Hutton, Blackwater open Florida shopping center
Blackwater Real Estate in Birmingham, Alabama and Hutton in Chattanooga have teamed up to open The Village at Mitchell Ranch Shopping Center near Trinity, Florida in Pasco County.
The 161,000-square-foot center is anchored by Sprouts Farmers Market, HomeGoods, Michaels, Five Below, Skechers and Ulta Beauty.
The property was once a part of the W.H. Mitchell estate and ranch, the holdings of which once encompassed over 13,000 acres throughout the region. The center was named in honor of the family’s prominence and contributions in the region.
“We’re thrilled with the opportunity to develop another corner of the Mitchell family property and to once again partner with Pasco County on another highly-successful retail and lifestyle development at this prominent intersection,” said John Abernathy, president of Blackwater. “
Hutton Chief Executive Officer Karen Hutton said “the enthusiasm and commitment of the entire team paved the way for this project to come to life.” Over the past 20 years, Hutton has completed or invested in nearly 1,100 projects for more than 100 retailers across 40 states.
House takes step to fight robocalls
The House has passed a bill aimed at combatting robocalls, the latest attempt to counter the wave of spam calls as complaints pile up.
Federal agencies have also stepped up anti-robocall measures, allowing carriers to block unwanted calls by default and encouraging the wireless industry to roll out technology that guarantees the number showing up on your caller ID isn’t faked to fool you into answering a scammer.
The Senate passed a bill similar to the House one, the Traced Act, in May, with near-unanimous support. The House version, the Stopping Bad Robocalls Act, goes further in attempting to stop companies from making telemarketing calls. Both bills have support from consumer groups and the telecom industry.
The House has passed the robocall bill by a 429-3 vote.
Madoff wants early release from prison
Epic Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff is seeking an early release from prison.
The Department of Justice confirmed on Wednesday that Madoff has a pending request to get his 150-year sentence reduced.
It was unclear when the 81-year-old Madoff made the bid for President Donald Trump to commute his sentence. The lawyer who represented him in his criminal case declined comment on Wednesday.
Madoff pleaded guilty in 2009 to orchestrating the largest Ponzi scheme in history. He swindled thousands of clients out of billions of dollars in investments over decades.
A court-appointed trustee has recovered more than $13 billion of an estimated $17.5 billion that investors put into Madoff’s business.
Madoff is serving his term in a North Carolina prison.