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Major changes are on the horizon for Davidson Plaza, the popular shopping and dining center in the heart of Siesta Village. The unexpected Oct. 28 closing of the long-standing Davidson Drugs store – it served as the anchor of the shopping center and a staple of the community for 65 years — set the stage for new businesses in what was already a plaza in transition.
Existing Davidson Plaza tenants, as well as residents and the small businesses that make up the community, were surprised and concerned. When Davidson Drugs closed, company president Richard Davidson reported that because of the company’s agreement with Walgreens (which bought the pharmaceutical operations), leasing the space to another drug store was not permitted. That statement fueled increased speculation about what kind of retail or restaurant establishments might consider the valuable location.
And one of the questions was this: Will the current, changing real estate culture continue to bring about national brands instead of the local businesses that have long been part of Siesta Key’s identity?
What is next is beginning to take shape and seems to answer that question. Well-placed sources within the Siesta Key business community have reported that talks with national retailers Alvin’s Island and Tommy Bahama are moving ahead.
Alvin’s Island, the largest beach store chain in the southeastern United States, is expected to open in the 8,500-square-foot space that was the home to Davidson’s.
Sorry folks I made an error. In my first post from today I quoted a previous post from the insurance thread - that I mistakenly assumed was previously made in the news thread. I then stayed on the same page thinking it was the news thread and continued posting today's news. Thus post numbers 178 through 191 in the insurance thread were meant for this news thread.
I will try contacting a mod to see if they can remove them from the insurance thread and post them in this thread.
For now you can see the 14 news posts from today intended for this thread with the link below (link from the insurance thread - posts 178 through 191):
*I sent a message to the site administrator. Then after I sent it said my message was sent to the webmaster. So hopefully that was the right place to get this taken care of.
I also sent a direct message to a moderator.
Last edited by wondermint2; 12-27-2023 at 08:40 AM..
I don't know if my error from today will be corrected - I get the feeling that this forum is kind of dying out and mods may not be readily available anymore. I hope I'm wrong about that.
I thought about manually reposting them here - but I am unable to delete the other posts - so that would mean those posts would be double-posted in two threads. That would be against Forum rules - so I'll just continue posting here and leave my other previous 14 posts from today in the insurance thread.
A second video has been recovered by police showing Bridget Ziegler, a cofounder of the conservative Moms for Liberty, engaging in sexual relations with a woman, sources said. It is not known if the woman in the video is the same woman who has alleged she was sexually assaulted by Christian Ziegler. Neither Christian nor Bridget Ziegler have responded to requests for comment from the Trident.
The Bradenton Herald regularly reports on local restaurants that don’t pass inspection by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
But readers have frequently asked which restaurants have done well during inspectors’ visits, too, and we agree they deserve a shout-out.
Passing inspection without flaw is no easy feat. Florida bases its inspection standards on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Food Code , which contains many, many possible violations. These Bradenton-area restaurants did more than pass their regular state inspection — they aced it.
These local businesses earned perfect or near-perfect health inspections Dec. 12-21.
*Restaurants in Florida are licensed and routinely inspected by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Diners can report health and cleanliness issues at a restaurant anywhere in the state by filing a complaint with the agency:
Hard Rock Casinos in Florida are launching new table games and in-person sports betting this week after a years-long court battle over the Gaming Compact signed between the Seminoles and Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Hard Rock Casino says expanding its gaming operations will create 1,000 new jobs across the state, and tourism officials hope the additional gambling opportunities will give visitors a more “Las Vegas” style appeal.
Some in Florida have been betting on sports since early November when Hard Rock launched its online sports betting app, Hard Rock Bet.
The Seminoles have agreed to pay the state of Florida $2.5 billion the first five years for the additional gaming opportunity, and possibly billions more in the years after.
West Flagler Associates and Bonita-Ft. Myers Corp have been fighting the Seminoles’ gaming expansion, saying Florida voters are being ignored in the gaming expansion, and the exclusivity between the state and Seminoles will ultimately cost both companies money.
Residents, municipalities and nonprofits seeking to receive Hurricane Ian relief funding from the $201.5 million ResillientSRQ block grant program may be able to apply in early to mid-2024.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on Nov. 21 approved the county's plan for distributing the funds.
The money is intended to aid in long-term recovery efforts from the storm, which made landfall Sept. 28. 2022.
Seventy percent of the funding must be used to benefit low to moderate income residents, defined as households making up to 80% of the area median income.
It also must meet a HUD national objective such as benefit low to moderate income people; have an urgent need; prevent or eliminate slum or blight.
That’s part of the reason that the HUD grant includes $15 million in economic recovery funding that will be directed toward improving career and trades training.
Given the scope of the undertaking, another $5 million was set aside for planning and $10 million to administer the funding and ensure that it’s spent properly.
Updates on the funding process for the housing programs, which contains almost $101.5 million in funding, and the public facilities programs, which contains $70 million in funding, will be available at https://scgov.net/ResilientSRQ as they become available.
That will be the first source for open application periods, eligibility criteria, active solicitations, and other requirements.
More federal funding to become available for Ian recovery in Sarasota Co.(Video)
Sharon Lee Bixler, like others who live in the 55-plus Deer Creek mobile home park in Englewood, is still working on repairs caused by Hurricane Ian in September 2022.
But because, like many other retirees, she spends only half the year in her Florida home, she said, FEMA denied her any assistance.
"So, I’ve put at least $35 to $40,000 in here,” Bixler said.
More than 15 months after Hurricane Ian made landfall along Florida’s west coast, causing $113 billion in damages, recovery is still ongoing. Ian is considered the third most costly hurricane nationwide.
Beginning early to mid 2024, residents, municipalities, and non-profits can start applying for this Resilient SRQ block grant program. Just last month, HUD approved Sarasota County's plan on how they will distribute this.
Widowed in 2020, Bixler could use the financial help as she continues to make repairs on her own, hiring people when she can or relying on help from her children.
"I'm alone now. It would fill some of that bumper for when stuff goes wrong,” Bixler said.
Bixler, a retired hospital pharmacy technician, bought the mobile home in 2011 when her husband, Gary. Her husband was a green beret in the US Army Special Forces during Vietnam and was exposed to Agent Orange.
The sea air made it easier for him to breathe.
But despite her husband’s sacrifice, Bixler was denied FEMA assistance. She was told it was because she voted using her New York-based address.
For many Florida retirees like the Bixlers, mobile home parks are the only affordable housing option.
"A lot of folks down here aren't living on a huge nest egg of retirement savings,” AARP Florida State Director Jeff Johnson said. “They are living on a fixed income of a pension and social security."
Seventy percent of these new HUD grants must go to low-to-moderate-income residents.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Alan Kruthas told ABC Action News that he moved to his mobile home in Englewood in 2017 after retiring from an Illinois public works department.
"We're lucky to find this place. A lot of people aren't so lucky,” Kruthas said.
After a recent business merger, the Tidewell Foundation and parent company Empath Health have decided the Longboat Key location no longer fits their desired business model.
Currently, the building at 540 Bay Isles Road is listed for $3.1 million by Ian Black Real Estate.
The property is over 8,000 square feet and about 30 years old. It was previously purchased in 2019 by SCATA Real Estate LLC for $1.75 million.
SCATA Real Estate LLC was the real estate arm for Stratum Health System, the former parent company of the Tidewell Foundation.
At the time of the sale, The Paradise Center worked with Tidewell to create the vision of the now-established medical hub that occupies the space.
Currently, the Longboat Key location at 540 Bay Isles Road houses tenants such as The Paradise Center, Fitness Quest Longboat Key, Bee Ridge Chiropractic, Doc Side Audiology and the office of Dr. Daren Spinelle.
What’s next?
The Paradise Center’s lease extends until mid-2025, like many of the other leases in the building.
“So on the one hand, we’ve got some time. But on the other hand, time flies and it’ll be here before we know it,” Brenner said.
With recent stock market activity Brenner said she hopes an investor will look at the property as an investment.
“A real estate holding that is fully leased is not a bad investment,” Brenner said.
Tidewell Foundation's Longboat building no longer listed for sale
The property was listed without the executive board's knowledge and all options are still being explored, according to an official from the organization.
The Tidewell Foundation and Empath Health aren’t leaving Longboat Key any time soon.
Recently, the organization’s Longboat Key building was listed for sale by Ian Black Real Estate for $3.1 million.
But that was an error, according to new information from Empath Health Chief Mission Access Officer Rhonda Sanders-Allamon.
The listing is no longer active.
Sanders-Allamon said the idea of selling the property has been discussed by the executive board, but nothing was officially voted on.
Putting the building up for sale was just one option being explored by the board, and all options are still being explored, she said.
While exploring the options, Sanders-Allamon said Tidewell and Empath approached Ian Black Real Estate about conducting an appraisal. The property was publicly listed without the board's knowledge, only finding out about it by reading the previously published article in the Longboat Observer, Sanders-Allamon said.
“We were not ready to list the property and, still today, we’re exploring options, including meeting with the (town),” Sanders-Allamon said.
Manatee County's popular wall calendars have arrived—just in time for your 2024 appointments. This year’s theme, Manatee County Masterpieces, features paintings, drawings, mixed media and photography work from a variety of local artists.
Once again, this year's calendar was created and designed completely in-house by our award-winning creative team who collaborated with the local artists to curate this collection of local artwork as a one-of-a-kind keepsake calendar.
The calendars will be available while supplies last at the following locations: Manatee County Administration Building, Manatee County Public Library locations, Manatee County Sheriff’s Office , Manatee County Tax Collector’s Office, G.T. Bray Recreation Center, Manatee County Public Works.
For more information about Manatee County Government, visit mymanatee.org or call (941) 748-4501. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @ManateeGov.
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