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Letter to the editor

Developers make nice with neighbors

They share their vision in hopes of winning support for a private club.

By ALEXANDRA ZAYAS Times Staff Writers
Published October 12, 2007

At Print, there are no membership cards. Just hold your thumb to the door and a device scans your fingerprint. Maybe it'll let you in.

Right now, the exclusive entertainment club - with its rooftop deck, private catwalks and cozy lounges - exists only in the clean, modern designs of Jovica Milic.

But if developers get an alcohol permit from the City Council on Thursday, they'll close on their $1.7-million purchase of the 1925 Rialto theater. They'll start their $1.3-million renovations and open Print's doors selectively, of course by the middle of next year.

Any wise developer knows that before showing up before the City Council, it's smart to get the neighborhood behind you. So developers Mark Smith, John Schaible and Josef Schaible, recently showed the Tampa Heights Civic Association their plan.

"This is a dilapidated piece of property. It's not going to change unless someone has a vision," Smith said. "We're making an investment because we think the neighborhood is going to change, positively."

With downtown inching its way north and the Heights development under way, the 10,000-square-foot theater and 20,000 square feet of adjacent properties on the 1600 block of N Franklin Street are a prime place to open the private club, he said.

Neighbors who had reviewed the wet-zoning request before the presentation, and even some city officials, were alarmed at the phrase "private entertainment club." Just what kind of entertainment would the club provide?

Big misunderstanding, Smith said. The spot isn't even zoned for adult use.

"We were taken aback and a little bit upset about the suggestion that we could be an adult entertainment or swingers club," he said. "Almost every term you try to use creates a connotation."

Think of Print as almost a nightlife country club, he said, with a touch of the elite University Club or Tampa Club. Imagine acoustic guitar players strumming or a fashion show unfolding.

The target audience for Print would be people in their late 20s to 50s. It will operate as a club from Thursday through Saturday and as a mini-convention or event rental space Sunday through Wednesday.

The club will have child care services and a concierge who can coordinate rides home, in case of intoxication.

Smith didn't disclose a membership price but said their would be a committee to determine who gets in, with a "focus on bringing in high-quality people."

Developers want to redevelop the 20,000 square feet of buildings surrounding the theater. They're in talks with restaurants that would complement Print and envision that something like an al fresco bistro or an ice cream parlor would also move in.

"Some people don't like being pioneers," Smith said. "We do."

Lena Young Green, president of the neighborhood association, gave her opinion during the meeting: "I don't know about the rest of the neighbors, but it looks good to me."

The neighborhood's board members voted, also in support. They liked that the Print group added restrictions to the club's wet-zoning that would not allow the property to be used as a liquor store or adult club if Print closes. They were also pleased that developers applied for a historic designation for the building.

The City Council will have the neighborhood's letter of support when it votes Thursday.

Alexandra Zayas can be reached at azayas@sptimes.com or 226-3354.

[Last modified October 11, 2007, 07:35:38]