Avison Young negotiated a new-to-market 10,500-square-foot lease at Tuttlebee Plaza at 3700 S. Tuttle Ave. in Sarasota, Florida, on behalf of the landlord, Kimco Realty Corporation. The new lease marks the first Southwest Florida location for Aqua-Tots Swim Schools, the world’s largest swim school franchise which serves over 100 communities in 14 countries.  The landlord representation team was led by Avison Young Senior Vice Presidents Nick Robinson, Jason Hurst, and Gavin Johnson. “The Tuttlebee Plaza shopping center offers its tenants a prime location within Sarasota’s central, most densely populated trade area,” said Robinson. 

The Tuttlebee Plaza is conveniently located between downtown Sarasota and the Palmer Ranch area, serving over 80,000 households within a 5-mile radius with an average household income of $86,000. Anchored by TJ Maxx and YouFit, the shopping center features superb visibility and easy access via Bee Ridge Road and Tuttle Avenue. The center also offers a total combined traffic count of over 50,000 cars per day. “There is an immense need for children, particularly in Florida, to learn how to remain safe in and around water,” said Lindsay Leary, who co-owns Aqua-Tots Swim Schools in Sarasota with her husband David. “Aqua-Tots has been the leader in the swim instruction industry since 1991, and we are thrilled to serve the Sarasota community with quality swim lessons and water safety education.” Kyle Mahoney and Jim Kovacs of Colliers International Tampa Bay and Mike Kumelski of NAI Horizon represented the tenant in the transaction.