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Florida Newsmakers of the Year
Business - Florida Newsmakers of the Year
• THOMAS
GAFFNEY
Owner, Oldsmar Land Holding - St. Petersburg
 [Photo: Dan Gaye] |
Thomas Gaffney didn't revitalize the 600 block of Central Avenue in St. Petersburg alone, but his 1920s Crislip Arcade proved the lynchpin. Oldsmar Land Holding, which Gaffney leads, purchased the building in 2008. The Crislip, designed by the city's first professional architect, had been headed for a high-rise, mixed-use project until the economy ended those plans. With tenants gone, the property seemed destined to sit empty and decay pending a turnaround. Instead, Gaffney, at the urging of City Councilwoman Leslie Curran, renovated the property and leased the space to artists or art-related businesses for less than half the going rental rate.
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