DAYTONA BEACH — The Halifax Humane Society just bought a piece of “paradise,” namely its purchase of the former sales center for the Latitude Margaritaville “55-and-better” community next door.
The nonprofit organization plans to convert the 8,152-square-foot former sales center building at 2400 LPGA Blvd. in Daytona Beach into a community veterinary hospital. The building is next to the Halifax Humane Society headquarters campus on the northwest side of the Interstate 95/LPGA Boulevard interchange.
The Halifax Humane Society, in a Facebook post, described its $2.9 million purchase of the building and the three-acre property it sits on as a “major milestone in our long-term strategy to expand access to affordable, compassionate veterinary care for pets and the people who love them.”
How did the Halifax Humane Society come up with the money?
The real estate purchase was made possible “through a generous restricted gift from the estate of an anonymous donor, who designated her legacy gift exclusively for capital projects that directly benefit animals at the Halifax Humane Society,” according to the news release.
“Many caring people and corporations were behind making this purchase a reality,” said Sean Hawkins, Halifax Humane Society CEO, in the news release.
Local attorney Jeff Sweet of Korey Sweet McKinnon & Simpson donated his legal services to compete the real estate deal on the Halifax Humane Society’s behalf.
Hawkins told The News-Journal on Monday, “The $2 million to renovate the building is also coming from the restricted estate gift that was left by the donor. It was specifically designated for capital improvement projects for the Halifax Humane Society so it’s not money that we can use for operating costs or to buy dog food.”
Hawkins said he did not know who the anonymous donor was, but said she was someone who had been involved with the Halifax Humane Society. The woman was a client of Daytona Beach estate-planning attorney Melvin D. Stack.
When is the vet hospital expected to open?
Construction and remodeling of the building to convert it into a “modern, state-of-the-art veterinary hospital” is expected to cost “upwards of $2 million” and is projected to take 10 months to complete, according to the news release.
The veterinary hospital’s anticipated opening date is late 2026.
What is the Halifax Humane Society’s mission?
Founded in 1937, the Halifax Humane Society stirred up controversy this past summer when it announced its decision to stop accepting dangerous animals beginning Oct. 1 into its animal shelter with plans to eventually stop taking in strays altogether.
In an op-ed piece published in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, Halifax Humane Society board president Mike Leonard and board vice president Nancy Lohman explained the reason for the decision: “Our commitment to accepting healthy, adoptable pets into our animal shelter remains unchanged. In fact, we will increase our capacity to care for and place adoptable pets as soon as this transition goes into effect this fall.”
“We can do this by reinvesting donor funds into programs that prevent homeless animals in the first place and strengthen our community overall. These programs include expanding our low-cost spay and neuter services for dogs and cats, launching a comprehensive lost pet reunification initiative, and operating a new community veterinary hospital to provide accessible and affordable veterinary care for pets across Volusia County.”
When asked about the planned veterinary hospital, Lohman on Monday told The News-Journal: “We were thrilled that our dream is coming to fruition that we will be able to expand our veterinary services in order to serve pet owners who are faced with the choice of surrendering their pets unless they receive help financially to provide medical services to their pets. It will be a service to those in our community who may not have the financial ability to pay for veterinary care.”
Hawkins told The News-Journal: “Halifax Humane Society has been able to purchase this building and over the course of the next 10 months we’ll be converting it to a veterinary practice where we’ll be able to provide reduced cost and free care to pet owners who aren’t able to afford private practice veterinarians. Our goal is to help people do better with their pets so they’re not faced with the choice of having to give up an animal simply because they can’t afford a vet bill.”
Why did Latitude Margaritaville close its sales center?
Latitude Margaritaville developer Minto Communities USA closed the center after it put the 3,763rd and last new home at the active adult community under contract in late April.
The sales center generated international news coverage — including reports in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and the “Today Show” — when it was built in 2017 because it marked the launch of the world’s first Jimmy Buffett-themed active adult community through a partnership between Minto and the global lifestyle brand licensing company for the singer-songwriter best known for his 1977 hit song “Margaritaville.”
Jimmy Buffett personally visited the Latitude Margaritaville sales center
Buffett, himself, visited the sales center in August 2017 to check out the nearly completed building. The opening of the center that fall drew hundreds of Buffett fans from around the country, who camped out overnight to be the first to place deposits on future new homes at Latitude Margaritaville.
Buffett, who died in 2023 at age 76, bought a house at Latitude Margaritaville although he never actually lived there. He did visit the community and introduced himself to residents on multiple occasions.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Halifax Humane Society buys former Daytona Margaritaville sales center
Reporting by Clayton Park, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
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