Places This Week: Treasure Island hotel sells, ‘mini Don CeSar’ home finds new owner

The Beach House Hotel on Gulf Boulevard gets scooped up quickly. A church group buys a massive building in Largo previously used by a university. A hospitality veteran buys property on Madeira Beach that includes a marina. The Minor League Baseball headquarters in St. Pete is sold to an amusement ride manufacturer. A pink waterfront home has a new owner.

Here’s this week’s roundup of local real estate deals.

Church picks up property in Largo 

Grace Family Church of North Tampa Inc. has purchased a large flex space in Largo.

The church organization bought the property at 1199 East Bay Drive from Tampa-based Pocket Properties LLC in a $9.5 million deal.

1199 East Bay Drive in Largo. Photo by: Loopnet.com

The 61,000-square-foot building was previously used as a former daycare, pre-school and also a former location for Everest University.

The freestanding building, constructed in 1999, occupies 8.4 acres and is located by the intersection of East Bay Drive and Highland Avenue.

It was being advertised as a redevelopment site for multi-family with up to 24 units per acre.

Hospitality operators quickly claim Treasure Island hotel property 

The Beach House Hotel located at 12100 Gulf Blvd. in Treasure Island has a new owner who hopes to turn it into vacation rental units. The buyer, Athevest LLC, purchased the property from Alamos Investments Florida LLC in a $1.25 million deal.

The Beach House Hotel. Photo: Playbook Public Relations LLC

“It’s very rare to find a property like this on the west side of Gulf Boulevard,” said Patrick Calhoon of the Calhoon Commercial Group of Smith & Associates Real Estate. Calhoon represented the buyers, owners Michele Smith and Laurie Davidson-Smith.

Alamos Investments Florida LLC was represented by Ray Demby of Tropical Realty Partner.

The Beach House Hotel property. Photo: Google Maps

The buyers also own Sunset Inn on Sunset Beach.

Smith is a former U.S. Olympic softball team gold medal winner, and is also ESPN’s main softball analyst. Davidson is also a former softball player.

Calhoon said they plan to renovate the rooms and market them as vacation rental units.

Hotel veteran scoops up waterfront Madeira Beach property

Kevin Bowden, the Managing Partner for Miramar Resort St. Pete LLC, purchased a piece of waterfront property in Madeira Beach that he plans to develop.

Bowden purchased the 1-acre property at 420 150th Ave. in a $3.75 million deal from the entity Madeira Beach Town Center LLC.

420 150th Ave. in Madeira Beach. Photo: Pinellas County Property Appraiser

The site is approved for two stories and 8,000 square feet of commercial use.

“I would like to locate my office in the building and maybe other office spaces, and add condos on top of the offices,” Bowden said.

Bowden is a well-known hospitality veteran and owns the newly opened Cambria Hotel on Madeira Beach and is building the Miramar Resort on St. Pete Beach.

He is currently working on redevelopment plans for the Schooner Resort, a seven-story building with a 56-room hotel on the west side of Gulf Boulevard.

420 150th Ave. in Madeira Beach. Photo: Google Maps

The purchase includes the property as well as a 43-boat slip marina. He wants to rename the marina “Bowden’s Marina” in the future.

Bowden plans to use some of the boat slips from the new purchase for users at the Cambria Hotel.

Batter up: Minor League Baseball HQ site in St. Pete switches hands 

Minor League Baseball’s headquarters have sold in a $2.35 million deal. Photo by: Google Maps

The site of Minor League Baseball’s headquarters in St. Petersburg will now be home to amusement ride manufacturer Premier Rides.

Minor League Baseball, formally known as the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues Inc., sold its headquarters in St. Pete to Baltimore-based Premier Rides Inc. in a $2.35 million deal.

The deal follows the recent reports that MiLB, which has been headquartered in northern St. Pete for several decades, has been planning to leave St. Pete and relocate in New York.

Find out more about the deal here. 

Mini “Don CeSar”-like house sells 

John and Barbara Goodwin, executives of the St. Pete-based Factory Supply Inc., have sold their St. Pete Beach home to couple Leanne and Joseph Faris for $1.9 million.

Home at 645 78th Ave. in St. Pete Beach. Photo: Realtor.com

The six-bedroom, four-bathroom home at 645 78th Ave. is described as appearing like a “mini Don CeSar.”

The waterfront pink-colored home boasts a unique floorplan with a suite above a three-car garage that includes a murphy bed and a full bath.

Built in 1949, the home has a pool and a deep-water boat dock and lift.

Home at 645 78th Ave. in St. Pete Beach. Photo: Realtor.com