Look for the GrillSmith restaurant and Cork and Olive soon, and mourn the loss of the bohemian Book Lodge.
By MICHAEL CANNING
Published July 15, 2005
DALE MABRY PLAZA NEARLY FULL: Southdale Commons, the mostly new shopping plaza on Dale Mabry Highway between Watrous and Jetton avenues, is almost all claimed.
John Hotchkiss, director of leasing for property owner Ellis and Co., said leases have been executed on all but one of the new storefronts. The Clearwater-based GrillSmith restaurant should open its second location four months after Ellis and Co. resolves parking issues with city officials, Hotchkiss said.
The restaurant was formulated in part by owners of the Melting Pot and Mise en Place, and will occupy 6,250 square feet. Cork and Olive, a Tampa-based chain of wine and olive oil stores, expects to open in a 1,900-square-foot space within 90 days, Hotchkiss said.
The Bank of St. Petersburg is building out a 1,900-square-foot branch and plans to open this fall, according to bank senior vice president Steve Stagg.
That leaves a 1,100-square-foot space unclaimed. Hotchkiss said negotiations are under way with an antiques business.
The plaza's transformation began in April 2004 when a former auto parts store next to Hancock Fabrics was demolished to make way for the new storefronts. The Craftsman style look of the new buildings was extended to the fabric store.
BOOK LODGE CLOSED: Kennedy Boulevard just got a little less cool.
The Imperial Book Lodge closed two weeks ago. The used-book shop and occasional live music venue occupied a portion of a rambling early 20th century Arts and Crafts bungalow at 2202 W Kennedy Blvd.
After opening on Christmas Day 2001, the Book Lodge became an extension of the classic bohemian bookstore where university students hang out, and where music and poetry happenings could break out with little warning. Ryan DeRamus didn't host poetry, but he often shoved his shelves aside at night to present his friends from the local jazz and acoustic music circles.
Soon the little shop on the northern edge of the Oscawana neighborhood became a hip gathering place for book hounds and music aficionados. "I don't know how I was making a living off of it," said DeRamus, "but I did."
DeRamus said he closed the business because he's at a crossroads in life and because his landlord raised the rent. He put his stock of books in storage and looked at a few other locations around downtown but isn't sure he'll reopen. "I just don't know how much longer I'm going to be in Tampa," he said.
That's not idle speculation from the Shreveport, La., native, who has studied civil engineering, New Testament theology and ancient Greek, and has held jobs teaching, working on ski slopes, disc jockeying, restoring old houses and gigging with a local jazz combo.
Robert Romano, listing agent for the property owner Nelson Castellano, said the old house is up for lease. They're hoping for an office or small retail tenant, he said.
FORMER LAUNDRY STILL UNCLAIMED: It was another sign of the times in chic SoHo when Porky's Laundromat, an unglamorous business at Howard Avenue and Platt Street, closed in November.
The building's owner, Nick Awad, said he's close to finding a new tenant for the low-slung, 1,724-square-foot building. Three parties are interested, he said, including an engineering firm and, not surprisingly, a restaurant.
Awad said that if a restaurant does end up moving in, it won't be part of a big chain.
- Do you know something that should be everybody's business? Call 226-3382, or e-mail mikecanning@hotmail.com[Last modified July 14, 2005, 09:07:06]
