Investors with ties to Sarasota law firm buy Fort Myers office building for $9.4 million

FORT MYERS — A pair of Sarasota companies with close ties to a prominent local law firm have bought an office building in Fort Myers.

The investors, CheapChard LLC and Bling Bling LLC,  paid $9.4 million for the 46,000-square-foot building — called the Six Mile Corporate Park in a sales flyer — at 12140 Carissa Commerce Court.

According to Florida’s Division of Corporations, CheapChard LLC’s address is listed as 3700 S. Tamiami Trail Suite 200 in Sarasota. That is the same address as Berlin Patten Ebling PLLC, a law firm specializing in real estate.

Bling Bling LLC, which is also listed as a buyer in a press release announcing the sale, does not appear in the state’s business database. However, Lee County property records list Bling Bling Properties as the owner of record. It’s address on the county’s website is the same Tamiami Trail address for Berlin Patten Ebling.

Evan Berlin, a founding partner at the firm, did not respond to a voicemail seeking clarification on the law firm’s role in the two companies and the transaction.

Nick DeVito, a partner at Ian Black Real Estate in Sarasota, represented the buyers, according to the press release. He says the investors first began looking at commercial real estate in the Sarasota market but eventually expanded the search to other areas in the state “to take advantage of the higher yields."

“Currently, an abundance of wealth is moving into the Sarasota and Bradenton markets and driving down CAP rates to the lowest point in decades,” DeVito says in the release.

The office building was 97% leased at the time of sale. Its roster of tenants includes Wells Fargo Advisors, CRE Consultants and Frank Jenkins Custom Homes. Nearly 1,500 square feet is currently available.