After years of planning, the start of Port Charlotte’s new downtown begins June 21, when part of Promenades Mall, 3280 Tamiami Trail, will be demolished. It will make way for Promenades at Parkside, a walkable neighborhood that will eventually house hundreds of apartments, a boutique hotel, restaurants and offices.
The owner’s representative, Amal Elbahnasawy, said the public is invited to the wrecking ceremony and groundbreaking event at 10 a.m. Sledgehammer-wielding Charlotte County commissioners will strike the first blows to the wall between Fantastic Sams and Le Nails & Spa.
That area will be completely opened and demolished, allowing a walkable pathway with access to storefronts located behind the wall.
Remaining at Promenades Mall will be a Winn-Dixie supermarket, but since Aldi purchased the parent company of Winn-Dixie, it’s unknown whether the store will be rebranded to Aldi, Elbahnasawy said.
Talks are ongoing with retailers, one of which might be an anchor store, Elbahnasawy said.
The development sits on 26 acres with 230,000 square feet of commercial space.
Elbahnasawy said Promenades at Parkside is meant to be a place where people can live, work and enjoy leisure activities. The public, too, can experience various shops, restaurants and outdoor spaces.
On a much larger scale, Promenades at Parkside is returning to what it once was in the 1970s, when the old Promenades Mall was a gathering place with eateries selling ice cream and candy, a movie theater, pharmacy and shops.
Mobstah Lobstah and Simply Greek food trucks will be in attendance after the ceremony, and tenants will set up tables in front of their stores, offering sales and promotions.
Owners of the newest businesses in the area, Smash It Shatter & Splatter Rooms and Heart & Sole Dance Center, will also attend the event. Both are in the process of finishing interior work.
Liza Maitland, owner of Heart & Sole for 10 years, said she had to relocate from her studio near Ollie’s in Port Charlotte due to the pandemic. She rented a much smaller studio in Punta Gorda, but because of its size she could only teach children there.
Now, she can return to teaching adult dance classes, as well as children when she moves into her new 2,400-square-foot studio. She’s awaiting the final inspection and is completing furnishing her studio.
Next door to Heart & Sole is Smash It, a unique concept created by the wife and husband team of Kyle and Jason Myers of Charlotte County.
Kyle Myers previously worked as a mental health case manager and wanted to start a business that provided stress relief.
At their 2,400-square-foot location, for $35 to $45 per person, one can smash and destroy an array of objects in one of three rage rooms, while others can splatter paint all over in one of two splatter rooms.
Smash It will be open to the public Fridays through Sundays, and Mondays through Thursdays are reserved for private parties and celebrations. There also is a reception room where private party hosts can bring in their own food and beverages.
Kyle Myers said that for now, she and her husband will be cleaning up the aftermath of the destruction.
