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Seminole Mall pledges to work with merchants to lure shoppers

By Anne Lindberg, Times Staff Writer
In print: Sunday, April 20, 2008

Seminole Mall serves as Seminole’s downtown, its future a concern of city officials and business owners.
	[WILLIE J. ALLEN JR. | Times]

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SEMINOLE — Although the owners of Seminole Mall have allowed some tenants' leases to lapse, they are negotiating renewals with others, according to their attorney.

But Tampa attorney Alex H. Dunser, who represents mall owner Downtown Seminole LLC, did not provide any information about the mall's future. Rumors and speculation about the fate of the mall have swirled through Seminole since before Downtown Seminole bought the property in December 2006.

Rumors increased last week as word spread through the business community that the mall was not renewing leases and that some businesses have already left. But the rumors were wrong, according to an e-mail Dunser wrote to Neighborhood Times.

"Seminole Mall is in fact negotiating renewals with several existing tenants," he wrote. "The terms of such negotiations are, of course, confidential."

Dunser and representatives of RMC Property Group in Tampa, the mall's leasing agent, met with members of Seminole Mall's merchants association Wednesday.

"The purpose of this meeting was to discuss ways to increase traffic to the mall and to improve the overall shopping experience," Dunser wrote.

"We also announced to the merchants the owners' decision to appoint a new on-site employee who would, among other responsibilities, assist the merchants association in implementing events to increase traffic to the mall.''

The mall, at Park Boulevard and 113th Street N, serves as Seminole's downtown.

As such, residents, city officials and business owners are intensely interested in its future.

Since Downtown Seminole bought the approximately 39.3 acres for $35.7-million, speculation about its future has included razing the structure and replacing it with an open plan of outparcels, similar to the Shoppes at Park Place in Pinellas Park.

Other rumors have the mall being replaced with condominiums. Still other guesses see a mixed-use plan, with stores and condominiums.

But city officials say no plans have been submitted and that owners have told them that, considering the state of the banking industry, it is unlikely any changes would happen within the next two years.