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YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
CALLS OF DUTY Learn what Key police do during . a 12-hour shift. PAGE 3A
OUR TOWN + Blown transformer leads to outages Lightning caused a transformer to blow late Saturday night, leading to power outages the next morning for several businesses at the Centre Shops of Longboat Key. Florida Power & Light repaired the transformer around 10 a.m. the next morning, and though most of the shops in the area aren’t open on Sundays, Blue Dolphin Café owner Rob Ball was unable to serve breakfast and lunch crowds Sunday because of the loss of power. Ball said his business’s computer systems and air conditioning was affected by the outage, although he never lost power to his refrigerators. Lazy Lobster owner Michael Garey was also affected, however, he was able to open for business as usual at 11:30 a.m. He said the Lazy Lobster’s air conditioning, refrigeration, hood fans and lobster steamers weren’t working when he came in that morning to open. “When I came in Sunday morning I had no clue what happened,” Garey said. “It was a minor inconvenience for us but nothing major.”
FREE • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2014
DIVERSIONS
LABOR DAY
Writer Su Byron says her story isn’t worth telling. She’s wrong. PAGE 15A
Regatta puts wind . in Sarasota Sailing. Squadron’s sails. PAGE 21A
primed for battle
by Robin Hartill | Managing Editor
‘WHATEVER IT TAKES’ Unicorp President Chuck Whittall is prepared to spend $35 million and five years to redevelop the Colony Beach & Tennis Resort.
What does Unicorp own at the Colony? Nothing — yet. Unicorp National Development Inc. has an agreement to purchase Colony Lender LLC’s resort assets. Unicorp will close on the purchase after undisclosed legal milestones. Colony Lender and Unicorp also argue that they own a recreation facilities lease on the 2.3acre property, however, the Colony Beach & Tennis Association contends that Colony Lender only owns real property. How did Colony Lender acquire its property? Colony Lender previously purchased overdue bank loans on the Klaubercontrolled properties, including an 80% interest in a 2.3-acre recreational property, from Bank of America for a rumored $4.5 million, followed by a 15% interest in the 2.3acre property. It won a judgment of more than $14.3 million in a foreclosure trial, then, placed the winning bid of $15,200,001 in a July auction to become 95% owner of the recreational property and 100% owner of the other properties.
Photos by Robin Hartill
Chuck Whittall’s office suite at Unicorp’s Orlando headquarters is filled with project plans and pictures of developments, along with his many “toys,” such as model airplanes and boats, an autographed Orlando Magic shoe and an “Iron Man” helmet.
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Ed Chiles starts the Ice Bucket Challenge.
+ Chiles Group takes ice challenge Staff at two Chiles Restaurant Group eateries recently participated in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge that’s gone viral in recent weeks. Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub’s staff was the first to complete the challenge. They challenged Chiles Restaurant Group owner Ed Chiles, who took the challenge at the Sandbar. As of Aug. 29, BeachHouse was the only Chiles Group restaurant that hadn’t completed the challenge — “no pressure, hint, hint,” as the restaurant’s blog at groupersandwich.com put it.
COLONY CASE, SIMPLIFIED
huck Whittall has never tall, president of Orlando-based vacationed at the Colony Unicorp National DevelopBeach & Tennis Resort, ment, came to the Key in search sipped a cocktail in the Monkey of a waterfront residence for Room or attended a beachfront himself. (He purchased a unit wedding at the resort. at the Aria condominium that’s So, when he saw slated for complePROFILE the shuttered Gulftion in fall 2015.) front resort a year During one of his Chuck Whittall, and a half ago, he trips to the area, president of didn’t see fond Whittall ran into an Unicorp National memories, longacquaintance, MorDevelopment held grudges or sevgan Bentley, who is Age: 48 en years of litigaone of about a dozen Hometown: Winter tion. He didn’t see attorneys involved Garden its storied history with the case, and or its colorful list told him he wanted Family: Wife of of past guests that to buy the property. 26-and-a-half years, Ronna; included President Bentley put Whitdaughter, Riley, George W. Bush, Autall in touch with 12 drey Hepburn and Colony Lender prinO.J. Simpson. He cipals David Siegal saw opportunity. and Randy Langley, “I never stayed there, never who own a 95% interest in the knew anything about the Klau- recreational property and 100% bers,” Whittall said. “I looked at of Dr. Murray “Murf” Klauber’s it as a blank slate.” former office and the restaurant It was early 2013, and Whit- complex, along with Andy Ad-
ams, who owns approximately 30% of units and the remaining 5% interest in the 2.3 acres. Whittall stood out to Siegal among the myriad developers who have sought to redevelop the Colony. “In the past, I felt that tire kickers were present,” Siegal said. “We needed a developer who has a checkbook. We need a developer who has stamina and can put up with strong personalities, not somebody who expects to be greeted with
What is the recreational facilities lease? Until October 2008, unit owners paid $650,000 annually for use of the tennis courts and other recreational facilities at the property to Klauber and other leaseholders. Whittall and Siegal say that the 99-year lease came with the property Colony Lender foreclosed upon and that unit owners owe $5.1 million for unpaid taxes and rent and could face future liabilities of $42.3 million.
SEE WHITTALL / PAGE 4A
INDEX Briefs....................4A Building Permits...27A
Classifieds......... 30A Cops Corner....... 10A
Crossword.......... 29A Neighborhood.... 21A
Real Estate........ 26A Weather............. 29A
Vol. 37, No. 5 | One section YourObserver.com