Sea Tow Venice plans to build permanent office and storage facility on U.S. 41 Bypass S.

VENICE – For the last eight years, Craig Marcum has run Sea Tow Venice out of a spare bedroom at home.

In 2021 Venice Sea Tow was named the top franchise in the U.S. and in 2022, he purchased 601 U.S. 41 Bypass S. with a plan to build an actual office and a small storage facility.

Residents can get a first look at that proposal during a neighborhood workshop, set for 5 p.m., May 23, in the Venice Police Community Room 1575 East Venice Ave. Venice.

“We have run our business basically out of a home office and leasing some warehouse space for parts and supplies since we’ve owned Sea Tow Venice,” Marcum said.

Marcum and his son Cameron work with about a half-dozen other captains aiding boaters on as many as 1,000 calls a year – though as much as one-third of that may be handled with a phone call.

They will also aid public safety officials in removing everything from boats to crashed airplanes from the Gulf of Mexico.

The company earned national notoriety earlier this year when it removed a deceased 44-foot-long sperm whale that beached itself to die near Venice’s Service Club Park.

A video Marcum captured of tiger sharks feasting on the carcass later went viral, as did an unrelated video of a great white shark’s encounter with another boat near the carcass.

A permanent business location

Sea Tow has owned the parcel on U.S. 41 Bypass South for a couple of years but progress was slowed when the architect hired to design the business retired without completing drawings.

Marcum said the current footprint calls for two separate 5,000-square-foot buildings, with Sea Tow’s office and adjacent warehouse space for indoor storage and maintenance on the company’s boats set back from the road.

The 5,000-square-foot commercial building fronting U.S. 41 Bypass South would be sublet for office use.

The type of tenant is yet to be decided.

The neighborhood workshop is an opportunity for neighbors to learn about the proposal. The now vacant lot is on the southeast corner of U.S. 41 Bypass S. and Pineland Avenue.

It is being hosted by Wessel Construction at 5 p.m., May 23, in the Venice Police Community Room at 1575 East Venice Ave. Venice.

For more information, contact Steve Kelle at 941-365-1145 or steve@wesselconstruction.com.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Learn about proposed Seat Tow building at May 23 neighborhood workshop