In debt to Art cont... 12-07-10

It was apparent that I was not going to make any progress in getting Rodney to deliver on what the sign promised. The unit is still vacant. I next questioned him about another building on the opposite side of the highway, about one mile south. The sign said "as is or build to suit." The building and parking fit my needs, so I asked him how much for the building as is. Mr Double Talk replied that no deal would be possible on the existing structure. It was to be torn down and replaced with a multi-unit structure but would be ready in just 60 days! I had not seen anything resembling a wrecking ball on the site, but Rodney assured me that I could sign a lease today and have one of the units. A sub shop had already commited to one of the units. A dry cleaners was about to commit! He was willing to work a great deal! He was giving it away! Art Van used to say that. Art's promises still ring in my ears to this day. But there was a Subway right next door. And I have never seen a dry cleaners anywhere near Siesta Key Beach. I told him thanks but no thanks. It has been well over a year since my direct encounter with Rodney the Real Estate Tycoon. One of his "agents", named Phil, approached me at the studio about two months ago. He had a great deal on a commercial unit that was about to go up right next door to me! Rodney had already torn the old building down. He said the new one would be completed by Christmas. A huge shoe store had already commited and would be a great anchor store. I thanked him and told him I had many months left on my current lease. Last week I learned that Rodney is bankrupt. The banks pulled all his credit lines. All of his properties are in foreclosure. If it weren't for Art erasing the last bit of faith I had in people, I might have stepped into a bit of a sticky wicket. THANK YOU Art, for making me distrustful of almost everybody! For current pics of the foreclosed units, see below.

Here's a shot of the second building that Rodney offered me. Note the lack of windows,
doors, and just about anything else one would need to move in. They stopped
construction completely in March of 2010.

Here's a pic of the site next door to me. It was to be move-in ready by Christmas!
Note the giant piles of rubble. Was my new studio supposed to be on top of the rubble or
beneath it?