“We’re that confident in the site and our ability to get through” the public process, one of the developer's executives said.

If the fall we are seeing at the top spreads, the impact could be significant.

A small townhouse development along one of downtown Tampa's most active construction corridors is moving forward. Ariel Homes has closed on two vacant parcels of land at 205 E. Fortune St., between North Franklin and North Tampa streets. The builder paid $2.15 million for the property, which is around 18,000 square feet. The group is planning 14 four-story townhouses on the site with open rooftop decks, according to plans filed with the city. The homes will range from 1,600 to 3,000 square feet…

Having watched tech startups upend old-line industries like taxis and hotels, venture capitalists are casting about for the next area to be infused with software and data. Many have homed in on real estate as a big opportunity because parts of the industry — like pricing, mortgages and building management — have been slow to adopt software that could make business more efficient.

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity said Monday it has started making assistance available to low-income residents in certain counties whose homes were damaged last year in Hurricane Irma. The department opened its first “Rebuild Florida” center in Marathon and started accepting online registrations for the program, which is aimed at connecting eligible Floridians with federal disaster-recovery funding to help repair homes. The program, announced by Gov. Rick Scott and U.S. Housing…