Manatee County is accepting applications through March 22 for six vacancies on the Affordable Housing Advisory Board.

The committee meets on an as-needed basis to review the County's affordable housing-related policies, procedures, ordinances, land development regulations, and Comprehensive Plan. It also makes recommendations to encourage or facilitate affordable housing while protecting the ability of local properties to appreciate in value.

The available seats are for the following:

n Someone actively engaged in the residential home building industry in connection with affordable housing;

n A representative of areas of labor actively engaged in home building in connection with affordable housing;

n A person actively engaged as a for-profit provider in connection with affordable housing;

n Someone actively engaged as a real estate professional in connection with affordable housing;

n Someone who lives in Manatee County;

n Someone who represents essential services personnel.

Applications are due March 22 and may be found online at www.mymanatee.org/advisory_boards

The group meets as needed on the third Monday of each month at 3 p.m., usually in the Manatee County Administration Building, 1112 Manatee Ave. W.

For more information, call Denise L. Thomas, Advisory Board Liaison, at (941) 749-3029, ext. 3474 or e-mail her at denise.thomas@mymanatee.org.

Two Bradenton apartment complexes sold

A Davie real estate investor has acquired a Bradenton apartment complex for $30.1 million.

JB Howell LLC on Feb. 14 purchased the 376-unit Champions Walk Apartments, according to Tuesday's announcement from the Boca Raton office of law firm Proskauer, which represented the company in the acquisition. The 46-acre complex is adjacent to IMG Academy, the prominent athletic training facility that grooms more than 12,000 athletes per year. LCOR Inc. of Berwyn, Pennsylvania, sold the complex at 4148 53rd Ave. West.

JB Howell obtained a 12-year, $21 million loan from New York Community Bank for the acquisition.

The purchase brings JB Howell's Bradenton multifamily portfolio to more than 900 units.

The Stuart Kapp-led Proskauer team also represented JB Howell in its December sale of the 201-unit Fountain Lake Apartments, also in Bradenton, for $15.2 million.

Tropical Landscape Solutions expands

Sarasota-based landscape design, construction and maintenance company, Tropical Landscape Solutions, expanded its maintenance service area to include Clearwater, Tampa, Brandon and Lakeland.

"Starting in January we

added 7 Longhorn Steakhouses, 3 additional Sports Authorities, 3 additional Toys R Us stores, a bio tech lab called Biolife, and the Macy's at Westshore Plaza," sai Fred Calagiovanni, president of Tropical Landscape Solutions. "Locally we already take care of 3 Sports Authorities and 2 Toys R Us stores so 2013 is off to a great start," adds Calagiovanni.

Clients range from upscale residential properties to commercial businesses throughout southwest Florida.

"In the local market we recently added 4 Tire Kingdoms, 5 BB&T banks, and several residences," Calagiovanni said. "We're also wrapping up a commercial installation for NDC Construction at Hidden Lakes, and we just received a contract from Mike Carter Construction for a commercial installation at the Xpress Storage in Ellenton."