Several businesses along Gulf Boulevard in St. Pete Beach are facing an uncertain future after their landlord gave them two months to vacate the property.

  • Property possibly to become parking lot for neighboring hotel
  • One tenant, Washboard Beach Coin Laundry, has been there since the 1950s
  • Some tenants will move, others are going out of business

For the owners, the song lyrics "They paved paradise and put up a parking lot" take on a whole new meaning.

Their landlord has given them two months notice that they need to vacate the property. They also say the company plans to possibly use the land to build a parking lot for its Postcard Inn Hotel next door.

Caleb Jenkins owns the Washboard Beach Coin Laundry. He bought it almost 20 years ago, and said it's been at the same location since the 1950's.

"This laundromat means everything to me," said Jenkins. "It's my livelihood. It's what I do for a living. And where I'm going from here, I don't know."

"We weren't happy but we kind of saw it coming," said Kim Louvell, the owner of Lou's Florist, another business affected by the landlord's decision. "Still, we weren't really ready to go. i don't think any of us were."

Louvell says they were hoping to keep the flower shop in St. Pete Beach, where it's been for 60 years. Instead, they're renting a new space down the road in South Pasadena.

"I feel pretty lucky compared to my neighbors here," she said.

Other businesses affected include a surf shop, a consignment store, a photo shop and a tattoo parlor. Some said they will be moving to new locations, others said they plan to go out of business.

We did call a representative for the landlord. They could not be reached for comment.

Jenkins said it will cost him thousands of dollars to move all of the laundry equipment, and he's still looking for a place to go.

"Everybody is scrambling looking for places, and then all of the sudden everybody knows they're scrambling, and it's like all of the sudden things are starting to fill up," said Jenkins.