Owners Plan Towne Square Revamp

Assuming all goes as planned, the Towne Square Shopping Center, located at 1550 Lakeview Drive, in downtown Sebring, could get an entirely new look and hopefully some new tenants - maybe even a food market.

During a design review meeting Monday with the Sebring Community Redevelopment Agency, Towne Square's co-owner and commercial broker Cheryl A. Maymon told the board of commissioners that it wanted to redo the shopping center and give it more of a downtown feel.

Maymon confirmed they have had discussions with Save-A-Lot food stores, but as yet had no commitment.

"We will be trying to attract smaller businesses," said Maymon. "We aren't going to take big-boxes from Highway 27."

Depending on the tenants' needs, it intended to create some smaller store spaces in the shopping center, with some much-needed curb appeal.

Bruce Johnson of Bruin Contracting, in Cape Coral, presented the commissioners with a preliminary conceptual design showing the changes they have planned for the facades across the shopping center.

"We're hoping to address the project in small and doable pieces," Johnson said, hoping to attract new tenants as the shopping center is revamped.

Some roof work would also be done.

Maymon said that aside from Bruin Contracting, she planned to use local subcontractors.

There are currently only a few tenants in the shopping center, including Dollar General Store, a medical office, a church, a thrift shop and a coin laundry.

The issue was raised about how the property would be landscaped.

CRA Executive Director Pete Pollard pointed out to the board that Towne Center Redevelopment LLP was not required to present a landscape plan because the city's landscape ordinance did not apply to remodeling.

As a part of the remodel, a green-space buffer between Lakeview Drive and the parking area was one possibility, Johnson explained. However, they were concerned about meeting the city's requirement for minimum parking spaces.

Under the city's present parking ordinance, the 158,000 square-foot shopping center required about 550 spaces, which is about where they are at. So putting in green-space would have to be done selectively.

The city is considering changes to its parking ordinance, possibly moving from 10-foot-wide parking spaces to 9.5-foot-wide spaces.

If that change took place it could allow this center an extra 45 to 50 parking spaces without needing a variance.

As this project moves forward, they will want to resurface the parking lot, Johnson told the board, and restripe.

"It's a sea of asphalt," Pollard said Tuesday. "It's not attractive and not conducive to attracting business. The finishing touch would be to make that area as attractive as they can with landscaping. We can't require them, but we can encourage them with some assistance."

Any assistance the board provided could be recovered by the agency down the road through increased value of the shopping center and receipt of higher tax increment funds, he added.

Commissioner Lorrie Smith said that when the Winn-Dixie supermarket pulled out of the downtown it created a void.

Pollard said at the time the store manager told him that the store's gross receipts were higher than the store on U.S. 27, but when the food chain reorganized, the downtown store's lease was up sooner.

They were in contact with Progress Energy about leasing new parking lot lighting, according to Maymon.

The owners wanted it done so the lights did not disturb people living across Lakeview Drive.

"I was impressed with the fact they brought that up; we didn't; that they were concerned with the neighbors," said Pollard.

Board members wanted a more detailed presentation showing possible color schemes and ideas for improvements to the parking lot.

The plan was for the storefronts to be painted in earth-tones, sand colors, with some splashes of colors; greens and reds.

It was suggested that perhaps Maymon could consider large potted plants in the front of the individual stores, as part of mirroring the downtown look.

The board will meet again at 5 p.m. Feb. 9, when the project is scheduled to return before the CRA with updated, colorized elevation drawings.