Flamboyant developer Jonathan Daou sues franchisee over delayed North Ward School project
A legal battle has begun over St. Petersburg’s defunct North Ward School, with a flamboyant developer taking a struggling franchisee to court after it pulled out as anchor of the shopping center project on Fourth Street North. Self-described “creative real estate investor” Jonathan Daou bought the site on 327 11th Ave. N from the Pinellas County School District in January 2014 – promising to reuse, repurpose and not “tear down” the school.