Chris Brown spent his late 20s hanging out at the Beach Club in Siesta Key village, enjoying the vibe of the live music and the heady atmosphere.
The memories were so strong that, when he got the chance earlier this month, he spent about $4 million to buy it.
"It's a very special place," said Brown, 40, an automobile wholesaler in Bradenton. "The Beach Club has two great operators, and it's synonymous with live music, and that will continue.
"We may even push the concept a bit."
Not everything will remain the same, though. Brown is already formulating plans to add a covered observation deck to the 6,050-square-foot club and restaurant at 5151 Ocean Blvd.
The 60-year-old Beach Club was one of two properties Brown picked up on Aug. 4 from former owner Richard Dear. He also bought a 6,000-square-foot commercial plaza across the street that houses the China Dragon restaurant, the Tropical Breeze resort offices and a day spa, for roughly $3 million.
There, Brown is planning to spend about $300,000 to give the plaza a face-lift of sorts. He intends to retain the existing character.
Beyond his own properties, Brown is contemplating contacting surrounding owners to discuss forming a bar and restaurant association to better promote the key and its amenities.
"The idea would be not to take away from the charm of the village, but to enhance it," said Brown, who came to Sarasota from Milwaukee more than a decade ago.
Though the Beach Club is the first building he's acquired that is occupied by a restaurant, Brown is no stranger to Sarasota real estate.
He also owns some commercial space near Marina Jack's downtown; a pair of residential lots in the Arlington Park neighborhood, near Sarasota Memorial Hospital, which he plans to develop; and Siesta Key Storage, on Old Stickney Point Road.
The Beach Club and the plaza were two of five Tropical Breeze properties that Dear put on the market for $37 million in February in an effort to spend more time on his boat.
David Jennings, the SKY Sotheby's broker who represented Dear in the transaction, said with the sales, only two of the five Tropical Breeze elements remain on the market -- a 10-unit complex and an 11-unit complex. They are listed for sale at $4.5 million and $5 million, respectively.
The final Tropical Breeze component, 42 rental units, are being converted to "fractional" condominiums, Jennings said.
Regus Group debuts in Courthouse Centre
Seven months after penning a deal for an impressive 20,000 square feet in Courthouse Centre downtown, the Regus Group Network has opened its executive center on the building's seventh floor.
In addition to 73 furnished offices, which can be rented from three months to three years, Regus Group also provides videoconferencing, meeting space, a lounge, staff support and other business-related amenities in a Class A setting.
"We liked the location, and the footprint meets our business model," said General Manager Robin Nixon, who joined Regus in January after stints with Michael Saunders & Co. and Comcast.
Regus Group's space ranges from $500 per month -- for a 100-square-foot office -- to $3,500. "Virtual offices," where tenants receive their own phone number and related services, cost $225 a month, for up to 16 hours.
Nixon said the cost is competitive because Regus Group pays for cleaning, utilities, phone service and other expenses.
She adds the space will likely play well with attorneys, real estate professionals and financial services executives who travel frequently and often need an office or meeting space only intermittently.
In all, Regus Group operates in more than 350 cities in 60 countries, with 19 sites throughout Florida. Tenants are allowed to use any Regus Group office throughout the world.
"We make it as easy as we can for people to come in, plug in and work," Nixon said.
Courthouse Centre, a nine-story, mixed-use building at 1900 Main St., was completed in May 2005.
In addition to Regus Group, the $22 million project's other office tenants include law firm Dunlap & Moran P.A. and accounting firm Kerkering, Barberio & Co.