![Dr. Maged Nashed holds an over-sized chess piece for his over-sized board at the Nash Plaza park. [RAMON RIOS/PRESS GAZETTE]](http://127.0.0.1/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ghows-DA-80fe16ec-61c1-4613-9606-44bbb9426814-c3cfd605-scaled.jpeg)
PACE — Dr. Maged Nashed, owner of Nash Plaza located at 4551 Watkins St., has announced the completion of construction on Phase II of the shopping center.
The new addition provides 9,000 square feet of retail space with six suites.
Using the same design and construction plans for Phase I, Nashed started building Phase II in January 2019. The first occupant will be Rock N Roll Sushi, scheduled to open in December.
The remaining spaces have generated interest and Nashed’s realtor, Neal & Company, is in contract negotiations with those businesses. Once contracts are completed Nashed will announce the names of the new tenants.
“When we first moved here, this area was a trailer park,” Nashed said. “None of this stuff was here.”
Nashed and his wife, Erin, who is also his business partner, saw the trailer park as a business opportunity.
The county’s explosive growth, especially in the section of Highway 90, between Pace and Milton, was a stroke of luck for Nashed. In 2015 he cleared the 3.79 acre property and started building his plaza.
Phase I was completed in 2016. Tenants include Domino’s, Taste Buds, Lucky Nails, a new weight loss clinic for Dr. Roman Bautisa, 9 Round, Edward Jones and Nashed’s practice, Renalus Kidney Care.
Nashed kept some of the trees on the property to build a park between the two buildings.
“I wanted a place where people can come and enjoy lunch,” Nashed said. “It’s a way to give something back to the community.”
The fenced park has tables and benches covered with large umbrellas. There is grass to lay out a blanket and have a picnic. There are two slabs of concrete that will have over sized chess and checker boards and a cornhole game.
Future plans are to put positive messages and words of encouragement on the benches and tables, even the huge chess and checker pieces. Nashed also wants a water fountain so people can hear the calming sounds of water while visiting the park.
The crowning piece to his park, Nashed said, is a functioning organ he bought at a garage sale.
“It’s my way of thinking outside the box,” Nashed said. “I’m always open to crazy ideas.”
Nashed hopes everyone uses the park, not just customers of the shopping plaza.
“Leave the world a little bit better than you found it,” Nashed said.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: ’Leave the world a little bit better than you found it’