It was a 12,000-square-foot building that had sat empty since it was built in the Twelve Oaks Plaza eight years ago.
Upon seeing the inside for the first time, Roger Clough said it was so empty you could roll a bowling ball from one end to the other.
But Clough, who had moved in June to Polo Run in Lakewood Ranch, knew it would be perfect.
Clough and his wife Robin opened Discovery Point Child Development Center Dec. 8. The building now will be an education center for as many as 240 students ages 6 and under.
The couple, who lived in upstate New York all their lives, most of it in Massena near the Canadian border, had searched Florida to find the perfect setting for their Discovery Point franchise. They found the Lakewood Ranch area to be perfect.