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Take this store -- please, say leaders
By MAUREEN BYRNE AHERN SEMINOLE -- There it sits. It's big and ugly. And it drives people crazy, especially city and chamber officials. The former Kash n' Karry on Park Boulevard has been vacant since 1990. That's too long, laments Mayor Dottie Reeder. "It's just amazing to me that we can't do something with that," she said. That could change. To try to fill empty storefronts in Seminole, the city has compiled a list of vacant commercial properties, their zoning classifications and their owners. Conducting the review was the first business of order for a new Economic Development Committee, composed of city officials and Greater Seminole Area Chamber of Commerce members. Now comes the hard part: figuring out how to market and refill the nearly 20 properties. One of the simplest ways to do that is to provide the list to people inquiring about available properties, said Jimmy Johnson, executive director of the chamber and a member of the development committee. "You'd be surprised how many people come in here and ask about that," said Johnson, referring to visitors at the chamber's office on 113th Street. The county, city and chamber plan to put the list and accompanying photographs on their Web sites. Properties range from small units in strip centers to former hospitals. The eight-member committee also will try to tap into some grants that could help attract new businesses and improve existing ones. Members also will write letters to companies they would like to see in Seminole. That's what committee member Mark Higgins did when Stein Mart opened in 1994 in downtown Clearwater. He said the company thanked him for his interest, but that it had no plans at the time to venture into Seminole. A few years later, though, a Stein Mart opened in Seminole Mall. Higgins said he doesn't know if his letter had any influence, but it was worth a try. "We're just trying to take a proactive approach," said Higgins, who has owned an insurance company in Seminole for 21 years and is a former chamber president. "If we can just turn the corner on a couple of these properties. ..." Like the former Kash n' Karry, which many consider the biggest eyesore in the city. So what's up with the property? It's hard to say. Phone calls to the owner, John-Mary Enterprises Ltd. of Tampa, were not returned. "I've wondered about that myself," said Dick McCall, a commercial real estate agent who works in Seminole, Largo and the beach cities. McCall said it doesn't make any sense that the property, which includes 6 adjoining acres, has sat vacant for all these years. Maybe Mel Sembler, who is responsible for bringing shopping and entertainment complex BayWalk to downtown St. Petersburg, can help, McCall said. Mitch Bobowski, Seminole's general services director, said too many For Rent and For Sale signs on commercial properties hurt a community. "But when you occupy the vacant buildings, you send the message that there is a vibrant commercial base here that will attract other businesses," he said. Granted, there is no economic crisis in Seminole. A drive through the city, especially on busy Seminole Boulevard, proves that. A variety of businesses, many of them family owned, line the road. The bulk of the vacant properties are near the intersection of Park and Seminole boulevards: an empty Shell station, a closed Flooring America store, strip center vacancies, another former grocery store and the waterfront property where Jesse's Landing restaurant once stood. The committee would like to have the former Kash n' Karry, Shell station and Jesse's Landing properties under contract by the end of the year, Johnson said. In the north end of town, two closed hospitals have sat empty for years. And on Park Street, where the city annexed property two years ago, a large medical facility waits for occupants. Many in Seminole say the city needs a hotel. Or how about a fancy restaurant? A bookstore and coffee shop would be nice. They say the property where the Kash n' Karry was would be an ideal location. "Whatever goes in there, I can imagine that will be one of the largest grand openings ever," Reeder said.
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From the Times South Pinellas desks Letters |
