Thuzi owners buy building, moving company to Gunn Highway

BUYER: Thuzi Investments I LLC, Tampa

SELLER: Regions Bank

PROPERTY: 7827 Gunn Highway, Tampa

PRICE: $1 million

PREVIOUS PRICE: $1.35 million, November 2006

TITLE FIRM ON DEED: Southern Title Services of Tampa Bay Inc., Lutz

PLANS, DESCRIPTION: The owners of Tampa-based Thuzi LLC purchased a 13,800-square-foot former day care building for $1 million.

The price equated to $72 per square foot.

Thuzi plans to relocate to the building and lease it from the company's owners. The company is moving from a short-term lease in a 6,000-square-foot suite at 12000 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa.

“They will be moving into half of the building now, and they will grow into the rest of it over the next year,” says Joseph Williams, one of Thuzi's owners. “They currently have 40 employees, but likely by the end of next year they will have 80. This is in a perfect location: close to the airport and downtown, and close to where most of the people in the business work.”

Thuzi is scheduled to move to the new building before the start of the new year.

The property also features additional land for the future development of a second building of 12,900 square feet. Williams, who is also president and CEO of Kimmins Contracting Corp., says the site also has enough parking for two buildings.

The 2-year-old Thuzi provides services to monetize Facebook and other social media outlets for businesses.

The purchase entity Thuzi Investments I LLC mortgaged the property to Platinum Bank for $1.28 million.