Demolished or relocating: Businesses are on the move in Tallahassee commercial real estate scene
Every quarter commercial Realtor Brenda Francis compiles a newsletter on the latest scoops in local real estate. It includes what companies are coming to town and who is moving into what commercial spaces. Here is the April 2019 edition.
MARKET SQUARE
This is the latest from Leon Capital, the owner of Market Square, 1415 Timberlane Road:
The building that houses Connie’s Hams, Au Peche Mignon and the former location of Gordos’ is going to be demolished. At one time, the plan was to only take down half of the building. The building where A La Provence is and where Market Square Liquors is will also be demolished.
Southern Seafood and Tropical Smoothie will move into the west building that now houses Tropical Smoothie. They hope to move Au Peche Mignon into that building as well.
Morrow Cleaners will not be staying (but they may be open for a long time before work begins on the front building). The owner has plans to renovate the front building that faces Timberlane Road but no time frame was disclosed. The pavilion will have to go to make room for the theater and new restaurants. A La Provence’s plans at this writing are unknown.
CONNIE’S HAMS is closing. They stuck it out in Market Square as almost all of the other tenants left. They waited to see what anchor tenant the landlord would bring in and what rate and terms they could negotiate to stay. But it didn’t happen that way. Cinepolis Luxury Cinema and a Marriott Hotel are going to be built on the property. Jill Richter, owner of Connie’s Hams, received a letter from the Landlord dated Feb. 6, 2019, advising her that she should vacate by May 31 as the demolition will begin shortly thereafter. They welcomed her to enter into a new lease once the Market Square renovations are complete, but she isn’t planning to come back.
TROPICAL SMOOTHIE is expanding but not into the space next door to their current location. They are being relocated inline in the building. And they’re hiring! The landlord wants to leave the end cap where Tropical Smoothie is now plus the next door space fronting on Timberlane Road for an upscale, sit down restaurant.
AU PECHE MIGNON is still planning to stay in Market Square and is negotiating a lease and new location. Joseph and Lisa Gans own and operate the shop and opened a second store downtown at 220 N. Duval St. They moved their kitchen to the Duval store, so if there is any downtime at Market Square during construction, they will still be open on Duval. But they expect to be able to move directly into the new shop without closing.
SOUTHERN SEAFOOD is planning to move into the west building inline by Tropical Smoothie.
MARKET SQUARE LIQUORS is also supposed to relocate to the west building.
More:Market Square Fine Wine & Liquors staying at Market Square
More:Southern Seafood renews lease at Market Square
NOTE: There still may be changes in design and location of these tenants but it is imperative that the public understand that the establishments that are still there still need our business. I hesitate to write this article because I do not want to cause any negative response that could affect these tenants. They deserve our support.
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
SUNSHINE SAVINGS BANK, now owned by The First Bank, has closed its long time branch at 3534 Thomasville Road, across from Killearn Estates.
FLORIDA STATE CREDIT UNION purchased the building at 2520 N. Monroe for $500,000 in April of 2018. Sperry & Associates is renovating for the credit union. Years ago, this was the Comcast building, if anyone remembers that far back like I do.
MEDICAL
TALLAHASSEE MEDICAL CENTER, LLC (owner of Capital Regional Medical Center) is constructing two free standing medical emergency centers in Tallahassee. One is at the southwest corner of Orange Avenue and Capital Circle SE, by Southwood. The building will be 12,833 SF, according to the permit info provided by Economic Vitality, and should be completed by November 2019. The other is at North Monroe, just north of I-10, at Okeeheepkee Road. This ER will be 10,800 square feet and is expected to be completed by early 2020
More:Capital Regional Medical Center's new ERs adding jobs to Tallahassee health care sector
TALLAHASSEE ORTHOPEDIC CLINIC. The first phase of this project is under construction on Welaunee Boulevard. It will be a two-story, 38,418 square foot medical office with a November 2019 expected completion date. The second phase will be a one-story, 19,800 square foot building. (Office of Economic Vitality)
More:New buildings, new faces, new healthcare services coming to Tallahassee | Living Here
More:The $270-million M.T. Mustian medical marvel: TMH lifts veil on 'marquee kind of facility'
STATE OFFICES
CENTRE OF TALLAHASSEE: Much of the Centre of Tallahassee, formerly The Tallahassee Mall, is being converted to state offices. Tallahassee Retail Venture, LLC, of Birmingham, Alabama, had great plans to revitalize the mall as a major retail and entertainment center but revamped those plans due to the market and the death of the owner, Alex Baker in 2017.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH will be occupying 137,267 SF plus 12,656 SF in the Dept of Health Annex next to Guitar Center.
DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN & FAMILIES will take 227,819 SF on the end of the mall by AMC Theater and Belk and another 36,937 SF behind Dollar Tree and Ross.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE will move into the 31,774 SF one story, old gym building. Site plan shows a building edition of 4,338 SF.
Right now, there are temporary partitions outside of Belk and AMC Theater while a floor is installed for the 2nd floor. The open area outside of the theater will remain open after construction and the two restaurant locations will still be available for restaurants. AMC Theater and Cold Stone Creamery are open now and will continue to be.
The Urban Food Market is now closed but Elizabeth Poindexter, Director of Leasing for the Centre, hopes to bring that back as soon as construction is complete. There are plans to demolish the front building facing North Monroe and I’m told we can expect an announcement soon on a new tenant there. There will be 2,500 state employees working in this Centre once all departments have moved in.
RUSSELL OFFICE PARK, fronting Blair Stone Road, Paul Russell Road and Orange Avenue, will be the home of three new state office buildings totaling 164,167 square feet for the Department of Transportation, Division of Retirement and the Florida Game and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Site is being cleared and building permits are under review, per Economic Vitality.
EDGEWATER CORPORATE CENTER, 2639 N. Monroe, just north of the Centre of Tallahassee, will house a portion of The Department of Financial Services. DFS will occupy 30,000 square feet in Edgewater Park.
SUMMIT EAST OFFICE PARK, is constructing a two-story, 74,043 square foot building on the corner of Highway 90 E and Summit Lake Drive for another faction of The Department of Financial Services. This location had originally been intended for restaurant or retail but is now being used for office space, according to the Office of Economic Vitality.
IN GENERAL
EDGEWATER CORPORATE CENTER at 2639 N. Monroe Street has also acquired a new tenant, CareerSource Capital Region. Career Source has moved into a newly designed 10,000 square feet office suite.
THE TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT, owned by Gannett, is moving the print processing plant for the paper to the Panama City News Herald, with newer equipment. Tallahassee’s equipment was installed in 1968. Deadlines for staff may change somewhat due to the time difference but deliveries are expected to be the same. A truck will deliver the papers to Tallahassee every morning and the carriers will pick up as usual for deliveries to customers. What do you do with an old and big newspaper printing press?
More:Tallahassee Democrat shuttering press; print operations will be moved to Panama City
CRAFTY CRAB RESTAURANT will be coming soon to 1241 Apalachee Parkway, 6000 SF, in the former Crispers space. Their signature dish is their New Orleans style low country boil, made with their own home-made seasonings.
GEICO, now in the Morgan & Morgan Building at the corner of North Monroe and Tennessee, will be moving. Jim Smith is buying the old Wise Realty building at 2508 N. Monroe Street and plans to be in the new location by June 1. Jim Smith has been in business in Tallahassee for 16 years and says Geico is the largest auto insurer in the State of Florida.
REFINERY BARRE FITNESS is moving into Capital Plaza at 1866 Thomasville Road. According to their website, the permitting process is delaying their opening but they are diligently working toward completion of their new studio.
PETSMART at 1759 Apalachee Parkway is expanding into another 4482 SF, according to the Office of Economic Vitality.
PARKWAY CENTER on Apalachee Parkway at Magnolia is about to undergo major road construction at their entrance. The establishments in the center ask that the public have patience and remember they are STILL OPEN and need your business during this inconvenience.
LEMOYNE’S CHAIN OF PARKS is April 27 & 28. I will be in booth #64 with my paintings. Please come by and introduce yourself and let me know if you read this column!
Brenda Francis, CCIM, is with Structure Commercial Real Estate in Tallahassee. Information for this report is obtained from sources deemed reliable, however, it is not a complete list and project plans may have changed before publication. If you want to sign up for her newsletter or know of a new business that should be spotlighted, email her at brenda@structureiq.net.
