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Coming up.

Could property taxes become a thing of the past?

Why?

Governor Ron DeSantis idea about eliminating the revenue source could lead to increases in the sales tax.

Or even the start of a state income tax.

Plus, adding a hint of sweetness to Florida's agriculture as the orange industry continues to struggle.

Researchers may have found an exotic replacement with plain old vanilla.

Athletes couldn't get paid before they could go on YouTube and couldn't get pay.

They could, now they can.

That ability to get paid, they should have already had that before.

And the changing college sports landscape How Florida Gulf Coast University is trying to help student athletes build their brand and a better financial future.

Hello, I'm Sandra Victorova.

Thank you very much for joining us.

Well, a quarter of a million people call Cape Coral home.

In the next 20 years, that number could reach 450,000 residents.

With that growth comes an increase in development.

Jennifer Crawford spoke with local experts to learn about the $1 billion worth of projects in the works.

Look at how tight those pieces fit to the outside walls.

I mean, we have zero room for it for air on the way.

They designed this and fit it in.

CEO of Crown Development Larry Nygaard marvels at the construction underway of the seven story parking garage, providing 500 spaces at Bimini Square in Cape Coral.

We will build that parking ramp in 6 to 8 weeks.

If you can imagine that.

It's just one element.

Nearing completion of the $120 million Bimini Square developed ment located along Cape Coral Parkway and Palm Tree Drive.

Nygaard says they are two months ahead of schedule.

Building 220 luxury apartment units, a multi-level health facility and two restaurants.

When complete, we're going to have about 500,000ft of building here on all the different sites, replacing the old seawall and adding a 31 slip Marina.

Nygaard says the project aims to attract boaters to the new Bimini Basin Seafood and cocktail waterfront restaurant and connect them to downtown Cape Coral.

The feel and brand restaurant Grant feeling and his family will operate this.

It's about 8000ft, about 300 seat capacity.

It's going to be modeled after the Deep Lagoon restaurant, which is one they own in Fort Myers.

As Bimini Square sets to welcome its first residents as early as July.

Less than a mile down Cape Coral Parkway, developer Kyle Doyon walks the site of a new project.

The parking spaces will be out here in the front of the building, sitting in the back commercial all the way across the entire first floor, and then three stories of apartments over there for a total of four stories.

He and his team at Coast Live Companies are launching four projects in the Cape, totaling about $65 million, with the goal of providing more affordable rental housing for workers, many in the public sector.

And one of our projects is right downtown here that will enable people ride your bike to work and come home and walk around the shops and, you know, create a great lifestyle.

Projects contributing to in excess of $1 billion in developments underway right now in the city.

We have this pent up demand with this 200 plus thousand people with not a lot of places to go, and they don't want to leave the Cape.

Nita Whaley of CC Real Estate Services says demand for new business is so high.

The eight mile stretch of Pine Island Road from U.S. 41 to Burnt Store Road in the center of the city, is now sold out.

Everything along Pine Island Road now is under contract and has been sold and developments are going to happen, she says.

Despite a pandemic, three hurricanes and an uncertain political climate.

Families and businesses are moving to Cape Coral like never before.

A pattern of growth developers like Nygaard are banking on to ensure the success of their multimillion dollar investments in this slice of Paradise.

I'm Jennifer Crawford, reporting for WGCU news.

As property taxes continue to rise in Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis has a bold new proposal to eliminate property taxes altogether.

But is this a realistic approach, and what would happen to services that need those financial resources?

We are joined now by Lucas professor of real estate at Florida Gulf Coast University.

Doctor Shelton weeks to investigate a potential future without property taxes.

Doctor weeks, thank you for joining us.

Thank you for having me.

So the governor's proposal was met with some skepticism.

My understanding is the state brings in about $43 billion in property tax revenue.

What happens if that system changes?

I think the first thing that we have to determine is what's going to replace that revenue source, because as you said, it's a very significant source of revenue.

And we either have to replace that or we'll have to look at the services that the government provides and potentially eliminate some of those.

So we were speaking earlier.

You said there's really just three main ways of collecting taxes, but the implications of switching from one to another, let's say going to sales tax.

The implications really hit people differently.

So let's go over that.

Absolutely.

So when we think about the three options that we have, there's property tax which is what's on the table right now.

Then there's sales tax or a state income tax.

And when we look at those three options you know they really have different implications for different parts of our society.

So when we think about making a move away from property tax to a straight sales tax, one of the issues you have to be concerned with there is that a sales tax tends to be very regressive, meaning that it's going to put a significantly higher burden on lower income individuals who would have to spend more of their income for things like groceries and things like that, that would be taxed.

And as a result, it may make it a bit less affordable in a state for those folks.

I believe the governor mentioned, right.

Taxing tourists.

This is a way to tax tourists more heavily.

Sure, we have a lot of folks that come here and spend a lot of money every year, and that really helps our economy.

So we could shift a good portion of the burden to those visitors by going to a sales tax.

But we have to realize when we do that, that makes vacationing in Florida more expensive.

They've got other alternatives.

So how how much it impacts that affordability of vacationing in Florida would be something that has to be considered before we make that type of move.

So Professor Weeks, Florida is one of just eight states that that doesn't levy a state income tax.

Can you see Floridians wanting to change that?

Now, I think it'd be very unlikely that Floridians would embrace the introduction of a state income tax.

And if you look at what's happened in other states where they have state income tax, many of those are states that are losing population.

You look at the situation they have in California, where the highest marginal state income tax got to over 13%, and that prompted a lot of wealthier individuals to exit the state.

And Florida was the beneficiary of a lot of that migration out of California.

And you were looked at some some data, and it shows that the the impact of taxes right now compared to other states is a lot less here.

Sure.

When we look at the total tax burden for the state of Florida, it is very low.

So it's a little over 6%.

The total tax burden on average in Florida.

And that's a very good number in terms of not having a higher burden.

Some states are more than twice that.

Doctor Shelton Weekes, thank you so much for joining us.

We appreciate it.

Thank you for having me.

Coming up.

Could Vanilla Farms be part of Florida's future?

Well, researchers see it as a potential moneymaking crop.

Consumers may not yet be sold on spending extra on a Sunshine State branded extract.

A year after seeing a record number of travelers pass through Southwest Florida International Airport are you is working to get back on track for expansion?

The Lee County Port Authority unveiled sketches of what a new concourse will look like.

Mike Walter was at the groundbreaking.

You may have wondered.

Watch the expansion at the airport all about.

Well, the massive construction right next to the main terminal will become concourse E. It will open with 14 gates and has room to add five more.

The security checkpoint will be large with nine lanes for passenger screening.

It's supposed to open in late 2027 with a price tag of $1.1 billion.

123 airport and elected officials recently held a groundbreaking for the project, even though construction actually began six months ago.

All this is happening while a smaller expansion project to provide more space and better passenger flow at the main terminal remains stalled.

Work stopped a year ago.

That happened after the contractor, Manhattan Construction, claimed the design plans were flawed and could endanger the safety of the roof of the main terminal.

The Port Authority and contractor have been locked in a standoff.

They're discussing how to proceed and how much extra money it will cost.

Port Authority Commissioner David Mollica has been researching the conflict between Manhattan and the design company Atkins North America.

He calls it a terrible mess, and he's still digging into the problems.

It's not getting better.

But it's just there's just been a lot of missteps and a lot of things that I wish we could could do over.

But but again, we've got to we've got to solve the problem and do it better.

It's just a lot of miscommunications and just, you know, fractured process, things that we just need to resolve.

But we will get there.

The next step may come on Monday, March 24th.

The Port Authority Board will have a special meeting to try to decide what happens next with the main terminal expansion.

Should the airport stick with Manhattan construction and at what cost?

Or find a new contractor and negotiate a price and timeline to finish the work?

Those are just two of the options the board likely will talk about on the 24th.

For WGCU news, I'm Mike Walcher.

On Monday, March 24th, the Port Authority Board will consider new requests from Manhattan and two other companies.

They want $347 million to finish phase one, and they want as much as three years and eight months to do the work.

Vanilla is the second most expensive spice in the world, second only to saffron.

Scientists are now researching how Florida could cash in on the industry.

Could the vanilla bean turn into a potential replacement for the struggling citrus industry?

Or would consumers turn their nose up to the thought of Florida grown vanilla?

To learn more about the spices future in the Sunshine State, we are joined by Doctor Jacqueline Crop and Doctor Shingo Wu of the University of Florida.

Welcome, Doctor Crop and Doctor Wu.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So, Doctor Crop, let's start with you.

When we think of vanilla, we think of places like Madagascar.

Tell us what in your research says that, you know, potentially Florida could be a great place for this crop.

So Florida's climate is similar to where vanilla is currently being grown.

As you mentioned, it's mostly produced in Madagascar.

And currently the US is the largest importer of vanilla grown in Madagascar.

So we're hoping to capture some of that market.

Doctor Wu, we've heard that vanilla plants can be very labor intensive.

Temperamental.

Or those problematic for our region.

Yes.

Is it Karen?

You're Karen.

It does have a challenge.

At this moment, but we are talking it, with, new technologies that can be potentially with a lot of that challenging, challenging issue.

The other thing is, despite the the the problems that you are mentioned, I think the, the, economics is really a great, in terms of, growing banana as compared to other crops.

So, doctor crop, you said you are studying how the public might respond to this.

What do we know so far?

So far we have done, couple of, sensory panels, where we've had individuals come in and sample the Florida grown product extracts alongside, commercially available products such as McCormick's, both their artificial and their extract.

And then the blind taste.

We actually found that our panelists preferred the artificial vanilla, really.

But the ratings of the Florida grown is very similar to the McCormick's vanilla extract.

And, we repeated the analysis with, another study using two products grown in Florida and then actually providing some information about whether or not it was the natural product, or the artificial.

And, we found when the panelists had information about the products, they, they rated the Florida products again, very similar to the commercially available McCormick's.

So the United States doesn't have a commercial vanilla production industry.

Currently, we import more than $194 million worth of vanilla.

How hard is it to to launch?

An industry like this and make an impact in the world?

Great question.

So, we aim to really, jump start, when, you know, the industry in Florida through genetics and breeding.

So we are looking at, you know, because given the current issues with extreme weather and instability of the market, so we really want to make sure that we have a stable supply and we can tackle this by, breeding, new varieties that has height, quantity, of high quality beans as well as new flavor profiles.

If we look at the history of vanilla in Madagascar, it's actually fairly recent as well.

My understanding is that they're they're going to industry really took off in the 90s.

So it certainly can happen here with the proper investment in the industry and the infrastructure.

All right, doctor, crop doctor Will, thank you so much for your time.

The FTC U women's basketball dynasty continues on as the Eagles knocked off Central Arkansas to win their ninth straight Atlantic Sun champions chip their 11th conference title overall.

As March Madness hits a fever pitch, the college sports landscape continues to navigate how student athletes are paid through nil or name, image, likeness while playing in marquee programs like Duke or Ohio State can lead to millions in endorsements.

Fgcu is utilizing the university's entrepreneur School to help student athletes build their own brand.

Teddy Brown has the story.

It became obvious to me that Nil is really about entrepreneurship for athletes.

It was only four years ago when the NCAA approved a policy that allows student athletes the opportunity to profit off their likeness.

In Florida, that means athletes can earn income through a variety of methods, including endorsements, sponsorships, and autographs.

Any person right should be able to capitalize on who they are.

If you have the ability to create a brand to capitalize on your own name, image and likeness, then you should be able to do that.

This has led to athletes in Big Ten and ACC programs to earn millions of dollars in endorsements for their likeness.

To stay competitive in recruitment.

Florida Gulf Coast University touts school resources for interested students to build their own brands.

We work with the entrepreneurship school, which I think is a huge advantage for us.

Having a school and a department like that on campus that can help our student athletes and understand what does it mean to be a startup.

Mark Boal is an entrepreneurship instructor who has worked with dozens of student athletes to build a sustainable business model.

It's more than building a short term presence on social media.

The aim is to help construct a career path using their likeness that can be carried post-graduation.

It's really setting their their own goals, like who they are.

You got to figure out who they are now, okay?

You can't you can't just say, I'm a D1 athlete because there's thousands of D1 athletes across all the sports.

But what makes you unique and that uniqueness, that passion that that you have for certain areas, you got to run with that.

So it's really helping them find their path when they get out and not just take advantage, you know, today.

And maybe they can build a business that's sustainable.

The Nil market is expected to generate over $1.6 billion in revenue and opportunities for college athletes nationwide this year, while Fgcu athletes will only see a fraction of that earning potential.

The opportunity means Nil will be a major part of the athletic program moving forward.

If we embrace Nil for for what it can be in the positive nature of it, it can have a great impact and a positive impact for our student athletes.

So if we continue to grow together, if we come together.

The sky's the limit for you.

For GCU news, I'm Teddy Byrne.

And the Eagles women's basketball team will be out for revenge as they take on the team that knocked them out of last year's NCAA tournament.

The Oklahoma Sooners.

That game will be on Saturday at 230.

Southwest Florida is a hotspot for beaches and outdoor fun, and of course, there's a blossoming arts and culinary scene.

So how do we keep up with all the great things to do in our community?

Well, now there's a new app that can help us make plans and find the best local gems.

It's called Do You Weekend, and we are joined by one of the founders of the app, Andrew DiMaggio.

Thank you so much for joining us, Andrew, welcome.

Thank you for having me.

So let's start with this.

There are other sites and apps that you know you can find out there to show you what's going on in the community.

How is this different?

Sure.

So I would say the big thing is we try to put a lot of focus on the small local businesses here that you may not have known existed.

They're hidden on all other websites.

It's very hard to find them.

And you may not know there's this great restaurant or anything to do that's ten minutes down the road.

On top of that, we focus very much on personalization.

So we don't want to spend hours trying to find something to do.

So the way our technology works is, you know, we try to minimize that time spent by showing you things you're interested in right off the bat.

The same way social media shows you content that you like and that you're interested in.

We do the same for experiences and things to do.

So you're actually not from Southwest Florida.

That's such an interesting story, sort of how this app, you know, came about, how you came about sort of with this idea, your family.

We've been working for the last couple of years with Mark Ferran at the Small Business Development Center here at Fgcu, and he's kind of been helping us turn our vision into reality.

And, yeah, he, he told us Fort Myers would be a great place.

There's so many small business owners here that, you know, are struggling to get their name out there.

And of course, with, you know, the devastation that the hurricane caused, we decided, you know, this would be a good place to start helping the community.

And so, me, my family, we packed everything we had.

We got in the car, we drove from New York to Florida, and we started this business here.

And interesting to note, you are not an Fgcu student, but you were able to get the help here.

There were probably entrepreneurs out there with some great ideas.

They don't know how to get started.

Can you just really quickly mention that the help that was sort of available to you?

Yeah, absolutely.

So the Small Business Development Center here at Fgcu is absolutely amazing.

Whether you have a business already, whether you're just starting your business, they can provide you whatever resources and help you need.

They really took this unorganized idea that me and my team had, and they helped us structure it, put together a business plan, a marketing plan, and they really without them, I don't think we'd be where we are today.

So for someone who has never heard of your app or seen it before, what can they, you know, expect to find?

How does it work and how can this potentially lead to advertising revenue?

Sure.

So what they can expect is they go on our website and there's a bunch of different things to do experiences, restaurants.

And we really try to simplify the process of finding new things in the area, whether you live here or you're a tourist.

Anybody can use it.

On the business side.

So we spoke to so many small business owners and one of the number one issues they had is marketing themselves.

So for us, by recommending users things to do based off their interests, we're inadvertently matching small business owners with the ideal customer from the start.

It's an easy way for small businesses that don't have an online presence to start building that online presence.

Andrew, I thank you so much and good luck to you.

Thank you.

It.

Coming up, it's been part of every Olympic Games since 1896.

How one group in Southwest Florida is keeping the art of fencing alive by inspiring the next generation of combat athletes.

For 50 years, the Southwest Florida Fencing Academy has brought the aristocratic sport to both adults and kids.

Once seen as combat training for the elite, it has evolved into a community gathering that anyone can learn.

WGC use at Stewart and Amanda in Score, Whitmore joined a young batch of recruits.

They got the chance to master the saber.

No.

The Southwest Florida Fencing Academy in Fort Myers invited people to come try out fencing during their 50th anniversary week recently.

They offered free lessons for anyone interested in learning about the sport.

She got a point.

Understanding that family life.

If you were having a duel many years ago, instead of fighting to just practice, they would fight to the death or to the first blood.

Some faces are going to be like, no, don't worry, we don't do that anymore.

Fencing is it's like a physical game of chess.

It's definitely different to any other sport.

Mike Rogers is vice president at the Southwest Florida Fencing Academy.

He's taught fencing for more than 15 years, and says that the sport tends to experience a spike in popularity after each Summer Olympic Games.

Nobody died here, but they see it on TV and they're like, wow, this is so exciting and so fun.

And who doesn't want to hit people with swords?

You know, you can hit people with swords and not go to jail.

And that's about as perfect as it can be.

But it's not just the elements of high speed combat that draws in fencers.

Coach Bianca Dunkel says many ventures find a sense of community in the sport.

A lot of our kids are homeschooled or have alternative education paths, and so this is kind of that space for them to be young and having fun and also exercising and doing all of those fun things.

The last thing you want to do is this it's not going to help you.

Dunkel also says that while fencing might seem like an expensive sport, the academy and fencing community in Southwest Florida are happy to help in defraying costs.

Yes, that is definitely a thing.

So we're like, hey, I want to get into fencing.

I can't afford it.

Check.

Please come.

Anyway, like we are happy to write or scholarship and like make sure that it is accessible for you and for your needs.

For WGCU news, I'm Eddie Stewart.

Florida is a hotspot for an abundance of invasive species.

Why?

Locals need to be on the lookout for more than just the poisonous cane toad.

Join us for that story and much more next week.

And don't forget, we'd love for you to like and subscribe to the WGCU news YouTube channel where you find all of our stories, including extended interviews and much more.

Have a great weekend everyone!