SEMINOLE FLORIDA NEWS
May 18 News - Sun Star Theatres re-opens Seminole 8
Sun Star Theatres <Web Site...click theatres
3 movie theater operators have expressed interest in reopening the theater Movie Theatre
Seminole 8
May 5- 2007 Seminole Mall News Update
Since purchasing the property, the new owners and their management company, RMC Property
Group, have released long-term goals for the Mall site. A variety of rumors
continues.
Seminole Florida News 12/16/2006 - The 41 Year old Seminole Mall was sold on December 15,
2006 to a new investment group called Downtown Seminole LLC of Delaware. They purchased
the property from Seminole Mall Acquisition LLC of Lakewood, N.J., for $35.7 million. The
out-of-state buyers listed their address with the Pinellas County Clerk of Court as care
of Aegis Partners LLC, 801 West Bay Drive, Largo.
Rumors of a sale of Seminole Mall and it's demolition have been rolling around for years.
The mall has averaged about a dozen vacant units inside the complex for a number of years.
Some who are currently leasing in the mall have stated they are moving out. Seminole Mall
was built in 1965 and renovated in the early 1990s. It consists of approximately a 424,000
sq.ft. mall, with 2,020 parking spaces. Among the anchor stores are KMart, Bealls, Publix
and the AMC Seminole 8 theater. The mall is located at 11201 Park Blvd, at the corner of
113th Street.
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The newest member of the City Council said he considers redevelopment the most pressing
issue for the city to tackle.
Peter Hofstra, who previously served two years on the city’s Development Review
Board, said the direction Seminole goes with development and zoning decisions in the next
few years will be critical to its future.
“I enjoyed my time on the Development Review Board and saw where development issues
would be big involving the city,” he said. “The city is looking for quality
projects within the limits of acceptable density.”
Hofstra, an attorney who specializes in real estate and small business matters, said the
future of a site that formerly was the Bay Pines Mobile Home Park and the recently-sold
Seminole Mall are among the areas of top concern.
The Bay Pines property was recently sold to developers for $38 million, but plans for
constructing condominiums on the property have been delayed due to market conditions,
Hofstra said.
Hofstra said another pressing issue for the city is rising taxes and insurance rates for
homeowners and small business owners. “People are getting whipped solid by taxes and
insurance,” he said. “All we can do is keep our house in order and keep our
millage rate as low as possible.”
Hofstra was appointed to the remaining two years on former City Councilor Trina
Watkins’ term Jan. 9 after Watkins resigned to run for mayor. Hofstra has lived in
Pinellas County since 1974
Article published on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2007
Copyright © Tampa Bay Newspapers: All rights reserved.
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57 percent, were in favor of the one-cent sales tax and the Penny For Pinellas Passed.
In Pinellas, the “Penny” pays for capital improvement projects for roads, flood
control, park improvements, preservation of endangered lands, government facilities,
public safety and more.
About 10 percent, or $225 million of the funds projected to come in from the penny over
the 10-year period, is earmarked to be spent on courts and jails. The county would get 52
percent or $898 million, or the remainder of the money, and 24 municipalities would split
48 percent, or $817 million. According to the rules, money generated from the tax can only
be used for certain projects. It is collected from residents and visitors. Officials
estimate that about 35 percent of the money generated the first 10 years came from
tourists and part-time residents.
The tax is only collected on the first $5,000 of any purchase. Necessities such as
groceries and medicines are not taxed.
The original Penny for Pinellas brought in nearly $828 million during the years 1990 to
2000, which amounted to about 75 percent of all available funding for capital
improvements.
Voters approved another 10 years for Penny for Pinellas on March 25, 1997, which was
expected to bring in $1.36 billion between the years of 2000 and 2010. |
