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Business headlines
By PIPER JONES CASTILLO and SHARON L. BOND One AAA office moves, another stays where it isST. PETERSBURG -- The AAA Auto Club South St. Petersburg Gateway office has moved to 7787 M.L. King (Ninth) St. N, across the street from its old location. The move results from the auto club's need for more space, said Mark Moore, AAA division manager. Also, AAA Downtown St. Petersburg at 800 Second Ave. S has seen a change. The Pinellas County Tax Collector's Office, a fixture inside the AAA Plaza for 14 years, has moved to a larger facility at 501 First Ave. N. "People have heard the tag office is gone, and they think AAA is not here either," Moore said. "I want everyone to know that we are alive and kicking." For the Tax Collector's Office, the relocation makes it easier for both taxpayers as well as the collector. "The move has doubled the amount of space for us, and it is easier to collect not only for vehicles but property taxes as well," said Pinellas County Tax Collector Diane Nelson. "We just didn't have enough room to operate as a full-service collection office at AAA." Marlin Motel reopens as Hotel IsisREDINGTON SHORES -- The former Marlin Motel at 17566 Gulf Blvd. has undergone a $1-million renovation and redecoration to become Hotel Isis. Owners Kathleen McDonald and Marilyn Thornbury, who are sisters, bought the 1951 motel in July for $3-million and closed it after the first of September to redo electrical, plumbing and heating and air conditioning systems and then decorate each room. Hotel Isis, which has 40 rooms, reopened March 1. Thornbury said the hotel seems to have become something of a wedding place. Already two weddings have been held on its beachfront and in July, the entire place is booked for one wedding. Cuban cafe to open downtownST. PETERSBURG -- Rob Haddad and his brother Greg are opening a Cuban cafe in the space formerly occupied by Buon Giorno at 269 Central Ave. Greg Haddad owns Central Cigars, which is beside the cafe space, and is now in its sixth year. Rob Haddad said he thought downtown needed a Cuban restaurant since Hilda's left earlier this year. When the owners of Buon Giorno's decided to move on, he had a good opportunity to start one. It will be called Raul's after Raul Milian, a longtime family friend who will help in the business. Both store spaces open to a rear courtyard, where Rob Haddad said there will be tables, and eventually there may be a opening cut from the restaurant to the cigar store. Rob Haddad said he plans to have the cafe open June 3. It will serve breakfast and lunch during the week and dinner on Friday and Saturday nights. Event showcases travel businessesST. PETERSBURG -- Local minority-owned companies involved with the tourism industry will be in the spotlight Thursday at Sensation Africa: African-American Focus on Hospitality and Tourism as part of National Tourism week. The event is presented by the St. Petersburg Area Black Chamber of Commerce and takes place at the Florida International Museum, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Companies in the hospitality and travel industries will be able to show what products and services they offer. The chamber held the event for the first time last year, and officials say it was a success in ensuring that African-Americans were showcased along with other tourism businesses. Downtown chamber stays put after allST. PETERSBURG -- The St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce is staying put in the offices it owns in the building at 100 Second Ave. N across from BayWalk. The chamber purchased the vacant Florida Power building on Fifth Street S last year for $800,000 in cash and concessions to Florida Power in its payments for chamber membership and entrepreneurial academy and annual dinner fees. The total purchase price amounted to $1.3-million. The chamber liked the Florida Power building both for the added space and because it could sell its current property, which chamber president Russ Sloan says is probably too valuable for the chamber to occupy. However, office space next to the chamber's Second Avenue building became available and the chamber decided to purchase it for $100,000 for some of the extra space it needs. Sloan said moving into that space would require little money for renovation, compared to $400,000 the chamber would expect to borrow to fix up the Florida Power building. A deal to sell its Second Avenue space fell through, and then an offer of $1.15-million to buy its newly acquired Florida Power building came in, Sloan said. "It was the combination of a very good offer, us being able to grow here and the main thing, remain debt free," Sloan said of the happenings. The chamber will not be able to use its extra space on Second Avenue for about a year, since it already had been leased by the previous owner. Sloan said that would give them some income in the meantime. He also said the chamber would be interested in other space in the upper floors of the building as they become available.
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From the Times South Pinellas desks |
