'A huge step up': St. Andrews' Toy Box strip club torn down; officials, businesses celebrate

Samantha Neely, The News Herald
·4 min read

PANAMA CITY — Panama City children no longer will ask why they can't shop at the Toy Box near the eastern base of Hathaway Bridge.

The strip club was demolished on Wednesday morning as city officials, owners of surrounding businesses and residents celebrated the tearing down of the eyesore.

The Toy Box, located at 4606 W. U.S. 98, ceased operations in December after almost 40 years, making it available for Jason Meyers of Meyers Electric LLC to purchase the building. Meyers said he plans to build a three-story, multi-use office building in its place. Meyers said no tenants have been secured at this time.

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The Toy Box is ripped apart to make way for an office building near the eastern base of the Hathaway Bridge.
The Toy Box is ripped apart to make way for an office building near the eastern base of the Hathaway Bridge.

Construction is expected to start toward the end of the year.

Joshua Street, city commissioner for Ward 4, said demolition of the Toy Box was a significant day for the community, kicking off a major cleanup for that part of the city.

City Commissioner Josh Street, right, stands with buyer Jason Meyers as demolition of the Toy Box begins on Wednesday morning.
City Commissioner Josh Street, right, stands with buyer Jason Meyers as demolition of the Toy Box begins on Wednesday morning.

"We have always said, and I think we have as a community, to really build back better than what we were before. And so, we've made that commitment post-storm, and this is just another representation of that," Street said. "And so, here in the future will reside a multi-story office building, and we're very excited to help them support private investment in our community, to Highway 98 become a gateway corridor into the city."

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While the section of U.S. 98 has seen immense growth and success with the Port of Panama City, Gulf Coast State College and Florida State University Panama City, Street said city officials want to see an improved gateway to Panama City.

A three-story, multi-use office building will be built on the property where the Toy Box sat for about 40 years.
A three-story, multi-use office building will be built on the property where the Toy Box sat for about 40 years.

When Street swung his sledgehammer into the side of the building to kick off the demolition, he truly was bringing this area into a new era.

"Change is never easy, and we couldn't do it without fantastic partners, like Meyers Electric, which ultimately was the investor into this property that helped us develop this building today," Street said.

As the excavator slammed into the small blue structure, residents and business owners cheered watching the walls tumble down and the letters break off the side of the building. A few popped the cork on a bottle of champagne while others filmed the destruction on their phones, discussing what this means for the future of the area.

Spectators watch as a man hops out of his truck to grab the fallen "T" from the demolished Toy Box building on Wednesday.
Spectators watch as a man hops out of his truck to grab the fallen "T" from the demolished Toy Box building on Wednesday.

Central Panhandle Association of Realtors CEO Debbie Ashbrook said she was grateful to watch the longtime neighbor of her office come down. While her office would close hours before the club would open at 7 p.m. each night, Ashbrook said she did not like the presence it had.

"We've been waiting for this. I've been following this property for quite some time, as well as the hotel next door that was a byproduct of the strip club, the hourly hotel," Ashbrook said. "Of course, the hurricanes took that down, so this whole thing is changing and so we are happy that this is part of the change and grateful to Meyers Electric for investing."

Ashbrook and her company have been investing in the section of the U.S. 98 since 2016, despite many advising them not to. She said even after Hurricane Michael and the COVID-19 pandemic, she feels very good about her investment.

"I'm extremely happy. I mean, we are the hub right here at Bay County," Ashbrook said. "You have two colleges, and you have the port, and we are the real estate center of Bay County. We're just very grateful now that that gets to come true. We are the hub of Bay County."

Across the street from the Toy Box, Papa Joe’s restaurant was affected by the unwanted traffic from the club at night. Papa Joe's manager Rich Johnson said seeing the eyesore come down was exciting.

"It's just showing growth, it's showing that we want this town clean," Johnson said. "This is such a huge step up and right across the street from us, we want it as much as, if not more than, anybody."

Johnson said he has met Meyers, and believes Meyers will do great things for the community.

"He's going to clean everything up and I think they are going to do a great job," Johnson said.

As he strives to improve his ward, Street said this transformation is a major step in improving the representation of the city and giving it a better look overall.

"When people drive across the bridge, this is one of the first buildings they see," Street said. "No longer, and that is a positive step for our community and for generations to come."

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City Toy Box strip club demolished; office building to be built