Brown buys downtown Sarasota Firestone

Prolific investor Chris Brown continues to rack up downtown Sarasota properties with a $1 million purchase on Main Street.

Last week, Brown bought Firestone Complete Auto Care at 1710 Main Street from Bridgestone Retail Operations LLC, the company that operates Firestone, Tires Plus and Wheel Works stores, among other brands. The 13,400-square-foot property, which was last assessed at $983,100, sits across the street from Main Street Square and Il Panificio.

Brown purchased Smokin’ Joe’s in November, and Fit2Run opened at the beginning of this year at 1400 Main Street, in a building Brown bought for more than $2 million in 2013. He acquired the adjacent parcel from Harry Walia using a land swap for one of his properties on Siesta Key.

“Downtown is growing,” Brown said in a recent interview with the Sarasota Observer. “People come to Main Street for Main Street.”

Brown and his business partner Mike Granthon have also been expanding their holdings on Siesta, with the purchase of the building housing Siesta Market for $2.8 million. With the Market center acquisition, Brown and his partner own almost all the properties located at the intersection of Ocean Boulevard, Canal Road and Avenida Messina.

“We do love the Key,” Brown said. “There’s something about that island.”