New Life for Beach Theatre?

St. Pete Beach Theatre Sold After Sitting Vacant for Nine Years

By Gabrielle Reeder

The Beach Theatre on Corey Avenue in St. Pete Beach may be back from obscurity.

Hendrik Bisanz, broker for Seasalt Properties, knew the theater was a worthwhile investment as soon as he came across the listing. He pitched the purchase to Scott Commercial Holdings and together they bought the theater for $652K on August 11.

Bisanz said, “We simply put a good offer together and luckily got the deal.”

After watching the iconic theater, built in the 1930s, sit shuttered and vacant for years, Robert Williams, owner of the Swigwam Bar across the street, said he is happy to hear that the theater has sold.

“I think the fact that it finally got on the market, finally sold… It’s a great time. It’s better than it sitting there doing nothing. So, who knows? Maybe they’ll sit on it for another

six years and then sell it again, or maybe they’ll develop it into an entertainment venue, or some sort of venue,” Williams said. “That’d be great. My opinion is anything they can do there would be fantastic for Corey Avenue.”

The old theater had been vacant for nine years when former owner Michael France shuttered the building. He passed away shorty after.

Bisanz is mum about future plans at the site for now, noting that they first have to perform a series of inspections on the old building.

“As for the plans for the theater, there are ideas,” Bisanz said. “It’s too early to share anything.”