Bradenton Beach businessman Jake Spooner is getting closer to revealing plans for the vacant Wells Fargo bank building, 5327 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach.
The property, which operated as a bank from the 1960s — originally opened as Island Bank — and then as several national banking institutions until 2020.
Spooner, a former Bradenton Beach commissioner, purchased the 1.83-acre, two-lot commercial property that includes the bank building July 10, 2023, for $4,750,000.
The bank structure will remain but it’s possible the site won’t be used as a bank next time around.
Spooner told The islander Feb. 20 that he’s working to get his ducks in a row on the project and he’ll submit paperwork to the city before sharing plans for the space.
“The civil engineer is still tightening his end up and maybe within a couple of weeks we’ll be ready to submit to the city of Holmes Beach,” Spooner said.
Chad Minor, Holmes Beach director of development services, said Feb. 20 that a city demolition permit approved Jan. 19 is specific to the interior of the building.
“It’s not the intent of the demolition permit to remove the structure itself,” Minor said. “Our understanding is that they are going to keep the bones of the bank. There’ll be a new user in there, but the building is not going to be removed.”
Minor said as of Feb. 20 the city had not received plans from the owner on refurbishing or building out the space.
Spooner also is a partner with developer Shawn Kaleta on the planned Bridge Street Resort in Bradenton Beach.