole Towne Center in Sanford for $68.7 million.

The 318,000-square-foot shopping center is located at 1771 WP Ball Blvd. near the intersection of I-4 and FL-419. It is currently 98% leased with 39 tenants, including Target, Ross Dress for Less, Burlington, Chipotle, Petco, Old Navy, and Bath & Body Works.

Brad Peterson, Whitaker Leonhardt, and Tommy Isola of Colliers represented the seller in the deal.

John P Albright, President and CEO of CTO Realty Growth said in a press release that the property represents a great investment opportunity.

“Seminole Towne Center provides a stable income stream and growth potential, and due to its prime location and strong community ties, we see attractive potential upside from below-market rents. We believe we acquired the property below replacement cost and this acquisition aligns with our commitment to expanding our footprint in high-quality, dynamic markets and underscores our dedication to delivering long-term value to our shareholders”, he said.

According to the press release, the population within a three-mile radius of the shopping center includes 60,000 people with an average household income of about $118,000.

GrowthSpotter previously reported that the shopping center last traded hands in January 2019, when a partnership of CBRE Global Investors and Chicago-based Fairbourne Properties purchased the property for $58 million. Brad Peterson of Colliers also represented the seller in that deal.

The retail center’s 98% occupancy rate stands in sharp contrast to the neighboring Seminole Towne Center mall, which has fallen on hard times due to high vacancy and declining revenues. In February, the mall closed for multiple consecutive days because the owner failed to pay the property’s electricity bill. Some big-box stores such as Dick’s Sporting Goods and JCPenney stayed open because they are on separate power connections, but smaller businesses had to temporarily shut down due to a lack of power. The owner also reportedly still owes Seminole County $717,559 in 2022 real estate taxes.

The 41-acre Marketplace at Seminole Towne Center is CTO Realty’s second purchase in the Orlando market, and is their largest purchase in Florida. According to the press release, Orlando is now the company’s fourth largest market. In December 2021, they also bought a nearly 28,000 square foot office building at 369 N. New York Ave. in Winter Park for $13.2 million. That office building also serves as the company’s headquarters.

In total, the company owns 17 properties in eight states, including Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. Elsewhere in Florida, the company owns two single-tenant, beachfront retail locations at 451 and 471 S Atlantic Ave. in Daytona Beach, as well as a nearly 211,000 square-foot retail center in Jacksonville called The Strand at St. Johns Town Center.

CTO’s latest purchase is the largest transaction in Seminole County this year. In 2023, the most expensive sale in the county was Atlanta-based Wood Partners’ $90.3 million purchase of the 342-unit Alta Cypress in Longwood last August. New York-based GAIA Real Estate bought the property from LeCesse Development Corp.

In November, Boca Rotan-based Basis Industrial purchased two business parks with a combined 370,000 square feet of office and warehouse space for $75 million. In total, the company now owns 1.2 million square feet in the Orlando market.

Seminole County’s largest retail transaction last year was the $42 million off-market sale of 150,000 square feet of retail space at Griffin Farm at Midtown in Lake Mary. Equity Management Partners bought the property from Unicorp National Developments, and Legacy Realty Group Advisors brokered the deal.

According to a Colliers retail market report from last quarter, Central Florida has a limited supply of available retail space resulting in low vacancy and relatively high rental rates. In Q4 of last year, the overall retail vacancy rate in the Orlando market was 4.6%, with the Sanford/Lake Mary submarket coming in at an even lower 3.9%. Low vacancy has lead to steadily increasing rents, with the overall direct asking rate on a NNN lease averaging $33.80 per square foot in the Orlando market. This represents a 16% increase from the overall asking rate of $29.15 per square foot in Q4 of 2021.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was updated on March 20 to clarify that Brad Peterson, Whitaker Leonhardt, and Tommy Isola of Colliers represented the seller in the deal.

Have a tip about Central Florida development? Contact me at (407) 607-8160 or TyWilliams@GrowthSpotter.com. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook and LinkedIn.

WWE held a WWE NXT live event on Friday night, March 22, 2024, in front of a sold out standing room-only crowd at the Sanford Civic Center in Sanford, Florida, with Sarah Schreiber serving as the host for the evening.

Featured below, courtesy of Billy Krotchsen and PWInsider.com, are complete results from the show.

WWE NXT LIVE RESULTS FROM SANFORD, FL. (3/22/2024)

Match 1) Hank Walker and Tank Ledger defeated Charlie Dempsey and Damon Kemp via assisted running powerslam on Damon.Match 2) Duke Hudson defeated Jonah Neisenbaum with a reverse DDT.Match 3) Kendal Grey and Carlee Bright defeated Stevie Turner and Zeyna Sterling when Carlee got the win off of a jackknife pin.Match 4) Sol Ruca defeated Lainey ReidMatch 5) Tyson DuPont and Tyriek Igwe defeated Dion Lennox and Joshua BlackMatch 6) Carmelo Hayes defeated Je’Von Evans in about twelve minutes following Nothing But Net. PLE quality match that had the crowd going crazy and a lot of high end nearfalls. Fans familiar with Evans’s work prior to WWE would have recognized much of Je’Von’s offense.–Intermission–Match 7) NXT Women’s Champion Lyra Valkyria, Tatum Paxley, and Karmen Petrovic defeated Lash Legend, Jakara Jackson, and Lola Vice when Tatum pinned Jakara following the Psycho Trap.Match 8) Jazmyn Nyx (with Jacy Jayne) defeated Wren Sinclair following distraction by Jacy.Lexis King came out for a promo with Javier Bernal and Antione Frazier. Ava Raine came out and said the three of them would be wrestling The Family.Match 9) The Family (Tony D’Angelo, Channing Stacks Lorenzo, and Luca Crusifino [with Adrianna Rizzo]) defeated Lexis King, Javier Bernal, and Antione Frazier when Tony pinned Javier following a swinging fisherman’s neckbreaker.Match 10) Oba Femi defeated Dante Chen via a pop up powerbomb to retain the NXT North American Championship in about 9-10 minutes.

Nothing like coming home to this after an awesome show @WWENXT #nxtsanford @WWEShop pic.twitter.com/IyWAcyvtrg

— Sarah Schreiber (@sarahschreib) March 23, 2024

#NXTSanford results:

• Carlee Bright & Kendal Grey def. Stevie Turner & Zena Sterling. This is Kendal’s debut match and Zena’s first match after competing in an Halloween Royal Rumble back in October ‘23.

• Sol Ruca def. Lainey Reid

• Jazmyn Nyx /w Jacy Jayne def. Wren… pic.twitter.com/VAJxrHejpO

— Alex (@lexveraux) March 23, 2024

#NXTSanford had no idea what it was in for. @WWEJeVonEvans vs. @Carmelo_WWE was one of the best matches you'll see anywhere. pic.twitter.com/qQwOfrpjbn

— Jeff Reid (@JeffReidUP) March 23, 2024

Great City, Great Vibez, Great Win#NXTSanford pic.twitter.com/t1k2aiFYxw

— CHASINGR8NESS (@_Tysonwwe_) March 23, 2024

Picture perfect, I don’t even need a frame.#NXTSanford pic.twitter.com/AVTmCQuJUZ

— The golden child. NOT @Carmelo_WWE. (@GoldFilledVeins) March 23, 2024

ORLANDO, Fla. — A flight containing 14 Floridians leaving Haiti landed at Orlando Sanford International Airport on Wednesday night after several rescue missions failed to bring them back to the United States.

What You Need To Know

The flight back to the Sunshine State included eight children and six adults. According to the Florida Division of Emergency Management, two of the 14 passengers have business visas that legally allow them to operate businesses in the state of Florida.

“It took about two and a half weeks, so the days were turning into weeks, the weeks were turning into months,” said Phillip Armand, a parent who anxiously waited for several days for his son to return from the Caribbean country.

Haiti has been in the midst of widespread gang violence for weeks, leading to the forced resignation of their prime minister last month. The chaos erupting out of the country prohibited rescue flights from leaving the country.

“Every neighborhood is trying to protect themselves and limit circulation from outsiders, so the very difficult part was getting around and making to the airport,” Armand explained.

Guthrie says at least 400 Floridians have requested assistance to get back home, with nearly 1,000 Americans overall still stuck in the country.

DeSantis spoke at the airport earlier Wednesday, shedding light on the state’s efforts and hurdles.

“Part of the effort for this first flight, it’s not just show up at an airport and people jump on it,” said Gov. DeSantis. “There are people that are in parts of Haiti that are dangerous. We have personnel on the ground to get people where they need to be so they can do their exit.”

The governor stressed more help is on the way but did not elaborate into specifics on what rescue missions are underway as the situation remains fluid.

“These are folks who need our help now because the situation is becoming very dire, so we are going to do everything in our power to bring more Floridians back to safety,” the governor said.

Florida Division of Emergency Management director Kevin Guthrie joined the governor at the airport. He echoed his sentiments, saying it has not been easy to get people home.

“I will tell you over the last five days, I’ve had a room of about 25 people working nothing but with our federal government, State Department, consulate affairs,” said Guthrie. “We literally had to send an Orlando regional consulate to knock on the door and try to get some help. We were originally scheduled to do four flights today. I am proud to say we’re going to get one done.”

Guthrie stressed at the airport shortly after the first flight landed that more help is on the way, with four flights from Haiti expected to land Thursday. However, he is unsure if they will be able to leave Haitian airways.

“[It’s] basically a non-government in Haiti right now that’s being controlled by fans and have individuals that are actively prohibiting us from trying to do what we need to do,” Guthrie said.

Daily Bread offers assistance to those arriving

Since the unrest in Haiti began, many in central Florida are going out of their way to help people arriving in the state.

Maggie St. Jean, president of the Daily Bread Distribution Center, says her team is going to deliver food to those flying into Orlando Sanford International Airport.

“We want to make sure that we are able to provide. The Haitian community has been coming out a lot,” said St. Jean. “We’re serving those that are coming out. We want you to know that the Daily Bread Distribution Center is here for you. You don’t have to go hungry.”

Some that work at the food panty are from Haiti themselves. They say this is a call to action they could not pass up.

“The Haitian community, we are one community, we are one Haitian, we are one blood,” Thamara Pradestin, an employee at the Daily Bread Distribution Center, said. “You are my heart. We are here for you. We will serve you. We love you.”

If you or someone you know is in Haiti and needs assistance, you can fill out the Haiti Request for Evacuation form offered through the Florida Division of Emergency Management.