SUN PHOTO/MIKE FIELD
The TideMark Lodge sign stands in front of the
shopping center that the project’s developers
say they would like to buy and improve.
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By Tom Vaught
sun staff writer
HOLMES BEACH – TideMark developers have assured business
owners in the Island Chamber shopping center that no plans
exist to demolish the center if TideMark buys it, according
to several owners.
TideMark hopes to purchase the property - officially called
Sunrise Landings - and improve the building instead, Chamber
President Mary Ann Brockman said.
"TideMark is going to do nothing but enhance the area,"
she said. "I don’t feel like anything’s going
to happen other than the building’s going to get better."
The Chamber, which is located in the plaza, has a 20-year
lease, Brockman said. She added that it would be prohibitively
expensive for a prospective purchaser to demolish the building
and buy out the lease.
Rumors of the impending purchase and demolition created
a panic among customers, business owners said.
"The business I work directly with got hit horribly,"
said Lee Levanduski, a physical therapist whose office is
inside the Island Fitness Center. "It didn’t hurt
me, but it hurt the gym financially. And I’m still
having to answer the question, ‘What are you going
to do?’ "
"I talked to TideMark and they are going to paint the
building and put in new landscaping and fix it up,"
said Melinda Lampariello, owner of Fit to Eat Deli, who
was relieved to hear the news.
"Customers have been asking about it," she said.
"They’re upset because they don’t want us
to close."
"If anything, they’ll add on to it," said
Amy Welch, owner of Aveda A2 Lifestyle Salon and Spa, who
added that prospective new customers were reluctant to patronize
the salon if it was going to be demolished.
"We’ve really been having some adverse effects
from that," she said.
If TideMark purchases the Wachovia Bank building next to
the center, Welch said she may consider opening a retail
business there, but the salon would remain where it is.
With TideMark drawing affluent boaters to its planned condominium
marina complex, "Their opening is going to be huge
for us," Welch said.
