Developer behind Ferg's buys downtown Tampa office building
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Dec 2, 2014

Tampa developer Jay Mize has acquired an empty downtown Tampa office building for $1.225 million.

Mize, who owns restaurant concepts Ferg's in Channelside and Irish Pub 31, closed on the 7,600-square-foot building at 203 N. Marion St. on Nov. 26, according to Hillsborough County property records.

Mize said Tuesday that he plans to renovate the building, though he doesn't have any immediate plans for redevelopment. The building is across the street from the SunTrust Financial Centre. "It's more of a long-term plan see what happens to the area around us," Mize said. "We saw it as a great opportunity to get almost an 8,000-square-foot building on a third of an acre with 32 on-site parking spaces."

Jane Levin, a senior director with Cushman & Wakefield of Florida Inc., represented the seller in the transaction - a Dunedin investor who paid $740,000 for it in 2006.

Built in 1947, the building is vacant. Mize said it was too soon to put a dollar figure on what he plans to invest in the building.

Mize recently formed Tampa Development Group, a full-service development company focused on multifamily, single family, retail, hotel and office development.

Ashley Gurbal Kritzer is a reporter for the Tampa Bay Business Journal.