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Price Cutter at Central Plaza closing

ST. PETERSBURG - Price Cutter at Central Plaza is closing.

Price Cutter, 3365 Central Ave., sells liquidated merchandise from other stores such as Target and JCPenney.

"There just isn't enough business here," said Karen Qualiana, manager. She didn't know the actual closing date.

Price Cutter, with headquarters in Buford, Ga., opened the Central Plaza store early last year, filling a huge space that was vacated by Webb's 99-Cent Superstore.

No one from company headquarters was immediately available for comment.

ST. PETERSBURG - Developer Grady Pridgen and his wife, Jody, paid $1-million for Dwight Gooden's house in Pinellas Point, according to county records.

Baseball star Gooden put the house at 6700 30th St. S up for sale last year after he and his family moved to Tampa. Gooden has retired from playing baseball but continues to work for the New York Yankees organization.

Pridgen is a commercial developer who manages a number of office parks on the northern end of the city. He bought the former First Congregational United Church of Christ in downtown St. Petersburg several years ago and refurbished an adjoining hall into a townhome. He intended to sell the church but told the Times this year that prospective buyers want both the church and his family's home, the adjoining hall.

Gooden built the house on 30th Street S in 1993. It has nearly 12,000 square feet, 10,000 of which is heated, in six bedrooms and 51/2 bathrooms, living room, dining room, family room, theater, study, billiard room and children's game room, plus other living space.

ST. PETE BEACH - The Suntan Art Center has found a temporary home in Treasure Island while its permanent home is remodeled.

The art center will open Aug. 1 at 139 107th Ave. in Treasure Island and probably stay there about a year, according to spokeswoman Charna Bogdany.

It remains in operation at 3300 Gulf Blvd. in St. Pete Beach until the move. Its home is the Don Vista building, originally the home and office of the builder of the Don CeSar resort.

"It's needed renovation since year one," Bogdany said of the Don Vista.

The Suntan Art Center has been in business for 40 years and has several hundred members.

ST. PETERSBURG - No construction has begun on the McNulty Lofts downtown, but Echelon Residential LLC is holding a kickoff celebration June 11.

The occasion also will be a grand opening for Aveda Institute of St. Petersburg, the ground floor tenant in Echelon's office building at 235 third St. S. Aveda has a cosmetology school and retail store, already open, which sells hair and skin-care products made from plant essences.

Echelon's 85 lofts will be built atop the seven-floor McNulty Garage at the corner of First Avenue S and Second Street. A model will be located at Echelon's building on Third Street S, building next to Aveda.