Entrepreneur seeks a physical presence

A commercial development project worth up to $15 million that could bring a Canyon Ranch-like medical spa destination to the Sarasota-Manatee region is close to coming together.

Jim Abrams, who built Sarasota-based Clockwork Home Services into a $215 million company, is the lead force behind the proposed project. The medical center, says Abrams, would be the corporate headquarters for Fyzical, his latest business, which is a nationwide network of franchised and branded physical therapy centers. The center would also include a spa, a holistic health center, a physical therapy floor, a nutritional restaurant, and a fitness center that focuses on full-body exercise, not only muscle building. (See Business Observer, April 5.)

Abrams talked up the medical center at an event for local physicians held June 28 at the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota. Abrams tells Coffee Talk he's narrowed down the possible locations for the project to two: one is in a mostly rural area, while the other is near a major retail center.
A possible downtown Sarasota location has been eliminated from contention, and Abrams now hopes to have an official site chosen within the next few weeks. “I think people will come here,” says Abrams, “and if not spend a day, at least spend a few hours.”