Jax restaurateur Scott McAlister acquires downtown St. Augustine site
Property records in St. Johns County show that the owner of the former Scarlett O'Hara's site in downtown St. Augustine is Jacksonville restaurateur Scott McAlister.
The transaction occurred on April 5. The properties at 70 and 66 Hypolita St. were sold to an LLC registered to McAlister for $3.95 million. The seller was 46 Avenida Menendez Inc., which is registered to St. Augustine businessman John Arbizzani.
Scarlett O'Hara's was a longtime business in the city that closed last year. Next door was Dos Gatos, which also closed.
The space will be redeveloped as a new restaurant concept, but McAlister wasn't ready to share details when contacted by the Business Journal.
"We are grateful for the opportunity to be a part of one of the greatest communities and cities in the country," McAlister said in a message to the Business Journal. "And (we) are looking forward to re-opening this local gathering place. Thank you John Arbizzani, (real estate agents) Jena Baker-Dennis and Sammy Hale for making this happen."
McAlister is well-known in the local business community for his various ventures. Among his projects is The Phoenix Bar & Bowling on Blanding Boulevard. He is also the owner of The Garage, Rogue and theLOFT in Riverside.
He also purchased the building that once housed the Financial News & Daily Record at 10 N. Newnan St. for $915,000 in 2019.