Developer talks about future of plaza

Brian Kenney, principal of the Boston-based Juliani Kenney Investment Capital LLC, told a standing-room only crowd at the Longbeach Village Association’s March 2 meeting that his company is working quickly to lease and, then, renovate Whitney Beach Plaza. But he reminded residents that the project is still in its early stages.

“It’s very new,” he said. “It’s just over 60 days old.”

Kenney said that his company, which closed on the shopping center for $3.7 million, is still in talks with a national pharmacy that could potentially anchor the plaza.

“We feel that a pharmacy is a pretty strong anchor tenant that would draw traffic,” he said. “The hurdle we have to get over is to get the retailer excited.”

Although he couldn’t give a timetable, he said that one key priority is to place the shopping center’s liquor license, which will expire at the end of March. Kenney told the Longboat Observer after the meeting that an attorney is researching whether his company will be required to put the license to use by the expiration date — or if physically placing the license would be sufficient. If the company is required to put the license to use, a bar at the site of the former Tiny’s of Longboat Key could temporarily re-open as the company works to secure an anchor tenant.

According to a Jan. 31 quarterly report sent by Town Manager Bruce St. Denis to commissioners, quasi-judicial discussions have been held with Walgreens about the possibility of anchoring the site, although Kenney has declined to comment about the possibility.

But when a resident asked what would happen if a national pharmacy were to reject the site, Kenney said his company is open to other possibilities, such as a grocery store or large liquor store. Kenney said that his company is open to residents’ suggestions for the plaza.

“We are open to talking to anyone,” he said. “If you know of a retailer you think would work out here, let us know.”
 

Contact Robin Hartill at [email protected]