2502 Rocky Point Drive
Suite 1060
Tampa, Florida 33607
Tampa Office

Phone: (813) 281-2222
Fax: (813) 281-0129
Email Nickerson, George H., Jr.

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Nickerson, George H., Jr.

Of Counsel


Areas of Practice

Local Government Law
Public Finance
Special Project Financing

  • Assists counties, cities, and other local government entities in the development and implementation of capital projects, including ordinances, resolutions, development of special assessments, tax increment options and other special revenue alternatives
  • Represents local governments in contract negotiations for public-private and public-public partnership projects, including economic development, redevelopment, transportation and other infrastructure
  • Serves as bond counsel and disclosure counsel

Prior Professional Experience

  • Alachua County Attorney, 1974-1981 (includes period as assistant County Attorney)
  • Partner, Williams, Castello & Nickreson, Gainesville, Florida, 1981-1982
  • Vice President and General Counsel, Arch W. Roberts & Co., St. Petersburg, Florida 1982-1985
  • Interim Osceola County Attorney, 1997 and 2011

Representative Projects

  • Negotiated the governance and funding for SunRail, on behalf of Osceola County, and had primary responsibility for preparation of three Interlocal Agreements among the Florida Department of Transportation, Orange County, Osceola County, Seminole County, Volusia County and the City of Orlando for creation of the Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission and the acquisition, construction, funding and operation of SunRail.
  • Prepared a Transportation Improvement Agreement between Alachua County and Celebration Pointe Partners, LLC, on behalf of Alachua County, to fund the construction and operation of roads, trails, bicycle paths and dedicated-lane express buses to satisfy requirements of the County's comprehensive Plan Mobiltiy Element.  The Transportation Improvement Agreement provided terms for acquisition, construction, operation and funding of the various improvements, including a ground-breaking multi-modal transportation fee that encompasses funding for transit operations and shared funding from future ad valorem tax increments that is also applied to fund transit operations.
  • Negotiated and prepared a series of agreements among Osceola County, Gaylord Hotels, Inc. and Rida Associates Limited Partnerhship, on behalf of Osceola County, for development of the Gaylord Palms Hotel and Convention Center and a conference center and hotel in the ChampionsGate development.  The various agreements provided for acquisition, development, ownership and operation of the facilities and payment of development incentives funded by tourist development taxes generated by the facilities.
  • Negotiated and prepared a series of agreements among the City of Panama Beach, the Panama Beach Community Redevelopment Agency, the Pier Park Community Development District and The St. Joe Company, on behalf of The St. Joe Company, related to development of the Pier Park Project in Panama City Beach.  Incentives included a share of the "net revenue" or "profit" realized by the City from the development on an annual basis and tax increment revenue from the Community Redevelopment Agency to fund a portion of the debt service on bonds issued by the Community Development District to fund public facilities within the development.  The Community Development District imposed special assessments against property located in the development to provide security for the bonds.
  • Negotiated and prepared a Tourism Promotion Agreement with Osceola Convention and Visitors Bureau, Inc. to privatize the functions then being performed by the Osceola County Visitors Bureau as a department of County government.  The agreement included a funding structure, scope of services, joint use of intellectual property, transition of existing agreements and the transfer of County furniture, equipment and personnel to the private entity.
  • Parkway Development Agreement among Osceola County, the Reedy Creek Improvement District, Disney Development Company and four other private developers, on behalf of Osceola County, for development of a County toll road linking the Florida Turnpike with World Drive in Walt Disney World, under which Reedy Creek and the private developers provided a portion of the funds to construct the project and pay debt service on the County bonds issued to finance the project.
  • Negotiated and prepared the Amended and Restated Interlocal Agreement among Hillsborough County, the City of Tampa, Pinellas County, the City of St. Peterbsurg, Pasco County and the City of New Port Richey, on behalf of Tampa Bay Water, which reorganized Tampa Bay Water and established it as the exclusive area water provider.

Education

  • J.D., University of Florida (with honors), 1973
  • B.S. in Chemistry, University of Florida, 1971