Facing tax liens, The Mill closes in downtown St. Petersburg
By Breanne Williams
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Jan 3, 2023

The Mill Restaurant has closed, announcing on Facebook that the construction of a condominium tower on a neighboring property has created unsafe conditions.

But state records show that the restaurant, which leases a storefront in office tower 200 Central, faces three liens totaling $154,250 due to unresolved tax liabilities as of Dec. 29. The restaurant has also been behind on its rent for years, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

The Mill has been open in 200 Central since summer 2015. Jason Griffin, a managing partner at The Mill, on Tuesday told the Tampa Bay Business Journal that the back rent dates to June 2022, not years.

The restaurant wrote on Facebook that the construction of Art House — a 42-story luxury condo tower being developed by Kolter Urban on a former parking lot of 200 Central — has caused “massive” damage.

“It has become so invasive to our space that we feel we can no longer ensure the safety of our staff and patrons alike,” the post read.

Griffin said three attempts to sell the business were impacted by construction. He also said once construction began they thought about closing, but believed the business would stay afloat until a sale.

Kolter bought the property from Third Lake Capital — owners of 200 Central — for $20.45 million in December 2021 and broke ground on Art House in June 2022.

"We understand there may be inconveniences caused by large scale urban redevelopment projects such as Art House," Brian Van Slyke, regional president at Kolter Urban, said in a statement. "We have developed numerous major downtown buildings in Florida, Georgia, and Canada and have always taken appropriate measures to ensure the safety and continued operation of businesses within the vicinity of our projects. We have utilized this approach and taken the proper actions regarding The Mill restaurant in St Petersburg."