Drive-in theater to close

By Times staff writer

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 18, 2000

A landmark that has stood in Pinellas County for half a century will close June 30, a victim of modern times and high prices.

The 28th Street Drive-In has been sold to the Pinellas County School Board, said Harold Spears, president of Sun South Theaters, which owns the business.

School officials could not be reached Friday for comment so it's unclear what the district plans to do with the property.

Spears said the drive-in has been at the same location, 4990 28th St. N, for the past 50 years, but with the sale to the School Board, the property owner could not renew the lease.

The drive-in, which is the last in Pinellas County, will not re-open elsewhere.

"It's practically impossible to build a new drive-in theater today," Spears said, blaming high land prices, lack of large areas of land and stricter zoning rules.

Spears said Sun South will continue to operate the Funland Drive-In theater in Tampa.

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