The new owner of the Pines Trailer Park has spoken.
Louis Najmy of the Najmy Thompson law firm released a statement on Sept. 8 on behalf of island developer and businessman Shawn Kaleta regarding the purchase of the mobile home park at 103 Church Ave., Bradenton Beach.
The announcement was much-anticipated — and the owner highly speculated — since the announcement in January that the park owners intended to sell.
The statement read: “Prime Vacations, founded, built, and run by local entrepreneur, Shawn Kaleta, is proud to announce it has orchestrated the purchase of Pines Trailer Park, one of the most unique island waterfront parks in Florida and on Anna Maria Island.
“The new trailer park operation company intends to keep the property as a trailer park to provide the community with a broad spectrum of island living options and with mutual benefits with Prime’s other operations that have helped the local island communities grow and succeed in positive ways around our natural resources that are enjoyed by the public and our community at large.”
Najmy was unable to say if residents of the 87 park units would see any change in park rents or fees.
Mobile homeowners in the park had received a notice May 8 regarding an offer from an unknown entity seeking to purchase the park land and amenities.
The owner, the Jackson Partnership, with Richard and William Jackson as officers, had listed the park land for sale on Jan. 25 for $16 million.
The notice, prepared by attorney David A. Luczak on behalf of the partnership, said they were considering an offer that included a price of $16,250,000 for park-owned land, mobile homes, recreational vehicles, equipment, materials, vehicles and buildings.
The offer, according to the May notice, included an initial nonrefundable deposit of $1 million from the buyer within three days of execution of a purchase agreement and allowed a 45-day period of due diligence before a contract would be finalized.
At the end of due diligence, the buyer would deposit another $1 million.
As required by state law, the park owners first offered the property to the homeowners for purchase.
But negotiations failed after the homeowner’s association was unable to fund the purchase.
The park is one of two on the island. The other, the Sandpiper Mobile Resort Co-op, 2610 Gulf Drive N., Bradenton Beach, is owned by its shareholders.
Historical references date the 2.785-acre Pines park, which abuts Sarasota Bay and the Historic Bridge Street Pier at the base of Bridge Street, to 1935, when it also served as campground to winter families and transients.
Kaleta, with associates, owns and operates multiple businesses, including a real estate brokerage, vacation rentals, motels, restaurants and management companies on AMI.
His plans in Bradenton Beach include a partnership in a resort proposed for the southeast corner of the Bridge Street-Gulf Drive roundabout, just a short walk from the bayfront trailer park.