Venice firm buys marina for new HQ

VENICE — Freedom Boat Club LLC purchased the Tarpon Center Marina at 996 Laguna Drive, Venice for $1.31 million.

The Venice-based members-only boat club has been leasing the 1/3-acre property for the past decade, according to John Giglio, president and CEO of Freedom Boat Club.

“It's been for sale off and on during that period, but we had the opportunity to buy it in March and decide to jump at it,” he says. “We've had three locations in Venice, our home office [on Tamiami Trail], this Laguna Drive location and a third club at MarineMax. We plan to close our [leased] home office and remodel the Laguna Drive property to be the new headquarters for Freedom Boat Club.”

The new owner plans to start the renovations this month with the goal of having the company in its new home office by June. The 2,296-square-foot building at Tarpon Center Marina will be roughly the same size as the boat club's existing offices, but Giglio expects the renovated space to be more efficient. The existing building can also be expanded later with a second story.

The property also includes 20 boat slips.

“When you get away from the clubs you lose a little bit of the connection, that's why we're trying to get back on the water and near our facilities,” Giglio says. “It's one of the only waterfront pieces of property on the water in the city of Venice. This secures our club in Venice for many years to come.”

Freedom Boat Club purchased the marina from Tarpon Center LLC, which has owned it since October 2001.

The purchase entity Gulf View Marina Holdings LLC mortgaged the property to BankUnited NA for $525,000.