CLEARWATER, FLA. — An affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies has purchased the Clearwater Collection, a distressed shopping center spanning 13 acres at 21800 U.S. Highway 19 N in the Tampa suburb of Clearwater, for $22.5 million. The 134,362-square-foot property is located adjacent to BayCare Ballpark, a city-owned baseball arena that the Phillies lease for its Spring Training operations, as well as its Minor League Baseball affiliate team, the Clearwater Threshers. Control of the underlying land affords the Phillies the opportunity to plan for future redevelopment near the park.
Michael Vullis of Avison Young was the court-appointed receiver of Clearwater Collection, which recently went into bankruptcy. Vullis and Avison Young colleagues John Crotty, Michael Fay, David Duckworth, Nick Robinson and Brian de la Fé represented the seller, an entity doing business as Clearwater Collection 15, in the transaction. Floor & Décor is the sole occupant of the shopping center and currently occupies 49 percent of the property’s leasable area.