Foxy Bail Bonds moves back downtown

May 28--OCALA -- The era of buildings housing the Foxy Bail Bonds company painted hot pink may have come to an end. Sort of.

Robert Fox recently relocated his business to 214 W. Silver Springs Blvd., very near his brightly painted former site at the corner of the boulevard and Pine Avenue, which he abandoned a year ago.

That was when Fox moved to 2714 W. Silver Springs Blvd. and painted yet another building the glaring shade of pink that had city leaders seeing red.

There was such consternation that, this time, Fox was required to sign an agreement with the city that he not paint the new venue pink.

A letter from Tye Chighizola, director of the city's Growth Management Department, reads, in part: "Thank you for working with the city in continuing to make our downtown a great destination. We appreciate that you agreed not to paint any part of the exterior of the building pink and that you will repaint the exterior of the building at 2714 SR40 a neutral color once you move to the new location."

That former location is now a shade of medium brown. As of Friday morning, however, there still were hot pink concrete bumpers in the parking lot.

"I made an agreement with the city to not paint the building pink and they allowed me certain signage," Fox said of the recent move back downtown.

While the building is painted black, it is adorned by signage that is mostly definitely the pinkest of pinks.

"It's how people know me," Fox said of the signature shade.

Fox said the move was financial.

"I lost $350,000 last year by being at that office closer to the jail," he said. "I used to average $5.5 million in liability; last year it was $1.8 million. In actual revenue, I lost $350,000. That place was hard to get into. I have already written about $50,000 in bail in the last three days here. I was lucky to write $50K a month there. My new building is right across from the courthouse."

Fox also said he was impressed by what is going on in the downtown area.

"You know what the city is doing right, tearing down the old gas station and putting in a new gas station? And the new Starbucks drive-thru will wrap around the area near Feta. Who doesn't love Starbucks?"

In addition the vibrantly colored signage on the new site, Fox said he also plans to be a little over the top when it comes to the holidays.

"I plan to put decorations in those 10-foot windows for all the holidays," he said, "like department store windows up north."

Robert Hancock, the owner of Custom Golf Inc., shares the building with Fox.

Hancock said he had been there for six years and he was glad that the landlord got a new tenant. He said he was getting some news signs and that creating space for Fox's business had helped improve his own space.

"I've been here six years. I'm not sure how long he was on the corner, but we never met," Hancock said. "When we did meet, he seemed like a nice guy who's just trying to make a living. The more the merrier."

Hancock said there is no "synergy" between the two businesses.

"It doesn't bother my business at all. I don't think I'll get any of his clients," he said.

As for the pink building Fox formerly occupied on the nearby corner, Hancock said it was "a good way to give directions." But, he added, he is glad Fox's new building is "not as tacky."

Contact Susan Smiley-Height at 867-4121 or [email protected].

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