Government Street scuba store property going up for sale

Editor’s note: This story has been clarified since its original publication to better reflect the desire of Underwater Adventures to remain at its long-time Government Street location.
The property on Government Street that’s home to scuba shop Underwater Adventures is hitting the market, retail store manager Suzanne Foret confirms.
Underwater Adventures owner Mark Smith has decided to sell his property after 27 years in business, Foret says. The current plan is to have the successful scuba shop remain open at the location, though that could be impacted by terms of the land sale.
Will Adams, who is listing the property along with Bobby Box of Property One Inc., says details on how the property will be marketed have yet to be finalized, but the objective is to do a sale-lease-back investment deal.
Smith is recovering from injuries he got in a motorcycle accident in May and is doing well, Foret says, adding his decision to sell comes in part because it is physically more difficult for Smith to maintain the property’s three buildings.
In a Business Report Executive Spotlight feature in 2012, Smith said he decided to open the full-service dive store after running a commercial diving business, teaching in and around Baton Rouge and also diving commercially in Venezuela. He opened the store at its current location in 1991.