With the housing market in dire straits, landlords are ready to try just about anything to move units. One complex, The Arbors At Branch Creek, has been struggling, but has a new strategy of creating a clothing-optional area, the Tampa Tribune reports:
Eden purchased the property three years ago with a condo conversion plan in mind. It encompasses 76 acres, half of it undisturbed wetlands, on West Hillsborough Avenue between Race Track and Sheldon roads.
Then, said Pirkle, "The market went in the toilet and nothing was selling."
Eden came up with a new strategy, "to set us apart from the thousands of other condos out there," she said. "We have two fabulous swimming pools here. We are taking one of them, building cabanas and lush landscapes, and completely privatizing it and it will be clothing optional."
One frustrated current Arbors At Branch Creek tenant wrote in to Consumerist, complaining that current residents weren't consulted before ownership made the apartment complex a nudist haven:
Sam says he's spoken with the office manager, who's promised that tenants who don't want to publicly explore their sensual sides will be able to break their leases without penalty, but he's worried, as there are lots of children and teens in the community. We browsed around on Eden's website (and we strongly encourage our readers to do the same, because it's hilarious), and we were shocked to find out that even the animals are naked.
Another Arbors resident worried about kids living in the complex being surrounded by nudists:
"Every morning this is where the school bus picks up 10 or 15 kids," resident Leslie Hill said. "They are going to have a European style, clothing optional pool. No, that's not appropriate for the family lifestyle that lives here."
The apartment complex will have to comply with nude laws by putting in high fences or hedges to ensure privacy.