Ezra Deal Dead, But Plan For Incentives Lives On

A plan to lure to downtown Bradenton may be dead, but the idea of economic incentives for future downtown tenants lives on.

A controversial $250,000 incentive package aimed at relocating the West Bradenton restaurant fell through this week as owner Donna Eason backed out of the deal, the Bradenton Herald reported Wednesday, saying she was concerned the backlash might hurt her business.

Downtown Development Authority board chair Will Robinson said his organization has "taken a step back from the Ezra matter" but soon plans to roll out a restaurant and retail incentive program aimed at bringing more businesses downtown.

— in which the DDA agreed to cover $150,000 in construction costs and provide another $100,000 in rent subsidies for the eatery to move into the SunTrust Building, 1001 Third Ave. W. — irked some area business owners and City Council members, who said the availability of incentives .

The Ezra incentives were contingent upon the restaurant owner signing a lease with the SunTrust Building's owner, 3rd Avenue Associates.

Ron Allen, a managing partner in 3rd Avenue Associates, said he was "disappointed" the deal fell through but that his group has had talks with another party interested in leasing first-floor space in his seven-story building for a restaurant.

"We hope maybe in the next 30 days or so we may be reapplying to the DDA again," Allen said, adding that he thought it would take a package similar to the one offered Ezra Cafe to bring an established restaurant downtown.

Councilman Bemis Smith said despite some of the ill will created by the Ezra deal, his desire is "not to give up on the incentive program, but to find a way we can, in effect, institutionalize it."

"I just want to say, at least from my side, we're open for business," Smith said.