Excavation set for new Sonic site

KENNETH CITY -- Unless the rain interferes, excavation is scheduled to begin this week on the site where a Sonic drive-in hamburger restaurant will open in December.

City officials said permits had been issued last week for construction at 4625 66th St. N. The 1950s style restaurant, known for its carhops on roller skates, is being built by franchise holder Carbill Foods LLC of Mississippi.

"It will take approximately 70 days to build," said Raymona Reed, the operations manager for Carbill. "We have a tentative opening date of mid to late December."

When the Kenneth City Town Council approved plans for the drive-in in the Plaza 66 Shopping Center in January, construction was expected to begin in March and the restaurant was to be open by mid summer. But the purchase of the land took longer to complete.

The drive-in that became Sonic began in 1953 in Oklahoma. Now the company has 2,432 restaurants in 30 states with 33 of them in Florida.

Black chamber director resigns

ST. PETERSBURG -- Lorian S. Williams has resigned as executive director of the St. Petersburg Area Black Chamber of Commerce to turn full attention to her business.

Williams, 39, president of Chaslo Merchandise & Promotions, said Tuesday she told chamber officials in August that she needed to focus on her business. Chaslo, which also handles events management, was founded in 1994.

Williams, whose resignation was official Friday, took the job as the chamber's working executive in January 2001 and handled it on a part-time basis.

"With the needs and pleasure of the board, somebody needs to be there full time," Williams said.

The St. Petersburg Area Black Chamber of Commerce is in its fourth year. It was started by black business owners who believed an African-American chamber was needed to better promote minority businesses.

Williams was the third person to serve as executive director of the chamber. The first, who was part-time, resigned after a dispute and the second was fired late in 2000.

Vision center renovates new home

ST. PETERSBURG -- Updegraff Vision, which bought the former Wallace Welch & Willingham Inc. building on 16th Street N, expects to be open there in February.

"We completely gutted the place and are starting over," said Ron Lawson, the administrator for Updegraff Vision.

The ophthalmic practice and surgery center now is located at 1600 and 1607 Dr M.L. King (Ninth) St. N. Lawson said the Updegraff practice, started by Dr. Ambrose Updegraff and now run by Dr. Stephen Updegraff, has been at 1607 M.L. King St. for nearly 40 years. The practice leases the building at 1600 but owns the one at 1607, which it plans to sell.

Updegraff Vision bought its new home at 3810 16th St. N earlier this year for $1.7-million and is spending an additional $1.5-million to renovate it.

"It's a perfect location for us, right off the interstate and within just a few blocks of this location," Lawson said. General ophthalmic patients come from the surrounding area, while Lasik surgery patients come from all over the world, he said.

Wallace Welch & Willingham, an insurance agency, sold its building when it purchased the five-story SunTrust Bank Building at 300 First Ave. S downtown.

Family Fitness opening Saturday

ST. PETERSBURG -- The new Lifestyle Family Fitness center at 5900 Fourth St. N opens Saturday. It is the 14th location for the Florida chain in the Tampa Bay area and the first built new for Family Fitness.

Geoffrey Dyer, president, said the new center was a $3.7-million venture for the company, which began in 1981 and is headquartered in St. Petersburg.

The building has nearly 28,000 square feet in two stories. The main workout center is on the second floor.

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