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Salon as gallery for art and hair

Doug Lillico's Look Hair Group is showing Tes One's artworks this month as it shapes and colors hair.

LOOK AT HAIR, ART: Doug Lillico remembers how hard it was to find display space for his artwork. Eventually, he decided that hairstyling was a more steady source of income than metal sculpture.

But he never forgot his roots, pardon the pun, and included art galleries in all of his salons. His latest, Look Hair Group and Color Studio, is no exception.

Lillico refurbished a 1925 bungalow on the southeast corner of Armenia Avenue and B Street and moved in six months ago. It offers hairstylings, facials and hip graffiti-influenced paintings.

Local artist Tes One is showing 17 of his works on Lillico's walls. His "Power Outlet" exhibit will run until May 20, when graffiti artist Danny King's exhibit will go up.

The salon has six hairstylists, including Lillico, an aesthetician and two assistants.

Before Look, Lillico ran a private hair salon on Swann Avenue across from Memorial Hospital. Before that, he ran Salon Lillico and Art Gallery for about 12 years at two locations on Bay to Bay Boulevard.

THE ABCs OF LOFT LIVING: The once rundown and semi-industrial neighborhood south of Ybor City's Seventh Avenue is continuing to urbanize.

Real estate developer ABC Capital Corp. is adding two loft townhome projects to the neighborhood's increasingly residential mix.

The two buildings of Citilofts of Ybor, on Fourth Avenue between 14th and 15th streets, are under construction and should be completed around Sept. 1, said ABC co-president Gary Cohen.

The two buildings will contain 12, two-story units, each with 12-foot ceilings, two bedrooms, 21/2 baths, stainless steel kitchen appliances, wood floors and enclosed garages. Square footage will range from 1,300 to 1,728.

Ten of the 12 units have sold, Cohen said. The remaining two are priced at $249,900.

Around the corner, Citilofts 5th Avenue is expected to break ground within 30 days on the southeast corner of Fifth Avenue and 15th Street.

Cohen said the project will consist of one, two-story building with six units. The units will feature two bedrooms, a den, 21/2 baths, private roof terraces with gardens and 12-foot ceilings.

Square footage will range from 1,300 to 1,700. Prices will range from $259,900 to $285,000. The project should be completed in the fall, Cohen said.

MANLEY LEASING: The vacancy left by Chavin Arte de Peru may soon be filled.

The Peruvian furniture showroom closed three months ago after a 11/2-year run at the corner of Swann Avenue and Henderson Boulevard. Jim Manley, co-owner of the strip building where Chavin called home, says he has talked with lawyers, a coffee shop and salon about leasing the vacancy.

The building, which opened in early 2002 and houses Statscript Pharmacy/Chronimed and a T-Mobile store, is perfect for a tenant "who wants high visibility, but doesn't need a Dale Mabry address," Manley said.

Meanwhile, another new strip center Manley co-owns is filling up. Situated at the southwest corner of Himes and Columbus avenues, the 10,000-square-foot retail center with bright blue awning includes an Amscot check-cashing store, which opened two weeks ago. Nuestra Tienda mobile phone store will move in soon, Manley added, and occupy 1,000 square feet.

That leaves 3,000 square feet and three storefronts, which Manley said could be combined. A restaurant might claim some of that space, he said.

DELIVERY TO WEST SHORE: A new UPS Store has opened at 3675 S West Shore Blvd., near Euclid Avenue. The location offers an array of mailing, shipping, document copying and finishing, and mailbox services. It also sells office supplies and is a pickup location for the U.S. Postal Service.

It's one of 3,300 franchise locations around the country, said UPS Store spokeswoman Jessica Moore.

- Do you know something that should be everybody's business? Call 226-3394, or e-mail mikecanning@hotmail.com

Spring has sprung, so have some fun. How about a couple of tin carrots and an Easter egg to stick in a pot? They go for $12 at the Potting Shed, 4127 S MacDill Ave. Throw in a folk art chicken for $8.95. Stop by for Happy Hour on Fridays, when all fresh flowers are two for one from 4 to 6 p.m. There will be sangria and treats, too. Call 831-1969.

- AMY SCHERZER