By SHARON L. BOND and ANNE LINDBERG
Published October 17, 2004
PINELLAS PARK - City Council members unanimously approved a proposal to build more than 300 townhomes on 29 acres of land that currently house Earl J. Small Growers. The townhouses will be built by Beazer Homes, a national company headquartered in Atlanta. Beazer caters to first-time buyers and those who are moving one step up. Company officials expect the townhomes to cost in the mid- to high $100,000 range.
Design shop contracts custom yule decorations
ST. PETERSBURG - Vineyard Designs sits way west in the city, nearly in Seminole, and even though Halloween hasn't passed, it is Christmas there already.
The shop at 5241 Park St., which takes up two spaces in the Town Plaza West shopping center, is owned by Kathy Danielson. She does what she describes as high-end decorations for homes, corporate parties, special seasons, weddings and receptions, among others.
Christmas trees are everywhere in the shop as are intricately rendered wreaths and racks of Christmas ornaments, some specific to Tampa Bay, such as the glass snowman whose bodies are footballs in familiar colors. Background music includes Christmas songs by Bing Crosby and Gene Autry.
Danielson changes the shop with the seasons. Come spring and it will be full of accessories appropriate to that season. She opened Vineyard Designs four years ago, expanded into the second space last year and may punch into a third one soon.
Danielson, 48, said she is booked to decorate 26 homes for the Christmas season. That might mean buying and setting up all the decorations and or using a homeowner's existing collection.
"Some homes I go into, I decorate six trees," Danielson said.
Million-dollar homes take about two days to decorate, she said. She charges $29 per hour.
Lithos leaves beach for Beach Drive site
ST. PETERSBURG - Lithos Jewelry, long a fixture on Corey Avenue in St. Pete Beach, now is open in its new location on Beach Drive NE downtown.
Owners Rose and Lornie Mueller bought one of the street-level commercial spaces in the Florencia condominium tower at 100 Beach Drive NE. They were leasing space in St. Pete Beach. They wanted to own their shop and went after the Florencia space when it was sold by its original owner, Fanitsa Meehan, who has businesses in St. Petersburg and Tarpon Springs. Meehan said she got $470,000 for the space.
Lithos sells jewelry made by contemporary designers, of which Rose and Lornie Mueller are two.
Business specialist resigns Pinellas Park program
PINELLAS PARK - Ralph Marlow has resigned as the business assistance specialist covering Pinellas Park. The specialist is sponsored by a joint program between Pinellas Park, Pinellas County and the Pinellas Park/Mid-County Chamber of Commerce. In a Oct. 3 letter of resignation, Marlow said he was resigning the post he has held for the past 18 months to help with two family businesses.
First Home Bank to build branch, drive-through
PINELLAS PARK - First Home Bank plans to build a branch with a drive-through on Park Boulevard. The bank will be located on a little more than 1 acre at 5250 Park, a lot that is currently empty. First Home is headquartered in Seminole.
