Lawrence Group increases its U.S. Sugar bid

The Lawrence Group, an investment group that has been
competing with the state to purchase U.S. Sugar Corp. land, upped its
deal over
the weekend by submitting a formal proposal and a $27.5
million check. The Lawrence Group wants to purchase more than 180,000
acres of
the land the state plans to buy, and the $27.5 million is half of a
down payment U.S. Sugar can keep if it agrees to back out of its deal
with the state. U.S. Sugar and the state agreed to a $1.34
billion deal last
week. The South Florida Water Management District, which is in charge of buying
the land for the state, has until December 16 to approve the deal.