Tallahassee’s troubled Northwood Centre may have a new lease on life. The property’s court-appointed receiver thinks there’s hope for renewal.
After contaminants including mold and bat guano were found in the north part of the former shopping mall, the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation moved out last year and the property faced foreclosure. Now Bruce Lyons, senior managing director of Orlando-based Crossman and Company has been named by Leon Circuit Court as receiver. Lyons said the top priority now is to keep the largest remaining tenant, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, on site and paying rent.
“I think that really goes a long way toward stabilizing the whole center – not just the south end – but opens up options for the north end as well that we’ll be looking at later this summer once we have a game plan.”
At least for now, Lyons said wholesale demolition of the mall, although still an option, doesn’t appear inevitable or even desirable.
