More development at Seaside??

**WhiskeyRiver** · 04-30-2007, 09:09 AM

My mom said there was an article in the Memphis Commercial Appeal yesterday (Sunday 4/29) re Seaside. Something about them tearing down the open air market and possibly closing and/or relocating Bud & Alley's? Has anyone heard anything about this and if so WHAT THE HELL?!?!

**John R** · 04-30-2007, 09:23 AM

surprised?

**Smiling JOe** · 04-30-2007, 09:27 AM

It has been in their long range plan for a long time. It sounded like it was going to happen fairly soon, then the sales slowed for a year or so, and that project has bumped back for a while.

**WhiskeyRiver** · 04-30-2007, 09:41 AM

No not surprised! Thx for info. I guess my dad was right, "they" are going to destroy the feel of 30-a, small beach communities, etc.

**Atlanta Bo** · 04-30-2007, 11:26 AM

The Seaside store has already re located over to that newly constructed eyesore and the word is that Bud and Alleys are soon to follow ( rumor -after this season ) It is starting to look more and more like Seahaven ( TS reference ) every day

**Pirate** · 04-30-2007, 11:37 AM

Those new 3.5m dollar condos sure are flying out the door. If they tear down the market area and Bud&Alleys there just won't be a reason to go there anymore. Greed is killing these people.

mf · 04-30-2007, 11:58 AM

this is a case of destroying what will make you REAL money. it's literally someone who doesn't understand the value of what they have and destroying the value.

condos by the beach are a dime a dozen. what's being done here doesn't bring big money, it cheapens the area. we just put our house on the market because we finally got an idea of what's being done here and if we're going to live in a place with urban development, then we're also going to need the infrastructure, business opportunity, culture and services that go along with that development in numerous other markets in the country.

honestly though, i've often had the thought that many of these developments are the result of people who are very provincial trying to guess what "rich people" like or misunderstanding successful marketing by trying to compete with other areas instead of exploiting what's special about this one.

at any rate, despite the fact that my family has lived in this region for 300 years, we figured out it's not worth arguing if that's what people really want, just move on and divest.

**BeachSiO2** · 04-30-2007, 02:07 PM

Hello all. I thought some of you might want to see what is being planned for the downtown Seaside area. As many of you may know, most of the buildings on the south side of the road and around Central Square were originally designed to be temporary from early on, more than 20 years. Changing these areas to be more urban was the plan in the beginning- these are not new plans. As a matter of fact the ones around Central Square were designed to be moved and are planned to go along the lyceum where the school is.

**Eli** · 04-30-2007, 03:22 PM

Let's not forget Seaside itself was created by developers, Robert Davis and some others I think... DPZ Development rings a bell. In other words it's not a town with a charter than goes back hundreds of years like most towns people are familiar with. So it does not surprise me that one devloper's creation will be modified by yet another developer. Like an earlier poster suggested, suits sitting in high rise offices like to pretend they know what the public wants.

Take Rosemary Beach for instance. Hello? Quakerville? I don't vacation on the Emerald Coast to feel like I'm up east on the Atlantic in search of my jacket. Rosemary Beach feels almost like a ghost town everytime I drive through it.

The only consistency 30-A has is sand from one end to the other. From Dune Allen to Inlet Beach... where's the consistency? Gulf Place and its retail area I call Tiny Town at 30-A and 393, to the Brick Yard beach-slum in Blue Mountain, to the quaintness of Grayton Beach, to the eclectic turd that is Watercolor, to the charm of Seaside, then to the Plymouth Rock known as Rosemary Beach... it's all chopped up! Seems all those developers know what people want.

Vacationers are creatures of habit. They like to return to places they remember because priceless memories are attached to their destination location. I remember blowing a gasket when I heard the Ramada Inn in Ft. Walton was bought out a long time ago. Now I think it's back to being the Ramada Inn. That's where I spent many a vacations as a teen back in the 70's. The same goes for Seaside with it's Modica Market, Perspicasity(?) and Bud & Alley's. Vacationers have a right to be concerned about change in Seaside. With every change comes a lost tangible place they can see smell and hear along with a distant memory.

I hold out hope that as long as there's a 40ft building restriction, and some agents have corrected me and told me it's 52ft, that large commercial condo developments will stay out of South Walton because they can't make a decent return on a three story building. When/if that restriction goes away, so will go the charm of 30-A. It's no accident the mondo-condo development stopped at Tops'l on the west and Bay County on the East.

Eli

**SHELLY** · 04-30-2007, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by BeachSiO2

As many of you may know, most of the buildings on the south side of the road and around Central Square were originally designed to be temporary from early on, more than 20 years. Changing these areas to be more urban was the plan in the beginning- these are not new plans.

Well that being the case....Seaside's "original" plans suck.

.

**Bob** · 04-30-2007, 08:23 PM

Originally Posted by BeachSiO2

Hello all. I thought some of you might want to see what is being planned for the downtown Seaside area. As many of you may know, most of the buildings on the south side of the road and around Central Square were originally designed to be temporary from early on, more than 20 years. Changing these areas to be more urban was the plan in the beginning- these are not new plans. As a matter of fact the ones around Central Square were designed to be moved and are planned to go along the lyceum where the school is.

Looks like someone wants to start a palm tree nursery! Does this not appear to be an attempt to upstage Watercolor?

**Smiling JOe** · 04-30-2007, 08:29 PM

Originally Posted by Bob

Looks like someone wants to start a palm tree nursery! Does this not appear to be an attempt to upstage Watercolor?

If these designs were created in the last 5 years, I'd say maybe, but as noted, these plans have been around for a while, and Seaside has never hid the plans from its owners and purchasers.

**Bobby J** · 04-30-2007, 08:42 PM

It looks like you will at least be able to see the beach from that corridor down the middle. Many developments along 30a would consider that way to valuable to property to leave open.

**Babyblue** · 04-30-2007, 09:07 PM

Originally Posted by WhiskeyRiver

My mom said there was an article in the Memphis Commercial Appeal yesterday (Sunday 4/29) re Seaside. Something about them tearing down the open air market and possibly closing and/or relocating Bud & Alley's? Has anyone heard anything about this and if so WHAT THE HELL?!?!

All true. Former director of operations for Seaside was a old college buddy of mine. That is my source but don't quote me on that, old buddy.

**Sandcastle** · 05-02-2007, 07:10 PM

This is taking place right in my "front yard" and I like it.

Don't forget, if Seaside had been developed like a lot of other projects SoWal wouldn't be what it is today.

**BeachSiO2** · 05-02-2007, 07:36 PM

Originally Posted by SHELLY

Well that being the case....Seaside's "original" plans suck.

.

I bet they've been hearing that for over 25 years!

At least back when they were told no one would come, the lots were too expensive, and what the he$$ are you doing out here! I'll wait until the final result to judge it.

**Lake Eastern** · 05-02-2007, 08:34 PM

Actually, there are newspaper articles from the late 1970's when the developers at Seaside avowed that nothing but the open air market would ever be built on the south side of 30-A and that the views of the Gulf of Mexico would not be interferred with as the town grew.

**Bobby J** · 05-02-2007, 09:30 PM

Originally Posted by Lake Eastern

Actually, there are newspaper articles from the late 1970's when the developers at Seaside avowed that nothing but the open air market would ever be built on the south side of 30-A and that the views of the Gulf of Mexico would not be interferred with as the town grew.

I have never heard this. I always understood the above plan would happen.

**Smiling JOe** · 05-02-2007, 10:53 PM

From looking at the plans, they are opening the view from 30A all the way to the Gulf, which they don't have now. It should also be noted that Robert Davis and his wife still own the open air market of Perspicacity (I never could spell that correctly, much less pronounce it).

**Miss Kitty** · 05-03-2007, 06:11 AM

Originally Posted by Smiling JOe

From looking at the plans, they are opening the view from 30A all the way to the Gulf, which they don't have now. It should also be noted that Robert Davis and his wife still own the open air market of Perspicacity (I never could spell that correctly, much less pronounce it).

Just call it Perspiration like I do.

**peapod1980** · 05-03-2007, 09:42 AM

Originally Posted by WhiskeyRiver

My mom said there was an article in the Memphis Commercial Appeal yesterday (Sunday 4/29) re Seaside. Something about them tearing down the open air market and possibly closing and/or relocating Bud & Alley's? Has anyone heard anything about this and if so WHAT THE HELL?!?!

http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/...509166,00.html