Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
The owners of the former Kash n' Karry say they are entertaining other offers as Lugnut Racing looks elsewhere.
By MAUREEN BYRNE AHERN
© St. Petersburg Times, published April 2, 2003
SEMINOLE -- A project to turn the former Kash n' Karry property into a place to race remote-controlled cars has apparently stalled.
The owners of the property at 10880 Park Blvd. and the man who wanted to open Lugnut Racing Hobby and RC Park have been unable to reach an agreement.
Mick McFadyen hoped to open a business where people could operate remote-controlled cars and trucks on tracks inside and outside the building, browse through a hobby shop that sold model planes, trains and automobiles, and dine on pizza while watching the races. McFadyen said in February that a grand opening would be this Saturday.
"He hasn't followed through on what he needed to do," said Mary Jo Castro, who owns the property with her father, John Greco of Tampa. Chick-fil-A, however, is going forward with its restaurant on their lot next to the Kash n' Karry.
Castro said a lease had not been signed with McFadyen. She added that others recently have shown interest in the property.
"We've had an awful lot of calls on it lately," Castro said Tuesday. "I feel confident something will happen soon."
McFadyen, a St. Petersburg resident, said he wasn't sure what was holding up the deal. "I'm waiting for them right now to tell me when we can meet at the property," he said.
McFadyen, a former cabinetmaker with no apparent business track record, said he was going to use his own savings to finance the project. He said he wanted to lease most of the 30,000-square-foot building for five years and then purchase the property.
"We're starting to explore other properties," McFadyen said Tuesday. "I'm frustrated with them."
City and business leaders have been waiting a long time for something to happen on the 6-acre site in the heart of Seminole's business district. The building has been vacant since Kash n' Karry closed the store in 1990.
Dew Cadillac, a car dealership in downtown St. Petersburg for decades, had plans two years ago to move to the property but instead relocated to Gandy Boulevard in Pinellas Park.
Seminole officials met with Greco earlier this year to talk about the property, which had become a target for vandals and a canvas for graffiti. Willie Herbert, the city's building official, told Greco he needed to spruce up the place, which many consider an eyesore.
Greco hired workers to paint the building and clean up the parking lot. About the same time, he got a call from McFadyen, who said he was interested in leasing the building. The two came to a tentative agreement.
City officials were encouraged that the property seemed headed for a renaissance. Business leaders were skeptical, however, saying a hotel, restaurant or store would be better suited for the site.