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Hyde Park Village Tenants Sent Packing

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By MICHAEL SASSO

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 18, 2008

TAMPA - Eight shop owners in the Hyde Park Village shopping center have been ordered to move out of their shops within 30 days, and the center's owner says new tenants for the spaces will be announced soon.

Some of the tenants said they were blindsided by the order to vacate. They said they knew they were on month-to-month leases and might eventually have to leave, but thought they would be allowed to stay through the key holiday retail season.

The tenants have been offered other spaces in Hyde Park Village, but in some cases, much smaller spaces. For example, the Tampa Artist Emporium, an art gallery, has more than 4,800 square feet but is being asked to move into a space that is less than 1,000 square feet.

David Wasserman, a principal in Wasserman Real Estate Capital, which owns the shopping center, said the company has not promised any of the month-to-month tenants they could stay through the holiday season. He said all have been offered other space in the plaza.

Tenants in the building affected by the vacate notices are the Tampa Artist Emporium art gallery, Zagora Worldwide Enterprises, Georgette's and The Shoe Salon, Nature's Table Cafe, Feranda Jeans, Precious Cargo, Hyde Park Fine Arts and Green Fish Greetings.

All of the shops are located in the center's building between South Dakota and Snow avenues in Hyde Park.

Shelby Boggs, the art emporium's owner, said she was trying to decide whether to move or shut down. The gallery sells works by 67 area artists.

"I'm calling up everyone I know to help," Boggs said.

Other tenants are taking a wait-and-see attitude and aren't as upset.

"Ultimately, they the center's owners want the village to survive," said Charlie Purcell, owner of Green Fish Greetings. "Obviously, we have to move out for progress to be made."

Wasserman Real Estate Capital won rezoning approval in January for a $100 million project to redevelop Hyde Park Village, including approval to build two controversial condo towers.

Plans call for adding 163 residences, more than 46,000 square feet of offices and new retail space, including possibly adding a grocery store.

Several months ago, Wasserman Real Estate Capital sought a financial partner for the project, David Wasserman said.

Wasserman would not reveal whether the company found such a partner. But he denied the claims by some local real estate brokers who said Hyde Park Village was up for sale several months ago.

Adding condos to Hyde Park Village may be vital to the redevelopment project, said Jim Michalak, a retail real estate broker with Plaza Advisors in Tampa.

The village's best uses are condos and more restaurants, Michalak said, because some of its retail thunder was stolen when the International Plaza mall opened several miles away in Tampa's West Shore area.

Reporter Michael Sasso can be reached at msasso@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7865.

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