no maas
The Old Maas Brothers department store building in Downtown is set to start coming down on Monday according to the Tampa Bay Business Journal. It will be brought down to make way for, wait you won’t believe this, condos.
Of course the building isn’t totally empty,
At least four businesses - Mr. Empanada, Manhattan Bagel, Wrap It and Franklin Street Newsstand - will be forced to close to make way for the condo project. Mr. Empanada opened on Franklin in February.
Ellen Brown, owner of Old Tampa Book Company on nearby Tampa Street, said the city should offer small businesses incentives so they can remain downtown. “It shouldn’t be we’re sweeping you out, nice knowing you,” Brown said.
Wood Brothers, the developer for this project plan promises these condos will be affordable in comparison to other projects in the area. By the way don’t bother going to their site looking for pics or any info at all because it isn’t there. I sent them an email just to see what they could tell me about the building and it wasn’t very much. I would be interested in buying a unit in the area for rental if the price works so I was hoping for a bit more info. So I sent an email:
Wood Partners,
I am interested in any information you can give me regarding your
project in downtown Tampa. I do not see anything on your website
indicating prices, floor plans, completion dates or other info but I
am interested in putting a deposit down on this property. Are
investors allowed to purchase these units or are you only allowing
owner/occupants at this time. Also what will happen with the existing
retail residents in the building at this time? Will retail space be
made available to these people when the building is completed?
And their reply:
Jason,
Look for a registration website in a few days. Pricing and final
floorplans won’t be available for a while yet. The building will have
retail space, but we don’t know who the tenants will be at this time.David E. Thompson
Development Associate
Wood Partners
701 South Howard Avenue, Suite 106
Tampa, Florida 33606
(813) 258-6585 phone
(813) 258-6588 fax
(813) 957-1593 mobile
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February 15th, 2006 at 11:58 am
It’s not surprising that the buildings owner wanted to cash out. Remember, the businesses were tenants in that location and don’t have any right to the property beyond their lease agreement.
It’s not very nice, but the building owner is right to seek the best value for his investment. The best solution would have been for the businesses to buy the property from the land owner, then do with the old Maas Brothers what they wanted…
-Mike, http://www.pusatera.net
February 15th, 2006 at 12:21 pm
And this is an image of the Condo poject that is going up (if it ever happens) on the site:
February 15th, 2006 at 2:46 pm
The Sale has not even gone through yet…Property still in the name of 610 Franklin LLC
February 15th, 2006 at 5:50 pm
The above commenter makes a good point: demolition is indeed underway and the final approval and financing for the project aren’t completed. Wood Bros isn’t likely to NOT follow through on the deal, but this is still a shaky situation. I don’t care for vacant buildings, but better that than an open rubblefield in the middle of downtown if the financing should fall through.
Also, it’s worth noting that at the least, Franklin St Newstand and Manhattan Bagle have both moved into new digs a block or two south of Franklin St. I met a guy yesterday while rubbernecking at the demolition who claims to have been the owner of Mr Empanada, who is now being paid to haul debris away from the demolition site. The same guy also says he’s hauling away debris from the Floridan and another unknown site in downtown after this project is finished–though I believe interior demo has already started at Floridan.
February 15th, 2006 at 6:13 pm
Smitty - thanks for your post on SSC by the way… Nd I will remember the spellign of Floridan from now on…
February 16th, 2006 at 1:20 pm
“Also, it’s worth noting that at the least, Franklin St Newstand and Manhattan Bagle have both moved into new digs a block or two south of Franklin St.”
thanks for pointing this out I really should have called them before writing that since the info was a little old.
February 16th, 2006 at 7:29 pm
Hmm. Isn’t Bagel spelled… bagel? Instead of the way I spelled it?
March 26th, 2006 at 11:14 am
Wood Partners has hired my real estate company to sell both of their projects. I will be on-site selling both of them. I can get you in. Email me.
March 27th, 2006 at 10:32 am
If any of you are interested in any of the Wood Partners condo projects, please feel free to email me at JeniferSmithRealtor@hotmail.com.
June 1st, 2006 at 10:29 am
anyone wanting to be on the downtown development map/spreadsheet email list, call the City of Tampa (813) 274-8091 and I will add you.