Home builder backs out of deal to buy Tampa's A La Carte Pavilion
By Susan Taylor Martin
Tampa Bay Times
Published: Jul 26, 2016

TAMPA - A Texas-based home builder has backed out of its multimillion-dollar deal to buy the A La Carte Pavilion and build an upscale waterfront community on the 15-acre site.

David Weekley Homes notified Egypt Shriners last month that it would not go through with the purchase of the popular event venue, James Lich, chief rabban, or first vice president, of Egypt Shriners, said Tuesday.

"As a result, the property is still for sale and we are open for business and accepting reservations through the end of 2016 and booking for 2017,'' Lich said.

Egypt Shriners, whose membership had shrunk in recent years, was counting on the proceeds of the sale to further its work in supporting Shriners Hospitals For Children. The pavilion was listed for $15 million and Weekley's offer was "just short" of that, Lich said.

Weekley did not respond to calls for comment Tuesday. At the time the deal was announced in February, it issued a statement saying that the project on Dana Shores Drive, west of Tampa International Airport, would include two- to four-story homes "at a broad spectrum of price points'' with Weekley as the sole builder.

The company said it liked the site because of its waterfront location and easy access to interstates, malls and beaches.

But after Lich and Weekley representatives met with Hillsborough County officials, the builder reconsidered.

"We discovered that A La Carte sits in what is a high coastal hazard zone, which meant the project was going to require additional fill to bring the property up to a certain level,'' Lich said. "Given Weekley's experience with waterfront property - I think we were the first project they were considering right on the water - they decided the project was going to be a little more than what they anticipated.''

Houston-based Weekley is one of Tampa Bay's most prolific builders. However, most of its construction has been urban "in-fill,'' such as on St. Petersburg's Snell Isle, where it buys older homes, razes them and builds mansions; or in new inland communities where it is one of several builders that purchase lots from the developer.

Lich said the A La Carte property is drawing "a lot of interest'' from prospective buyers, including developers, religious organizations, schools and businesses. In the meantime, "we are hammer down, throttle up'' trying to book more events, he said.

"We are cautiously optimistic we can make a go of it,'' Lich said. "We are in the black, which is remarkable for us given that we are all volunteers. We'd love to keep it open, but we need the community to help us do that.''

Egypt Shriners built the facility in the early 1970s primarily as a meeting and event venue for its own members. Faced with declining membership, Shriners leased the 56,000-square-foot pavilion several years ago to Bloomin' Brands, the Tampa-based parent of Outback Steakhouse and other chains.

Bloomin' Brands rented out the facility for as many as 500 events a year, including gala fundraisers for Moffitt Cancer Center and the American Heart Association. In early 2015, though, it decided to concentrate on its core business and notified the Shriners it would not renew its lease.

Lich said the Shriners are charging 25 to 30 percent less than Bloomin' Brands did and "we will not turn anyone away for price - we will negotiate the best deal.'' The Krewe of Sant' Yago has held two big events this year and plans another. Egypt Shriners is also in discussions with a radio station about hosting events on Friday and Saturday nights.

The Shriners' Egypt Shrine chapter, whose membership has dropped from 7,500 to about 2,500, covers a seven-county area. It is responsible for providing transportation for children and their families from the hospital on the University of South Florida campus to other Shriners facilities around the country.

"We need that revenue from A La Carte,'' Lich said. "Unlike when Bloomin' Brands had it, all of our dollars after expenses go to assist children.''

Contact Susan Taylor Martin at smartin@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8642. Follow @susanskate