TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. — Thirty years of business material sits inside a trailer in Tarpon Springs.
What You Need To Know
- Shannon Seal says Seal Swim School's rent was raised 700%
- Seal Swim School has taught tens of thousands of kids in the Tampa Bay area
- Total Fitness, the company Seal was renting the pool space from, declined to comment on rent increase
“We had to relocate, we don’t have a pool yet," said Shannon Seal, owner of Seal Swim School. "However, we did secure office space at this office complex here.”
Seal is working with her team to unload those 30 years into this temporary space after she said the business' rent at Total Fitness in Palm Harbor was raised by 700%.
“I was prepared for an increase, however this was very short notice," she said. "We had been basically negotiating a new lease since before the beginning of the year, and it would have been nice to have known this further in advance."
Seal Swim School has taught tens of thousands of kids in the Tampa Bay area since Seal’s mother opened the business using an above-ground swimming pool in their yard in 1979.
Soon after, they found their home at Total Fitness.
Seal said the location was recently taken over by new owners, and because of the rent increase, she has a month to find a new location for the nearly 1,500 families enrolled for the spring season.
“Drowning is the No. 1 leading cause of accidental death in children under four," she said. "That right there, those statistics, should tell you how important Seal Swim School and swim lessons should be for our community."
Seal said she needs the community, and the community needs Seal Swim School.
“We know we’ll find a home — we have absolute faith that this will turn into something that is such a wonder venture, such a wonderful thing," she said. "We think it’s going to be better than it’s ever been."
Officials with Total Fitness Palm Harbor declined to comment on the situation.
Seal said that anyone who thinks they might be a good fit to house the new location should visit the Seal Swim School website.