Although the bill passed both the House and Senate in the final vote of this year's session, some lawmakers expressed concern that it will have adverse affects on statewide development in decades to come. Opponents argued that the bill cuts out local oversight of development, while supporters said it merely reduces layers of bureaucracy in stimulating economic growth.

"I have this abiding worry that we're going to pave over most of Florida under the claim of putting people back to work," state Sen. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, told the Daily Business Review. "In our rush to promote development, my fear is we'll promote sprawl and overdevelopment."

Naiop Florida also supported the passage of the proposed SunRail bill (SB 1212), which would have cleared the way for development of high-speed rail lines to major metropolitan areas as well as connecting local light-rail systems. Those rail lines would presumably spark development around train stations, in particular multifamily, retail and mixed-use projects.

"We saw this as a first step," says Jeff Rogo, Naiop Florida's government affairs director in Tampa. But the measure ultimately failed because many lawmakers saw the plan, supported by billions of dollars in federal infrastructure funding, as being more lucrative for Jacksonville-based CSX Corp. than state taxpayers.

One other measure supported by Naiop, a 5% property tax cap on non-homesteaded properties, including commercial buildings and land, did get through the Legislature. But it will be up to voters to approve the cap in a referendum on the 2010 general election ballot.

Also related to commercial development was the Seminole Tribe of Florida's proposal to pay the state government hundreds of millions of dollars in exchange for granting exclusive rights to Las Vegas-style card games at its casinos. Legislators approved annual payments of at least $150 million over the next 15 years.

At stake in the gambling pact was expansion of the tribe's current casinos, including a proposed 1,000-room hotel addition at the Seminole Hard Rock along Interstate 4 on Tampa's east side. Tribal leaders have until Aug. 31 to finalize the agreement with Crist, who originally approved the pact in 2007, after which the Florida Supreme Court struck it down.