This little boomtown an hour south of Tampa is rocking. The information listed here does not include beach properties, which are booming as well. This is all in and around downtown.
http://www.grandpoint.com/aerials/015347-R4-5A.jpg

TO help you get your bearings a bit, look at the picture below (not the best, but it will do). First, on the far right is a little purple building right on the water - that is the Van Wezel Perfroming Arts Center. It marks the general area of the Arts District. as you go inland straight from there there is a condo - that is also the Arts Dsitrict. As you move left, you begin to hit downtown. The main area of downtown is where the bridge comes in and the cluster that moves inland from there. Just right of that you will see two cleared lots, those are for 100 Central and Five Point - this is where density will shoot up soon. Downtown extend all the way to the bottom of the picture and beyond. IF you follow the bridge, you see a small peninsula shooting out to the left - that is Godlen Gate.
http://www.harshmanrealestate.com/resources/photo-large-top.jpg

Here's what I know to be under construction:
Cityscape at Courthouse Centre (residential, commercial, and I think a few offices). The building is actually L shaped, but the rendering does not show that clearly. well out of the ground.
http://imgsrv.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=SH&Date=20031003&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=310030317&Ref=V2&Profile=1002&MaxW=580&title=1


Plaza at Five Points (residential, retail, and offices) THis is 18 stories at the main intersection in downtown, across the street from 100 Central. those tow buildings help frame a nice little park. This is out of the gorund as well.
http://imgsrv.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=SH&Date=20031010&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=310100711&Ref=V2&Profile=1002&MaxW=580&title=1

Viasta Bay Point (on Golden Gate - a booming little peninsula near downtown) This is pretty much complete.
http://newhomes.michaelsaunders.com/admin/editor/upload/VistaBay_rendering.gif

Grand Riviera (also on Golden Gate)
http://www.floridays.net/assets/images/grandefront.jpg
http://www.4sarasotahomes.com/images/Grande-Riviera.JPG :eek2:

Grand Point (also on Golden Gate)
http://www.4sarasotahomes.com/images/GrandPoint.jpg

Sarasota Herald Tribune Offices (this is on Main Street - my favorite office building is in this shot). I have not seen a rendering of this building so I can't really say much about it, but it is being built as I write.
http://photos.heraldtribune.com/images/fb_sara/preview/8/2/2/0/228.jpg

100 Central (formerly Whole Food Center). About 13 floors. THis is actually a very big project that takes up about 2-3 blocks in the middle of downtown and effectively spreads the good areas off of Main Street for a few blocks. It is hard to explain, but this project connects a number of development areas in downtown. It is also well under way and, with Five Points, creates a nice little crane cluster at the moment.
http://www.onehundredcentral.com/images/gallery/model_001_650.jpg

http://www.onehundredcentral.com/images/gallery/model_002_650.jpg

http://www.onehundredcentral.com/images/gallery/model_003_650.jpg

http://www.onehundredcentral.com/images/rendering_522.jpg

There may be others under construction (I know there are townhouses under construction), but I am not sure, so I will list them a proposed.


PROPOSED

Ringling Square (offices) - downtown
http://imgsrv.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=SH&Date=20040602&Category=BUSINESS&ArtNo=406020474&Ref=AR&Profile=1200&MaxW=580&title=1

The Savoy (condos) - Downtown
http://www.savoyonpalm.com/bin/site/px/left_building.jpg

1350 Main (condos, retail) - in the middle of downtown near the Five Points - this will contribute greatly to crazy density in a small area
http://imgsrv.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=SH&Date=20040509&Category=REALESTATE&ArtNo=405090523&Ref=AR&Profile=1201&MaxW=580&title=1

Plaza Verdi (all manners of things) - right in the heart of downtown as well. I bleive it actually is only 10 stories
http://imgsrv.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=SH&Date=20040528&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=405280309&Ref=AR&Profile=1270&MaxW=580&title=1

Kanaya (conds and retail) on the other end of downtown, but downtown nonetheless (
http://www.kanayacondos.com/apt.jpg

RivoRingling (condos) - Downtown (15 fl)
http://www.4sarasotahomes.com/images/Rivo/Rivo.jpg

The Quay - this area way recently bought by an Irish Developer. It presently has an office building, a Hyatt and lots of Condos around it. He says he wants to spend $1billion (yea, ok) to redevelop it. We shall see.
http://imgsrv.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=SH&Date=20040128&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=401280544&Ref=AR&Profile=1002&MaxW=580&title=1
http://imgsrv.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=SH&Date=20040306&Category=BUSINESS&ArtNo=403060465&Ref=AR&Profile=1270&MaxW=580&title=1

Metropolitan (condos) - Downtown (sort of) on the way to Golden Gate
http://www.themetfl.com/images/Final-Index-Layout-Changedp.jpg

Bellisara (condos) - Golden Gate
http://www.sarasota-properties.com/hs-labellasara.jpg

Allinari (condos) - Arts District
http://newhomes.michaelsaunders.com/admin/editor/upload/AlinariRendering.gif

Braodway Promenade (condos) -Arts District (sort of -there is an area between the Arts Dsitrict proper and Downtown that is run down and slated for a number of these projects. Most projects I list in the arts District are in this area)
http://www.coldwellbankeratlanta.com/Newhomes/maps/286.gif

Marquee (townhome, lofts sort of this) - Arts District
http://www.davidbarrhomes.com/images/marqueeenville.jpg

The Boulevard (condos retail) - Arts District
http://www.4sarasotahomes.com/images/Downtown/boulevard.jpg

San Marco (condos, etc) -Arts District
http://www.4sarasotahomes.com/images/Downtown/SanMarco.jpg

Casa de Mayo (condos, etc) -Arts District
http://www.4sarasotahomes.com/images/GoldenGate/Casademayo.jpg

Bump. Still a work in progress, but you can look.



City sues to end height limits

The restrictions prevent the construction of a 90-foot-tall concert hall.


By LISA RAB lisa.rab@heraldtribune.com


SARASOTA -- A city attorney has filed suit in circuit court to end height restrictions that Florida West Coast Symphony officials have called an "enormous obstacle" to building their new concert hall on the bayfront.

The City Commission offered to file the suit in July as part of a deal to keep the symphony downtown.

If Sarasota wins a declaratory judgment in its favor, the symphony would be allowed to build a 90-foot-high hall in the bayfront cultural district.

The symphony is not considering any other sites for the project, Executive Director Joseph McKenna said last week.

In his complaint, filed Friday, city attorney Mark Singer argues that the 2001 agreement that created the height restriction is no longer valid.

The agreement -- signed by the city, symphony, and developer of the Renaissance of Sarasota condominiums -- gave the symphony permission to build several structures on the bayfront, including two that would be up to 68 feet tall.

But those buildings never were constructed, and their site plan expired. The city contends that the height restrictions also have expired, and the symphony should be able to build a hall that reaches 90 feet, as an earlier agreement allowed.

Sarasota Renaissance II believes the 2001 agreement is still valid, according to the complaint. Height restrictions protect views from the 16-story Renaissance tower.

Two Renaissance condo owners last summer vowed to fight the city's suit. One of the owners, Terry Owen, on Monday said he had not seen the city's complaint and needed more information before responding.

"I want to take a good, hard look at it, and then we'll go from there," Owen said.

Charles Bubeck, Renaissance condominiums association president, wouldn't comment either, saying the association's lawyer hadn't seen the complaint.

Last modified: October 28. 2003 12:00AM
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Dublin developer buys Quay; plans for $1 billion revamp


BY KEVIN MCQUAID

SARASOTA -- A Dublin, Ireland, real estate developer has bought the Sarasota Quay complex and is planning as much as $1 billion worth of redevelopment on the valuable downtown land.

Developer Patrick Kelly's $60 million deal for the 10.5 acres on the waterfront caps two years of negotiations with the Quay's Toronto-based former owners.

Kelly's Irish American Management Services Ltd. intends to raze the existing Quay buildings dating to 1985 and replace them with a mixed-use project containing condominiums, hotel rooms, office and retail space.

In all, Kelly said, his preliminary development plan calls for 1.5 million square feet of commercial and residential space on the Quay property, at a cost of $750 million to $1 billion.

"We have the sense that Sarasota's time has come," Kelly said Tuesday. "It's so beautiful, and there's a lot there in our favor. I think our timing couldn't be much better."

The Quay plans have become the largest redevelopment project proposed in a city with more than $1 billion in commercial construction already under way or planned.

Within the next two years, new high-rise towers are expected on First Street near City Hall; along U.S. 41 north of Boulevard of the Arts; and at Five Points near Selby Library.

Various new projects are also being considered from Gulf Stream Avenue to 10th Street, including a $100 million condominium tower called The Metropolitan and a 1,600-seat symphony hall.

"There's no other single project that could work as the glue to bring the whole redevelopment of downtown together," said Bruce Franklin, president of local architectural and land planning firm, The ADP Group, which is working with Kelly on the Quay plans.

Construction on the new Quay could begin in 2006 and take five years or longer to complete, depending on what eventually is built there.

Kelly, 59, added he is open to the idea of placing Sarasota County's proposed conference center on the Quay property, if city and county officials would agree to lift height restrictions or offer other incentives.

City zoning regulations would now permit up to 500 condos, 500 hotel rooms and 100,000 square feet of retail and office space on the property. The zoning rules limit construction heights to 180 feet.

A consultant is expected today to tell the county commissioners that a conference center of up to 200,000 square feet at a cost of $65 million is feasible.

Conventions, Sports & Leisure's report favors the Quay property for the center over a 40-acre tract at the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport because the airport lacks nearby hotels and other amenities.

"It's an opportunity to create value for the city," Kelly said. "It would be to everyone's benefit if it were to happen."

Kelly and Franklin stressed, however, that their current plans for the Quay property are tentative and could change drastically over time.

"The key will be to get people out of their cars and make it easy for them to relate to the ground, with cafés and stores," Kelly said.

Kelly's partners in the Quay redevelopment, his first project in the United States, will be John Walsh and John McCabe, both of whom are also residents of Ireland.

Irish American's purchase ends an often troubled, tumultuous decade at the Quay, known in recent years for vacancies and as the spot of the notorious In Extremis nightclub.

Kelly, who was not yet in control of the property, closed the club in July 2003 by buying out its lease. In Extremis had developed a well-earned reputation for parking lot brawls and disturbing nearby residents.

Nearby property owners said they are excited about the prospects of a new Quay.

"The redevelopment of the Quay is long overdue," said Charles Githler III, a partner in the group that owns the 297-room Hyatt Sarasota hotel.

"That they're starting from scratch there isn't a surprise," Githler added. "A mixed-use project there is the highest and best use for that property. I'm delighted."

As part of the ownership change, Sarasota Quay Inc. Chairman Rene Gareau will no longer be involved with the property. Kelly has named Gareau's son, Jeffrey, as executive managing officer for the redevelopment.

Gareau's group had owned the Quay since 1989, when it bought the property for about $23 million, according to Sarasota County property records.

Kelly has been developing property in Europe for four decades.

He and related companies he controls own and manage more than two dozen hotels, including the 200-acre Tulfarris Hotel and Resort near Dublin, and the 60-room Comfort Inn Talbot Street, also in Dublin.

In the coming year, he plans to introduce the Days Inn and Wingate brands to Ireland.

Kelly's Premier Business Group also is Ireland's largest serviced office center owner, with a portfolio of 16 centers in Dublin and Belfast, according to the company's Web site.

In addition, he has developed apartments and helped transform Dublin's once-blighted financial district into a modern urban center.

Kelly's most ambitious redevelopment project to date in Dublin is the Smithfield Market, where he is constructing 900,000 square feet of commercial and other space.

"We're used to bigger projects," Kelly said. "We like them."

Last modified: January 28. 2004 12:00AM
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County wants city involved in center

But some Sarasota County commissioners question the value of a new conference venue.


BY KEVIN MCQUAID

SARASOTA -- The Sarasota County commissioners endorsed a proposal for a conference center that could cost $65 million.

They also agreed that they need to involve city officials in the planning.

County Administrator Jim Ley said he spoke to Sarasota City Manager Michael McNees about the project on Monday, and that the city commissioners also favor a conference center somewhere downtown.

Conventions, Sports & Leisure International Inc., the consultant, said the region could support a 140,000-square-foot to 200,000-square-foot center.

Such a center would pump $27 million annually into the local economy, create 700 jobs and smooth out seasonal dips in tourism, the consultant suggested.

"This has the potential to play an integral role in your economic development efforts," CS&L partner John Kaatz told the commissioners.

The project could cost anywhere from $36.4 million to $65 million.

The commissioners questioned the full economic impact of a conference center, especially one that would require a $650,000 annual operating subsidy.

"The numbers in question are difficult to understand," Commissioner Nora Patterson said. "We need to know how much does tourism bring to the area because of a conference center? If it's a 2 percent increase, that's quite a big difference from 30 percent."

Kaatz also discussed potential funding, including resort and food and beverage taxes.

"The visitor industry would largely pay for this," Kaatz said.

Katherine Klauber Moulton, president of The Colony Beach and Tennis Resort, said the county should consider expanding the number of funding sources.

"I don't think we want to raise taxes to the point where we hurt our business or customer base," said Moulton, a member of the county's Tourism Development Council.

The commissioners and county officials also cautioned much work remains ahead.

"We should definitely continue studying this, but I don't want anyone to jump to the conclusion that we're going down that line," said Commissioner Shannon Staub.

"There are many other emerging questions that need to be answered," Ley said.

Last modified: January 29. 2004 12:00AM
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Some more articles for the archival part of this thread....


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Quay plans point to city's boom


Real estate market observers say investor interest in Sarasota is aided by U.S. economic forces and demographic changes.

BY KEVIN MCQUAID


SARASOTA -- Six years ago, city officials decided to spark redevelopment on North Tamiami Trail by selling its derelict Mission Harbor property.

To generate interest in the 11-acre tract, city planners sent out some 250 information packets to real estate developers and builders nationwide.

But Sarasota hadn't yet ascended into the real estate stratosphere. Nor had it experienced skyrocketing property values, the way Naples or Palm Beach had.

When the deadline came, Sarasota had received just five responses. Developers, it seemed, weren't interested in Mission Harbor, or the city's $3.1 million asking price.

Less than five years after the Georgia-based Wynnton Group Inc. completed the first Renaissance tower on the site, Sarasota is flush with projects, investment and proposals.

"The market now is completely different than it was then," said John Harshman, president of commercial real estate brokerage Harshman & Co. Inc. "We were just really coming out of the recession of the early 1990s, which was devastating to real estate."

The most high-profile proposal in the city's 100-year history emerged last week, when Irish developer Patrick Kelly completed a $60 million purchase of the Sarasota Quay.

Although Kelly's plans aren't yet firm, he has floated the idea of building between $750 million and $1 billion worth of condominiums, hotel rooms, office space, stores and parking on the Quay land.

Real estate market observers say Kelly's plans represent a culmination of investor interest in Sarasota, a progression aided by economic forces and demographic changes nationwide.

"Interest rates were a lot higher five years ago," said Ian Black, president of Ian Black Real Estate, a Sarasota brokerage firm. "And interest rates are one of the major keys -- they make it easier for builders to borrow money and easier for buyers to acquire property."

Black and others also point to the series of increasingly upscale developments such as the $100 million Ritz-Carlton Hotel and the $100 million Sarasota Bay Club retirement community that have furthered investor interest and recognition of Sarasota.

"We all knew the impact that the Ritz-Carlton would have," Black said. "And it has. It happened in Naples, and now it's a mirror image of that here."

"Sarasota has come a long way, and the Ritz-Carlton has made a big difference in this community," said Richard Zipes, the Fort Lauderdale developer behind the $100 million Metropolitan condos under construction at 1 N. Tamiami Trail, adjacent to the hotel.

Since the 266-room Ritz-Carlton opened in November 2001, developers have constructed or proposed more than $1 billion in new development downtown.

Those projects include the 16-story Metropolitan; the 17-story Plaza at Five Points; the 11-story Whole Foods Market Center; the nine-story Courthouse Centre at Main Street and U.S. 301; and a three-story headquarters for the Herald-Tribune, at 1741 Main St., all of which are under construction.

Developers have also proposed projects that will add a 17-story condominium tower adjacent to Renaissance; $85 million worth of residences and boat slips on a 7.6-acre tract at the Sarasota Yacht Center; a $30 million, mixed-use project that will result in apartments, a Publix supermarket and the new Broadway Bar on 10th Street; a 17-story residential tower with ground-floor retail at Main Street and Palm Avenue; and a 13-story condominium building at Ringling Boulevard and Osprey Avenue.

Those in local real estate say Wall Street ups and downs have also played a role in Sarasota's boom.

"A tremendous amount of money was made on Wall Street in the 1990s," Harshman said. "But the stock market decline that followed scared a lot of people. As a result, a lot of money is now flowing into hard assets, like real estate."

Harshman said aging, wealthy baby boomers who both inherited large sums of money and earned unprecedented amounts throughout their careers have also fueled Sarasota's climb.

Black agrees with Kelly, who said last week he thinks Sarasota's "time has come."

"The great challenge for us now will be not to miss the opportunity that's being presented to us," Black said.

Last modified: February 04. 2004 12:00AM
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Lakewood Ranch -- send in the clones


BY MICHAEL POLLICK

aerial
http://www.castosoutheast.com/images/lwrplan5.jpg

renderings
http://www.castosoutheast.com/images/lkwdmain2.jpg

http://www.castosoutheast.com/images/buildgssm.jpg

LAKEWOOD RANCH -- At the moment, the other Main Street, the one planned for Lakewood Ranch, is 23 acres of weeds sloping down to Lake Uihlein.

True, a town hall is sprouting steel wings from a concrete block base, but that's about all you can see, except on the planning board.

The lake, at least its western side, is a mile-long, mined-out shell pit, but on its way to becoming the view for millions of dollars in condominiums.

The condos, especially the recently unveiled "WaterCrest" to the north, are selling on the notion that they're "within walking distance" of a Main- Street-in-the-making.

The fever is such that the builder, Homes by Towne, has held three successive lotteries this year to determine who gets to spend as much as $550,000 to become a WaterCrest owner.

It's a sign that Lakewood Ranch is maturing.

A plan to turn vast bucolic tracts into a suburban city of 50,000 that, 10 years ago, raised some eyebrows, is starting to chip away at not only the traditional population centers of Southwest Florida but also its culture.

No longer just muscling home sales, Lakewood Ranch is pulling in the kind of amenities that its burgeoning population demands: a dinner theater, a movie house, restaurants and shops.

Those will further boost the development's primary aim: selling thousands of homes to retiring boomers and well-to-do professionals.

An eye-soothing avenue of stores and eateries, reminiscent of Disney World's Main Street but more practical, will soon spring up from the weeds.

In some ways, it will mirror Sarasota:

An eight-screen arts movie house run by the Sarasota Film Society, a pioneer of art films in downtown Sarasota at its Burns Court Cinemas.

A dinner theater operated by Bob Turoff, whose Golden Apple Dinner Theatre on Sarasota's Palm Avenue, has served prime rib to the tune of "Singing in the Rain" for three decades.

A gourmet grocery store and a restaurant operated by the people behind Morton's Market and Fred's restaurant on Osprey Avenue near Hillview Street in Sarasota.

"It is like an amalgam of Burns Court and the Hillview District all thrown into one place," said Dick Morris, managing director of the film society.

You could rough out the cost of the two shopping districts, Main Street and San Marco Plaza, at $50 million, but for Lakewood Ranch's parent, Schroeder-Manatee Ranch Inc., the name brands being transplanted are priceless.

"I think their idea has been, 'Let's get the things that seem successful on a local basis in Sarasota and clone them,'" said Kerry Kirschner, executive director of the Argus Foundation, a Sarasota-based public policy foundation that numbers many Southwest Florida executives as its members.

"I think it is ingenious, both on the part of Lakewood Ranch and the merchants who are going out there."

Solid planning

Sitting in a conference room at Lakewood Ranch Realty, John Swart uses a felt-tip pen to delineate where the Main Street district will fit into the map most people know.

"People still really don't have a clue how big this project is," said Swart, the company's vice president for commercial sales. "We try to soft-peddle that because it is a 20-, 30-, 40-, 50-year project."

Swart's been in on the planning and the wheeling-and-dealing going on east of Interstate 75 in Manatee and Sarasota counties for a decade.

Lakewood Ranch is 28,000 low-lying acres owned since 1922 by the heirs to the Schlitz Brewing Co. fortune. It wasn't until 1993 that they started planning the development of the ranch, long the home of cattle, tree and sod farming.

They hired the best planners and salesmen they could, including Swart and Englishman Roger Postlethwaite, and charged them with turning the site into a city.

The property is so big that it runs three interstate exits: University Parkway, State Road 70 and State Road 64 to the north. Roughly, the property is 8 miles long by 6 miles wide.

The acreage where most of the homes and businesses are, between I-75 and the 8-mile- long Lakewood Ranch Boulevard, is what most people think of Lakewood Ranch, but that's only a third. The majority, to the east, just hasn't been used yet.

The mix in the visible third includes corporate clients such as FCCI Insurance. They've swelled the development's work force to 8,200 this year and a projected 12,300 by 2006.

Visiting with Swart infrequently makes him seem like a magician waving a wand over flat swamp land and turning it into headquarters, homes and prize-winning golf courses.

But the real process is arduous and tedious. As he unfolds the latest plans for Main Street, Swart notes that it's the 59th version.

He started Main Street's evolution with a memo to Postlethwaite back in 1998 suggesting it was time to get the shopping district on the front burner. He then visited places that were, at that time, standard-setters for quaint downtown design: Park Avenue in Winter Park and Celebration, Disney's created- from-scratch suburban village near Orlando.

Retailers look at populations within a ring around a potential store to help them decide whether there is enough of an audience. Those figures for Main Street are impressive.

In a five-mile radius, there are 22,000 homes. At 2.5 residents each, that's 55,000 people. Conservatively, there will be 28,000 homes by mid-2009, or a population of 70,000.

Adding to Lakewood Ranch's allure is that Sarasota County has, for the most part, banned commercial construction east of I-75.

Partly because of that prohibition, "All those folks out there really have nowhere to shop," Kirschner said.

More prospects

Stan Appel, who's developing San Marco Plaza, is working the phones and the meeting circuit for his development.

His 7-acre property, even the parking garages, is supposed to evoke the 800-year-old architecture of the project's namesake, the Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy.

Appel's already looking to add more tenants.

"We are trying to finalize an Imax theater on our site," Appel said. "We do have two banks vying for the corner there. What it comes down to is, they have to accept our Venetian facade design."

While residents and visitors have known for a long time that a big shopping-and-entertainment component was coming, SMR executives have kept the details close.

San Marco was announced on Feb. 18, and the film society news came out last week.

The excitement is luring residential prospects, an ideal situation for someone selling a 180-unit condo project.

Alan Boiko recently sold a home at River Club, close to Lakewood Ranch's orbit. Now he's scouting a new place. Hearing about Main Street, he's back visiting the condo center run by Homes by Towne.

Boiko went in looking for a brochure and found that the sales staff couldn't even provide firm pricing for units to be sold by lottery within two weeks.

After three successive lotteries, the sales people haven't decided how high to boost the prices this time.

In the first round, prices on 36 units ranged from $346,000 to $461,500. The second, broken into two lotteries, saw 18 units go for $401,000 to $537,000, and the next 18 from $403,500 to $549,200.

"Crazy, ain't it?" Boiko quipped.

Ripples

With 4,050 homes already built, Lakewood Ranch is a population center in its own right.

The growing community, and the marketing that surrounds it, is making ripples, jacking up property values outside its borders as well as within.

"What Lakewood Ranch did is bring people east of the interstate," said Rick Bader, a salesman for CountreeWide Realty who's been selling in this rural section of Southwest Florida for 13 years.

Before the ranch's first subdivision, Summerfield, was built starting in 1995, "people would drive out past the Interstate on 70 or 64 and go 'Why do I want to be way out here?'"

Bader's company just began selling heavily wooded sites called Twin Rivers, a few miles up a country road from State Road 64.

They're proving so popular that the developer is having to hold drawings to decide who buys. When Phase One was an instant sell-out, Phase Two prices were bumped up.

The first lots, sold last summer, were in the $50,000s and $60,000s. Another 110 lots, the second phase, are to be sold Saturday afternoon for from $60,000 to $82,000. They'll be divvied out only among those who've signed up in advance and are willing to post a downpayment on the spot.

As Main Street and San Marco Plaza shape up in Lakewood Ranch, it's becoming clear that the center of gravity of both Sarasota and Manatee counties are being pulled east by the muscular development.

Last year, SMR officials tried but failed to convince the Florida Symphony Orchestra to uproot and move east.

But the two entertainment venues that plan to make the leap showed that other important cultural institutions have fewer qualms, or, perhaps, that they at least want to have their feet in both the downtown camp and the eastern frontier.

Golden Apple managers will establish an eastern beachhead within San Marco and the Sarasota Film Society, with 4,800 members, will trump its downtown three-plex Burns Court by hosting eight screens at Lakewood Ranch.

The two companies jointly developing Main Street, SMR and Casto Southeast, invited the film society to come play.

"They asked us and we absolutely jumped at the opportunity," said Morris, the society's managing director. "I'm thrilled that they asked us."

Last modified: February 29. 2004 12:00AM
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Planners push for a shadier, more livable downtown

By LISA RAB
lisa.rab@heraldtribune.com
SARASOTA -- At the corner of Main Street and Central Avenue, a 16-story tower featuring street-level retail shops below offices and condominiums is taking shape.

One block west, at Main and Palm Avenue, a developer plans 17 stories of shops and condos. A similar mixed-used project is planned behind Sarasota News & Books, near the same intersection.

The three projects are signs of a transformation that city planners hope will spread along Main and Palm.

The idea is to make downtown an attractive place to live and work, with enticing storefronts and shaded sidewalks.

The city's planners want the City Commission to adopt a new zoning code this spring to encourage mixed-use developments and require street-level retail establishments with shaded sidewalks on Main Street, North Palm Avenue and Central Avenue.

The code would create new mixed-used development zones and set design standards for new buildings on all major downtown streets.

If approved by the City Commission, it could lead to the rezoning of more than 1,800 properties, and eventually change the look of downtown.

How much of that transformation should be regulated by the city -- and how much should be left to developers -- is the subject of some debate.

City planners are seeking "a degree of visual harmony" downtown, deputy planning director Michael Taylor said. "We don't want every building to look identical."

But some business owners and architects say the new rules will promote contrived, Disney-style design.

"They're playing architect and they shouldn't be," said Brad Gaubatz, past president of the Gulf Coast chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

Andres Duany, a Miami-based planner the city hired several years ago to create a downtown master plan, called for a walkable city where residents could live, shop and work downtown.

In the code city officials are considering, that translates into rules governing building materials and the shapes of windows and rooftops for every new development on a major downtown street.

Ground-floor retail businesses shaded by awnings, galleries or columned overhangs would be required on Main, North Palm and parts of Central.

The amount of glass allowed on the outside of some buildings would be limited, and windows facing major streets would have to be vertical or square.

"If you're looking to create a retail environment, the thought is you'd like to have a covered street," Taylor said.

Gaubatz and other architects agree with the pedestrian-friendly idea, but don't want to be told how to do it.

"We're suggesting you say what you want to accomplish. You don't say how to accomplish it," Gaubatz said.

Duany's "smart growth," anti-sprawl plan includes a mix of residential and commercial development.

To help concentrate more intense development in one downtown core, the planners decided to replace the approximately 20 downtown development zones with four mixed-use zones.

Under the new zones, most of the area north of Fruitville Road would be designated for residential development, with height limits of three stories.

Along the bayfront, mixed-use developments of up to 18 stories would be allowed, while in the core of downtown, those developments would be capped at 10 stories. In a so-called edge zone, such as along Fruitville Road, buildings would be limited to five stories.

Robert Seth-Ward, who owns Churchills Furniture store on the north side of Fruitville at Lemon Avenue, is caught in the middle of the proposed zoning change.

Under the proposal, Fruitville -- a four-lane street now lined with antique shops, thrift stores, bank parking lots and assorted other commercial developments -- would become the dividing line between the center city and downtown neighborhoods.

Seth-Ward's property, purchased for $1.8 million two years ago, straddles the line between the two zones.

Seth-Ward said a prospective buyer knocked his offer down from $4 million to $3 million because of that. Since then, Seth-Ward said, he has spent $8,000 hiring an attorney and land planner to protest the new code. He's sure there are others like him.

"If they do it, it's unconstitutional; it's un-American; it's unfair," he said.

Churchills is not the only property that would change.

On the south side of Fruitville, one- and two-story thrift shops could eventually be replaced with 10-story developments. On Lemon Avenue, just north of Seth-Ward's land, antiques stores, a new coffee shop, a tire store and an auto repair store would be zoned residential.

If the code is adopted, planners are proposing to rezone all the properties at public hearings beginning this fall. Existing businesses like Seth-Ward's could stay on the land, but if they were to sell or expand they would have to be converted to residential uses, Taylor said.

"The idea was to paint a picture of change. That change would occur over time," Taylor said.

But Seth-Ward is not comforted by that promise. Like the architects who question the design standards, he wonders whether such a major revision of the zoning code is necessary.

"I don't understand why we need it," Seth-Ward said. "What is so broken right now?"



Lisa Rab can reached at (941) 363-5554.

Last modified: March 30. 2004 12:00AM
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040330/NEWS/403300414/1270/NEWS0101

Downtown Masterplan: 900 Acres, Sarasota, Florida


The Downtown Master Plan was prepared for the City of Sarasota by Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company in conjunction with Cardinal Carlson + Parks, Hall Planning & Engineering, and James Moore. “This new plan is built on earlier plans for the Downtown, including those of 1983, 1986 and John Nolen’s plan of 1925. The main contribution of this Master Plan is an increase in precision, the assignment of priorities, and the provision of tools for implementation - specifically a new zoning code. Sarasota is a relatively young city and this plan and zoning code will provide the guidance and discipline for the City to gradually blossom into a period of graceful maturity.”

Major themes in the new plan are: Connecting the Downtown to the Bayfront;, A System of Walkable Streets; A Balanced Transportation System; Walk-to-Town Neighborhoods; Civic Improvements; and Strategic, Pragmatic Implementation.

The contradiction in the motto of Sarasota, “A city of urban amenities with a small town feeling” can only be achieved with an urban Downtown Proper surrounded by small town neighborhoods. The Study Area of this plan includes the three inner-city neighborhoods, Rosemary, Gillespie Park, and Park East, recognizing that together with the Downtown Proper they form an integral part of the pedestrian experience and must be conceived of as a single sector.

By designating each street either ‘A’, pedestrian oriented, or ‘B’, auto oriented, based on what currently exists, this Master Plan provides a guide for future growth, enabling Sarasota to fulfill the potential of its existing street network, creating a cohesive and functional system that facilitates vehicular movement and at the same time creates a viable and aesthetic system for pedestrians and bicyclists.



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Article published Apr 16, 2004
Debating design
A new look for downtown?

By Lisa Rab

SARASOTA -- Small, pink stucco stores with Spanish tile awnings share a block of Main Street with a marble and glass high-rise.

For some residents this eclectic look contributes to Sarasota's charm.

"At least this has some character," said Alex Muller, a carpenter sitting outside a Main Street bookstore this week. "You can still see the sky."

But the city's planners are pushing for a little more similarity in building design. They call it "a degree of visual harmony" -- and they're seeking tougher standards to make it happen.
Their proposals are not universally liked. Some of the city's architects are unhappy about them, and a debate is raging over how much the city should control the appearance of its buildings.

"Right now, Sarasota downtown is getting very bad architecture," said Andres Duany, the Miami-based urban planner who wrote the city's downtown master plan. "They should demand a code that establishes quality."

But many local architects oppose even minimal regulation. Government, they said, should not dictate aesthetics.
"We'll start getting good architecture by the public demanding it," said Brad Gaubatz, past president of the Gulf Coast chapter of the American Institute of Architects. "It's all subjective opinion."

Duany reignited the debate earlier this week when he met with the City Commission and complained that the proposed architectural standards were weak, in comparison with the code he had proposed.

Among other things, the standards would regulate the building materials, the shape of windows and the amount of glass allowed in new buildings on major downtown streets.
They would also require awnings or columned overhangs on Main Street, North Palm Avenue and parts of Central Avenue.

The planners wrote those minimal standards so buildings would share certain characteristics, not so they would all look the same, Sarasota's deputy planning director Michael Taylor said.

"We're not trying to over-regulate," Taylor said. "If you really are concerned about avoiding undesirable buildings, then yes, code it to a higher degree. But in doing that you're going to create a lot more controversy."
Duany is famous for designing villages like Seaside, a Florida Panhandle resort with architecture reminiscent of a small Southern town. He says it's difficult to impose design standards on existing cities like Sarasota, but strong rules are necessary to prevent ugly buildings.

The cities of Venice and North Port have design standards, as do Charlotte and Collier counties.

Still, local architects say rules don't promote good design.

Duany "believes that there should be guidelines to specify what you can and cannot build, and that ends up in architectural mediocrity," said Jack West, a local architect who designed the City Hall building on First Street.
One of the buildings Duany criticized is One Sarasota Tower, the building with the glass facade at the corner of Gulf Stream Avenue and U.S. 41. He also railed against the Italian-flavored architecture he calls "second-rate Mediterranean."

The proposed code encourages Mediterranean-style architecture, Duany said, because when he wrote it that's what the public wanted. But earlier this week he told the City Commission it should promote modernist architecture, because the city has been acclaimed for that sparse, functional style, which is indigenous to Florida.
Several local architects also favor a more modernist design style. But no one is sure what a city zoned for modernism would look like.

And neither Taylor nor the architects believe one style should be required.

"You don't make good cities by dictating the style of the city. That's a Disney approach to things," said Robert McCarter, former director of the University of Florida's School of Architecture.

Meanwhile, some of the pedestrians downtown this week were more concerned about the height of new buildings than their architectural style.
"What we would hate to see is all the little cute stuff torn down," said Dr. Malouf Abraham, who spends his winters in Sarasota with his wife, Therese.

"The mix and mingle can be kind of interesting."

The proposed code allows -- but does not require -- buildings in the downtown core to be 10 stories tall. It encourages developers to build residences above office and retail shops. Under current zoning regulations, buildings can reach 180 feet, but many one- and two-story buildings remain.
Dolly Nichols, a respiratory therapist who has lived in the Sarasota area for 18 years, said city leaders should let the high-rises come, while still allowing for different types of architecture.

"The more eclectic the better," Nichols said "If you have one look, it becomes dated, it becomes old."
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040416/NEWS/404160323/1060



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Article published Apr 19, 2004
Traffic proposal depends on fees

By Lisa Rab

SARASOTA -- Despite a growing chorus of complaints about downtown traffic, the city is considering a plan that would excuse developers from making road improvements to accommodate their new condos, offices and shops.

Instead of building roads, widening streets and the like, developers would pay a "development impact fee." The city would use the money to pay for citywide projects such as public transit, bike lanes, walking paths and roundabouts.
The idea is for the city to manage its transportation system while allowing mixed-use downtown development to continue unimpeded.

Business organizations such as the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Partnership support the proposal.

But there are critics. One is the Bayfront Condominium Association, which represents thousands of condominium residents and says city leaders don't have an overall traffic plan and have put off drawing it up for years.
The newest proposal, they argue, will only make the situation worse.

"It's very troubling. It says 'give developers whatever they want,'" said Robert M. Johnson, a lawyer who represents the organization's traffic committee.

If the City Commission supports the idea at a meeting Monday, it will have to hold public hearings and amend the city's land-use plan before putting the new policy into effect. The process could take as long as three years.
In that time, city engineers would devise a plan to spend the money collected from the developers.

"We don't know exactly what we're going to put," traffic engineer Sam Freija said, adding that some suggestions could come from a recent city mobility study.

Already, a special regulation allows developers in most of downtown to postpone or avoid constructing road improvements. Projects that are required to build infrastructure have three to five years to construct it.
The downtown transportation "exception" area was created in 1998 to encourage dense, mixed-used development downtown. City officials thought stricter rules would scare developers out of the city into the suburbs.

But the newest proposal would do away with even those minimal restrictions. It would allow developers in the area to build, regardless of the traffic impact, as long as they pay city impact fees.

According to the Florida Department of Transportation, the number of cars traveling on U.S. 41 between Gulf Stream Avenue and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way increased by more than 11 percent from 1998 to 2003 -- from 35,000 to 39,000.
But some city officials dismiss traffic complaints, saying congestion is a part of urban life.

"Traffic is just a perception," Freija said. "People think what they want to think."

Freija and other officials are focused on making the city more pedestrian-friendly, with roundabouts, bus lanes, bike lanes and more crosswalks.

"If you choose to live in an urban core, one of the trade-offs is you're going to have more congestion," Vice Mayor Mary Anne Servian said.
But Johnson and others worry about the traffic impact of hundreds of new condos planned along Palm Avenue, Main Street and U.S. 41 -- including Patrick Kelly's proposed $1 billion redevelopment of the Sarasota Quay.

"You're not going to make it a pedestrian-friendly city by creating gridlock," said Ken Shelin, a city planning board member and president of the Bayfront Condominium Association.

Dan Lobeck, a local attorney who is president of a group called Controlled Growth Now, suggested that limiting development would be the best way to address the traffic problem.
"They can constrain development and keep traffic from becoming as bad as it otherwise would be," he said.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040419/NEWS/404190407/1270/NEWS0101&template=printart



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Article published Apr 20, 2004
City OKs downtown traffic proposal
The $40.8 million plan includes numerous improvements, most subject to later approval.

By Lisa Rab

SARASOTA -- A $40.8 million transportation plan that includes new roundabouts, bus lanes and crosswalks on several major downtown streets won approval Monday from the City Commission.

The decision marks the city's first step in pursuing 10 road projects designed to improve traffic flow and make downtown friendlier to pedestrians and bicyclists.

Some of the projects could begin this summer, while others might take up to 20 years.

Most have not yet been funded and will come back to the City Commission for financing and design approval.
"We couldn't go after funds when we didn't know what the improvements were," city traffic manager Sam Freija said.

About half the cost of the plan is dedicated to building two roundabouts -- slow-moving traffic circles -- on U.S. 41 at Gulf Stream Avenue and Fruitville Road.

Last month, that $19.5 million proposal drew protests from bayfront condominium residents and others who said the roundabouts required more study.

Florida Department of Transportation officials also criticized the plan, saying the traffic improvements could be achieved at a lower price without the roundabouts.
But the city commissioners said the roundabouts are safe, are attractive, and will make the bayfront more pedestrian-friendly.

"Although this is expensive, it's probably offset by what it would cost us to do the other," said Vice Mayor Mary Anne Servian, referring to the alternative of adding traffic lanes instead of building roundabouts.

The roundabouts could take six to 20 years to build.

In the meantime, the city plans to construct some of the road improvements suggested by the Mobility Now! committee of the Bayfront Condominium Association, an activist group that called for immediate solutions to the traffic problems on U.S. 41.
This summer, city engineers plan to partially close the eastern leg of Gulf Stream Avenue at U.S. 41. In 2006, they want to construct left-turn lanes from U.S. 41 onto Main Street and to Marina Jack. By the next year, they want to build a continuous right-turn lane on U.S 41 headed west to Sunset Drive.

The time line for those projects will depend on funding, some of which is expected to come from the developer of the Ritz-Carlton, Freija said.
"We want to see it happening as soon as possible," Freija said.

A mix of state, city and developer funds is expected to pay for the roundabouts, Freija said. Some of the money could come from new developer impact fees that the commission also approved Monday.

Currently, downtown developers are required to build road improvements such as turn lanes and traffic lights if their projects significantly increase traffic.

Under the new plan, developers will pay a fee the city will use to develop traffic plans for the downtown area.
City engineers have not decided how much developers will pay or what the money will be used for. That will be determined over the next few years, they said.

"We really don't have an identified program," Freija said.

In addition to the changes on U.S. 41, the plan calls for two single-lane roundabouts to be built on Ringling Boulevard in the next five years, at a cost to the city of about $4.3 million.

It also includes $10.1 million worth of improvements to city streets in an effort to alleviate traffic congestion at the intersection of U.S. 301 and Fruitville Road. The projects would be funded by the city and the state.
A proposal to build a new bus lane and two bus stations on Cocoanut Avenue is included in a $4.3 million plan to upgrade the bus transit system.

Members of the Central Cocoanut neighborhood association opposed the proposal that affects their street, and Servian and Commissioner Fredd Atkins voted against it.

Freija said the bus plan, which the city proposes be funded by Sarasota County, won't be final unless it's incorporated in the city's land-use plan, a process that could take two to three years.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040420/NEWS/404200468/1270/NEWS0101



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Herald Tribune

County, developer make 2050 breakthrough
The Sarasota County-Lakewood Ranch deal would put 5,460 homes near University Parkway and I-75.

May 05. 2004

BY DALE WHITE

SARASOTA COUNTY -- After years of dissension and doubts over the Sarasota 2050 villages plan, county officials and a developer reached a breakthrough Tuesday that's expected to result in the county's first village being built at Lakewood Ranch.

Yet the word "village" may fall short of describing its impact. The proposed Villages of Lakewood Ranch would put 5,460 homes -- plus parks, shopping and other amenities -- on a highly visible, 3,460-acre tract southeast of the University Parkway and Interstate 75 interchange.

The community would be across the parkway from the 4,300-home and still-growing portion of Lakewood Ranch in neighboring Manatee County, and would open most of Lakewood Ranch's vast Sarasota County land holdings to extensive residential development.

Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, developer of Lakewood Ranch, has been aching for years to build on the lake-pocked land behind its still-growing office and commercial districts.

Currently, Sarasota County's zoning laws allow a subdivision of five-acre homes on the land.

The 2050 plan, however, enables some developers east of I-75 to put more homes on their now-rural land, if they build a village community geared to less affluent buyers and renters.

The village concept -- which emphasizes pedestrian access, common areas and mixed housing types -- is similar to the New Urbanist communities of Seaside in the Panhandle, Celebration at Disney World and Haile Plantation near Gainesville.

It has yet to be tried in Sarasota County, where it's been combined with a requirement that developers set aside land for conservation.

The 2050 plan designates two other areas for possible village sites: the Hi-Hat Ranch between Fruitville and Clark roads, and an area south of Clark Road owned mostly by Palmer Ranch.

Schroeder-Manatee, however, is the developer who has expressed the most interest in building a village. The company unveiled preliminary plans for the Villages of Lakewood Ranch nearly three years ago.

If 2050's development rules are finalized soon, Schroeder-Manatee expects to break ground in 2006.

"We're optimistic as to where things are headed," said Todd Pokrywa, vice president of planning.

Once construction starts, the village could take 20 or so years to build out.

The fight over growth

For three decades, the county has prohibited urban development east of a boundary that generally follows I-75. Yet political pressures to move or erase that urban boundary have increased.

The county commissioners regard the 2050 villages plan as a means of opening more rural land to growth without moving the boundary.

Rural developers cannot qualify to build villages without agreeing to 2050's many caveats, including land conservation measures that don't apply to typical subdivisions.

Yet the village option has led to rhetorical warfare between environmentalists and others who don't want urban development east of I-75.

Opponents of the plan say it will allow too much growth too fast. At the same time, 2050's development rules have become increasingly complex, prompting complaints from landowners and developers.

Two months ago, Schroeder-Manatee and the county appeared to be at a stalemate as to how to apply Sarasota 2050's rules to the thousands of acres sited for the Villages of Lakewood Ranch.

Schroeder-Manatee threatened to come up with its own village plan without using 2050 or possibly take its village ideas to Manatee County.

It looked as if the complicated growth strategy, which has cost the county $2 million so far and has gone through nearly three years of contentious review, might be shelved and unused.

SMR executives and Tim Jackson, the county's chief consultant on 2050, have been in a confidential huddle for weeks.

On Tuesday, the developer and consultant said they had resolved their biggest point of contention: how to make sure Schroeder-Manatee is allowed to build nearly 5,500 homes on the property.

Village developers qualify to build homes by transferring development rights off land they agree to keep as open space or as part of a "greenway" of trails and wilderness.

A developer can qualify to build up to two homes for each acre of preserved land.

In January, Schroeder-Manatee lost nearly 3,000 potential village homes when it sold the county the development rights on its 2,000-acre Gum Slough tract.

To make up for that loss, Jackson crunched numbers and came up with a method for Schroeder-Manatee to get 5,460 homes for its village.

The arrangement calls for Schroeder-Manatee to qualify for more homes because of its village's proximity to employment and other urban development.

It also is allowed to build more homes if it keeps 25 percent of its houses and apartments within a price range the county considers affordable for moderate-income families.

Schroeder-Manatee must transfer development rights off land it recently purchased from Myakka Ranch and agree to keep that land agricultural.

And it must buy back some development rights from the Gum Slough tract.

County Commissioner Jon Thaxton regarded the Gum Slough part of the pending deal as "a critical, fatal mistake."

He insisted that Schroeder-Manatee knew those development rights were necessary for its village. He argued that if the county sells some of those rights back to the developer, it will undermine the intent of the voter-approved Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program.

Thaxton also contended that the value of those rights will go up when Sarasota 2050 is enacted and that taxpayers could end up shortchanged.

"We need to be looking at market value," Thaxton said.

Yet the other commissioners indicated they are willing to sell the Gum Slough rights back to Schroeder-Manatee, based on what the county paid in January.

"At this stage of the game, I think it is a good deal for the county," Commissioner David Mills said.

The commissioners will discuss the development rights issue, as well as other matters pertaining to 2050, with the public during a June 10 hearing.

Here is a good article regarding Sarasota:

"Good Old Urbanism - part 3 - Sarasota, FL"

by Susan Bilenker


Continuing our exploration of examples of successful "old urbanism," existing communities that already manifest many of the principles of the New Urbanism.

Sarasota, a lush and quirky small city on Florida's Gulf Coast, is trying to use principles of New Urbanism to weave its various charming "old urbanism" districts into a cohesive live-work-culture-nature experience.

Blessed with a gorgeous location, nestled alongside the mid-Gulf Coast, an hour south of Tampa, protected by even more gorgeous barrier islands--here called "keys"--including Longboat Key, Lido Key, St Armands Key, Bird Key and Siesta Key--Sarasota is also the arts and culture capital of Florida.

In its very walkable and compact downtown, you'll find theatres, a beautiful opera house, a soaring modern library, a purple-painted waterfront concert hall, a municipal auditorium, upscale shops and restaurants, and many art galleries. A few blocks away, across the only scenic section of Tamiami Trail (Hwy 41), is the magnificent Sarasota Bayfront, lined each winter season with modern sculptures, and featuring a lovely tree-shaded walking path and park, impressive yachts, and two restaurants, one upscale and one of the sea-shack variety..

Several blocks south of Main Street, separated by a non-descript, pedestrian-indifferent office-building-zone, there is a charming antiques district along Pineapple and Orange Avenues, with restaurants and boutiques, an art movie house, and a neighborhood of artist studios offering monthly Friday night studio/gallery strolls.

Crossing Tamiami Trail and south a few blocks more, is the tiny retail crossroads called Southside Village, surrounded on one side by a lush neighborhood of old residental streets and on the other by the expansive Sarasota Memorial Hospital Center. Southside Village has been undergoing "upscaling" in recent years, and it's a delightful mix of lux gift shops, gourmet markets, restaurants featuring international cuisines, as well as cozy neighborhood bar-restaurants, bakery-cafes, hair salons and boutiques.

A few winding miles down the road is Siesta Drive, which crosses Sarasota Bay and winds through Siesta Key, a tropical paradise enlivened by Ocean Boulevard with its funky shops and restaurants, leading to an exquisite wide beach composed of soft, powdery white sand that is 99% crystal. Perfect for walking, swimming, sunning, parasailing, and sunset-watching and applauding, which is a nightly tradition on Siesta.

Heading northwest from downtown Sarasota, over a couple of short bridges, you enter the world-famous St Armands Circle retail district. It's a "circle" of short blocks that wrap around a park on St Armands Key. There is every kind of store and restaurant, as well as Lido Beach, a long and deep expanse of not-so-soft sand with unbroken vistas across the blue-green waters of the Gulf.

Over another couple of bridges and you're driving alongside the perfect lawns and landscaping of Gulf of Mexico Drive on Longboat Key, a golf-course- and luxury-high-rise-lined gold coast community with its own long strip of wild beach towards the north end. Cross another bridge and you're on lovely Anna Maria, a key of old houses and cute shops just north of Longboat and west of Bradenton.

All these bridges and keys, taken along with downtown proper, make Sarasota a diverting place to live. Within a few miles of any one spot is another with different views and amenities.

The urban design challenge for Sarasota is to connect at least a few of the downtown pedestrian districts with one another, so as to encourage walking and biking among them. Each district is charming, but one has to get into the car, drive, and find another parking space, in order to go from one to the other.

Another problem for retail and dining establishments in the area is the seasonality of their customers. It creates the odd phenomenon of a downtown filled with high rise luxury condominium apartment buildings and plenty of retail, yet lacking significant pedestrian street life. It's a very relaxing downtown compared to most, but not so healthy for the businesses trying to make a living there.

A step in the direction of trying to energize downtown Sarasota is the high-rise residential/retail complex, currently under construction, which will be anchored by a big Whole Foods supermarket. Local planners and the developer hope it will attract more full-time residents who want to enjoy the complete urban experience of walking--not only to culture and dining--but also to shop for basic everyday needs.

Looking beyond the downtown core, Sarasota is a city of neighborhoods characterized by houses of many design styles and eras, most of which are serviced by convenient local shopping plazas. The commercial spine that links all the Gulf Coast cities in this area is Tamiami Trail (Hwy 41), a six-lane shopping strip with every chain store and restaurant and car dealership one could ever need (or not need!). It's convenient and also frazzling at times. Luckily there are ways to get many of one's errands done while mostly bypassing or simply crossing it at critical spots.

What's amazing about this city is that, from moment to moment, you can choose to be in a sophisticated urban downtown, or walking a soul-expanding white powder beach and staring out into the vast emptiness of the gulf, or sailing your boat on the bay, or enjoying a quiet life in a nice little house with citrus trees in your backyard, or taking advantage of theater and restaurants, all within a few minutes drive of wherever you started.

Residential real estate values are predictably keeping up with these unique qualities, and they'e apparently rising about 15% per year. For baby boomers thinking about where to be next, either soon or in a few years when they retire or the last kid goes off to college, Sarasota has appeal. It's diverse in age--lots of young and middle-aged families, year round retirees, snowbirds, and singles of all ages. And it has an energy you can tap into if you're looking for things to do. It's also exceedingly laid back, requiring not much of anything if you want to kick back and enjoy gazing at seagulls and pelicans.

As with much of America these days, something is always under construction in Sarasota, and usually it's as big as the zoning will allow, and as high-priced as the market will bear. The days of a $20,000 beach cottage on Siesta Key are long-gone. But with some careful sleuthing, there are still good values to be found here, especially in older neighborhoods undergoing upgrading.

The City of Sarasota is in the process of integrating its newly adopted Downtown Master Plan--crafted with urban planning firm Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company--with its existing zoning codes, which will hopefully have the eventual effect of requiring new development to be consistent with principles of the New Urbanism. One question is whether the current policy of taking a reactive stance to new development projects, rather than proactively seeking desirable projects, will most effectively take the city where it wants to go.

One other convenient feature of Sarasota is its airport: small, modern, and underutilized. It's only a 15 to 20 minute drive to the airport from downtown Sarasota, and a short 2 1/2 hour flight to Newark Airport via Continental Airlines (one flight per day). Many travelers choose to fly into Tampa and take the 1 1/4 drive to Sarasota. The flight's cheaper, on airlines such as Jet Blue, which fly from JFK Airport in New York. But it's so easy and low key to arrive right in Sarasota, that for me it makes living here even more appealing. As soon as you're off the plane, you're "home."

(Where do you see yourself spending the next phase of your life? Staying put? Or venturing to a new place? If you've found any that are particularly appealing, let me know, for future chapters of "Good Old Urbanism." Email to Susan Bilenker at info@design-site.net. Thanks.)


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Susan Bilenker is Publisher of DesignSite. She spent many years involved with various aspects of architectural practice and most enjoys a daily life that maximizes walking and minimizes driving.

ringling square article....




Ringling Square gets its anchor

AmSouth Bank will be the lead tenant in the $10 million downtown office building.

BY JOHN HIELSCHER



SARASOTA -- An Alabama bank will anchor a $10 million office building that will begin construction this summer.

AmSouth Bank will be the lead tenant in Ringling Square, a five-story building on the southeast corner of Orange Avenue and Ringling Boulevard in downtown Sarasota.

The 98-year-old Wilson house was moved from the site last month to a future county park on Bee Ridge Road.

AmSouth will occupy the first two floors of the office building, said Doug Tibbetts, managing partner of developer Paradise Properties LLC.

"We are working with a number of prospects, but have no other firm leases at this point," he said.

While other downtown office projects are under way, such as the 16-story Plaza at Five Points, Tibbetts expects to have no trouble filling the space.

"Certainly there is going to be an increased demand for office space as the city dynamics change with all the new residential and retail and the other things planned for the downtown area," he said.

AmSouth will take 14,000 square feet of the 40,000-square-foot building.

The Montgomery, Ala.-based bank has been scouting for a downtown home to serve as a regional headquarters.

It expects to open late this month in a temporary office at Orange and Main Street, said spokeswoman Susan Lang.

"Ringling Square will be our permanent home," she said.

AmSouth has been aggressively expanding in the area. It opened four new branches in December in Sarasota and Manatee counties, giving it 10 in the region.

Paradise Properties spent more than a year assembling the 30,000-square-foot parcel from several property owners, Tibbetts said.

Each floor of the DSDG Inc.-designed Ringling Square will have its own "motor lobby," where people will drive to the level to park, he said.

The developer hopes to begin construction within 60 days and finish in the third quarter of 2005.

The company also developed Hillview Square, a five-tenant retail center at Osprey Avenue and Hillview Street, south of downtown Sarasota.

The developer hopes to begin construction within 60 days and finish in the third quarter of 2005.6-2-04

here is another project to start in a month or two ..

http://www.phillippilandings.com/default.htm

Perico Island project


Location: Bradenton, FL
Address: island lies between Perico Bayou and Anna Maria Sound and is bisected by State Road 64
Perico Island
Floors: 10
Job Status: Approved

http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2004406100788

Developer: Arvida development

www.arvida.com/default.asp

Additional Info
IGH-RISES CAUSE HIGH TRAFFIC

Source: Vin Mannix, Herald Columnist
Mention the proposed Perico Island project and Don
Quixote, the fictitious 17th century idealistic hero,
comes to mind. Only instead of tilting at windmills,
he'd be tilting at high-rises.The planned Perico
Island high-rises, that is. It would appear they are
bound to happen, given the Bradenton Planning
Commission's green lighting the $300-million Arvida
development with Wednesday's 5-1 vote. You can bet
Mayor Wayne Poston and the City Council will do the
same in the coming
Arvida, the residential development arm of
Jacksonville-based The St. Joe Co., is trying to push
through a revised development proposal that would turn
352 acres on Perico Island into a community largely
for seasonal residents.
Based on its condo sales on Longboat Key, Arvida
calculates the $300,000 to $1-million condos will
largely attract seasonal residents, he said. The
bottom two floors of each high rise will be for
parking, with the condos above those floors.

Arvida is adamant that it needs 10-story buildings to
make the project marketable.


********************************************************
Views for sale

The county commissioners opposed the annexation of crop land on Perico Island into Bradenton and to developers' plans to build condo high-rises there at a height and density the county would not have permitted.

The county, the Island cities and environmentalists have been in a four-year legal fight with the city over that Arvida Co. project.

Arvida reduced the number of proposed condos. Yet it still wants buildings as high as 10 stories.

The county commissioners are not appeased. They have even threatened not to provide drinking water to the site, a tactic that a city planning commissioner called "extortion."

To Bradenton city officials, Perico Island is a suitable spot for Arvida's project. They argue that Arvida needs height to make it marketable.

That's because Arvida won't just be selling condos. It will be selling views of Anna Maria Sound and Tampa Bay.

The higher the condo, the better the view.

http://www.4sarasotahomes.com/images/Riverwalk/Riverwalk.jpg

Promenade at River Walk Condos

Location: Brandenton, FL
Address: Near U.S. 41 on Manatee River
Floors: 8
Job Status: Construction



Developer: Related Group
General Contractor: Thomason - Steven LLCC,

http://www.phillippilandings.com/IMAGES/MainPage/MainPageImage.jpg

For orientation: This is south of Downtown a ways.

http://imgsrv.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=SH&Date=20031106&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=311060696&Ref=AR&Profile=1200&MaxW=580&title=1
Deal for Riviera Dunes
Four high-rise condos are planned for the Palmetto site


BY MICHAEL POLLICK MICHAEL.POLLICK@HERALDTRIBUNE.COM





PALMETTO -- A development group has purchased 32 acres at Riviera Dunes and plans to build four high-rise condominium towers and several storefronts there.

Three principal partners -- two Michigan investors and an executive at W.G. Mills Inc., a Manatee County-based construction company -- closed on the $8.6 million sale last week.

Riviera Dunes Boardwalk L.L.C., the seller, had marketed the site for years in an unsuccessful bid to attract a hotel, retailers and professionals.



"We think our (condo) project totally built out will sell for $140 million," said Tim Morris, one of the three principals.

The other two are Larry Lipa and Tim Vining, a vice president at W.G. Mills.

W.G. Mills will act as the project's construction manager. Lipa and Morris are principals of Corvus International, a Bloomfield Hills, Mich.,-based real estate development and financing firm.

Together the three have formed Bluewater Development Co. to focus on development projects in Southwest Florida.



The Riviera Dunes site is being acquired separately by a limited liability corporation called Riviera Dunes Development Partners.

The company plans to begin pre-sales of condominiums before the end of the year and to start construction early next year.

Each 12-story building will house 40 residential units and the condos will sell from $550,000. Penthouses will sell for "north of a million," Morris said.

The groundbreaking for the first building will be driven by pre-sales, Morris said. "We are thinking February-March of next year."



Riviera Dunes is a 288-acre commercial and residential project just north of the Manatee River and south of the Manatee Civic Center.

The project was started in 1999 and has already received state and city approvals for plans to create a "development of regional impact," or DRI.

So far it includes a 220-slip marina and restaurant, both owned by Mike Carter Construction of Bradenton, plus numerous upscale houses. First Dartmouth has built 96 of the planned 450 single-family homes ranging from $600,000 to $3 million each.



"Riviera Dunes continues to meet our highest expectations, and it goes without saying that we are very excited about the new ideas these developers have for the project," Palmetto Mayor Larry Bustle said in a statement.



Last modified: November 06. 2003 12:00AM
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/p...6/1200/BUSINESS

Article published Dec 7, 2003
ALONG THE RIVER

For years, the Manatee River divided Bradenton and Palmetto. Now the river could be binding the cities together thanks to some high-powered developers.

Their efforts in four or five years could yield a new swath of upscale housing, offices, and retail stores that revitalizes both cities.

Like neighboring car dealerships that benefit when in close proximity, Riviera Dunes in Palmetto and Bradenton's Promenade at Riverwalk could aid rather than hurt one another, even though the developments are only a mile apart and will compete for tenants and buyers.
"The synergy is absolutely there," says builder Mike Carter, who constructed Riviera Dunes' marina and has been involved in numerous renovation projects in downtown Bradenton. "You see it in other industries -- Burger King and McDonalds, Walgreens and Eckerds. I think we're seeing that on the Manatee River."

But the fact both projects are plowing ahead now after years of delays might be more the effect of a changing real estate market than a coordinated effort.
Plans for the two projects have changed drastically over the past couple of years. Once largely commercial in nature, both developments now are centered mostly around housing with a retail and office component.

The Promenade at Riverwalk, formerly known as the Sandpile and just north of downtown Bradenton, was supposed to include a movie theatre before Regal Cinemas declared bankruptcy.

And two years ago, Riviera Dunes was being marketed as a shopping and entertainment district akin to Miami's Cocowalk.
Developers say their change of heart stems from forces that favor waterfront housing.

"Obviously we had a good thing going at Riviera Dunes," says Frank S. Maggio, chief executive of St. Petersburg-based homebuilder First Dartmouth.

Maggio's company had sold close to 100 houses at Riviera Dunes when he got city approval in March 2000 to build 210 upscale condominiums in partnership with Opus South Development LLC.

The $110 million project, dubbed Laguna at Riviera Dunes, will sell units from $350,000 to more than $1 million for one of four penthouses.
Just north of Laguna, Bluewater Development Co. is proposing a similar project: Four 12-story buildings with 40 condos in each ranging from $550,000 to more than $1 million.

Maggio says waterfront real estate is fast disappearing, which makes the Manatee River a hot destination even when the housing trends seem to favor areas near Interstate 75, University Parkway, and State Road 70.

"There's no cost-effective housing on the water left in St. Pete, Tampa, or Sarasota," says Maggio. "That's why people are coming down here."
South of the river
The Promenade at Riverwalk will offer buyers a lower-cost alternative to Riviera Dunes' condos.

Developers have already constructed 216 apartments east of the Sandpile. Plans call for six additional buildings south of the Rossi riverfront park to house offices, restaurants, shops, and 350 condominiums from $250,000 to $550,000 each.

Ground was broken three weeks ago at the Promenade at Riverwalk for a 115-unit condominium building. About a week later, work started at Maggio's Laguna development.
"I think it's not a coincidence these projects are going on at the same time. It's more of a confluence of energy. I think both sides are recognizing that the time is now for these downtown developments," said Edward Vogler II, a lawyer and partner in Bradenton Riverfront Partners, the Sandpile's developer.
One factor separating the developments is pricing.
Maggio, whose Laguna development is gated and does not include a commercial element, said he believes luxury condo buyers will be willing to spend about $400,000 in this market.

Bluewater Development's project will eclipse that amount by about $150,000. Condos at the Promenade at Riverwalk will sell for $250,000 to $550,000.

Dennis Bradford, one of the developers of Riviera Dunes, said the different price points will help buyers sort out their choices, but marketing also could play a role.
Riviera Dunes is pressing its boating-resort theme. Across the river, the Promenade at Riverwalk is trying to sell a marriage between river views and downtown living.

Those and other differences make the two projects distinctive enough for buyers, said Bradford.

"We don't think either development will hurt the other," he said, adding, "If anything, we think they will complement each other."

Both sides maintain the scores of condos, shops, and offices will drive the market and lure more buyers. But that's not to say the sides won't be competing in every case.
Maggio said timing and whims of the fickle housing market could play big parts in determining which project attracts the most buyers.

Maggio's project is smaller than Riverwalk's, it's gated, and it's well ahead of Bluewater, which is supposed to break ground sometime next year. In that sense, he says, Laguna has a big advantage.

But the Bluewater and Promenade projects include commercial components that could appeal to a segment of the housing market not targeted by Maggio: buyers seeking a resort- and downtown-living lifestyle.
"I think there will be some competition, but their prices are a lot higher and their amenity package is not as good as ours," says Vogler, referring to Maggio's project.

"There is a category of people out there that will not aspire to live in a relatively urban enviroment, … but I also know there are people who will be attracted to downtown Bradenton because they want to have those amenities close by.

"Research shows there's a huge number that want that mixed-use lifestyle," he said.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/p...8/1002/NEWS0101

'Just 23 minutes away'
Palmetto touts itself in ads as a central location in Tampa Bay


BY SELINA ROMÁN





ST. PETERSBURG -- For about seven seconds, motorists traveling along Interstate 275 see a Web address, www.23minutes.com.

The Web site features a movie. The presentation begins with sentences sweeping across a Manatee River sunset with downtown Bradenton as the backdrop.

"You've worked, and waited, your whole life. And now your dream is just … 23 minutes away from downtown St. Petersburg."

Those who explore the Web site discover that Palmetto's Riviera Dunes is near their jobs and major cities like Sarasota, St. Petersburg and Tampa.



The site is designed to sell new, multimillion-dollar condominiums at the upscale development on the Manatee River.

At the same time, it signals a movement to change Palmetto's image, tout its central location and make it a major player in the region's housing market.

"Palmetto is where you were when you were going somewhere else," said Frank S. Maggio, chief executive of First Dartmouth, a St. Petersburg-based builder with the Laguna at Riviera Dunes project. "Now it's going to be where you want to go. Period."



Tom Eleazer, director of marketing, worked with Maggio to come up with the billboards and other ads touting Palmetto as a place where people can live a million-dollar lifestyle for slightly less.

Eleazer said he expects the company to spend about $33,000 a year on the boards. The current board has about a week left until it is switched with the next image that will show the condominiums, the logo, a phone number and the Web address.

About 49,000 drivers a day pass the billboard, partially hidden behind a building, at the edge of the interstate's downtown interchange.



"It needed something that made people go 'Huh?' " Eleazer said.

Besides the boards and the Internet site, they've also run ads in the St. Petersburg Times.

New north river developments in and near Palmetto and Ellenton draw residents from St. Petersburg who wanted to flee the sprawl and traffic, yet be close to their jobs and families.

Construction began in November on the five seven-story, 42-unit condominium buildings. Laguna at Riviera Dunes is part of the Riviera Dunes project in Palmetto that includes upscale homes, a marina and a yacht club.



Maggio said he has sold about 26 condos totaling about $13 million.

Tanya Lukowiak, director of the city's Community Redevelopment Agency, said property taxes on the Riviera Dunes property were $14,500 in 1985. Now, some of the homes in the subdivision fetch as much as $19,000 in taxes each.

Lukowiak said the billboard for Riviera Dunes benefits the city as much as it does the development.

"It's good for us personally because it is in fact opening up the eyes of people in St. Pete and Tampa who will say, 'Wow, it really is only 23 minutes away,'" Lukowiak said. "It really does plant a whole different message."



Even Lukowiak's agency has gotten in on the billboard game. The Palmetto CRA, an arm of the city, has its own sign on Riviera Dunes property off U.S. 301.

The signs tell the public "The truth about Palmetto," such its average age, 38, and that it's Tampa Bay's fastest-growing community.

It's all an effort to get the city on people's minds and change their perceptions of it if only for a few seconds, Lukowiak said.

"What we really want to do is have those people passing through to kind of rethink their perception," she said.



Last modified: January 12. 2004 12:00AM
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/p...4/1002/NEWS0101

Laguna at Riviera Dunes

http://www.rivieradunes.com/laguna/images/laguna_elev.jpg

Unfortunately, not too urban
http://www.rivieradunes.com/laguna/images/lagunasiteplan.jpg

But it is more than Palmetto had before, so I guess I'll take it.

And thank God, something nice for Bradenton near downtown. Maybe it will kick start the place.
http://www.michaelsaunders.com/NewHomes/Images/Properties/FeatureImages/I112.jpg
http://www.promenadeatriverwalk.com/images/maps/location_map.gif

6 eight story condos? Not too shabby, though it's very auto dependent and all of that. Still, I woudl rather have a development where 200 units (or whatever it is) takes up 10 acres, instead of 100 acres.

Lot's going on. Could Sarasota be a mirror of Boca Raton on the Florida west coast?

I think you have it backwards . . .

Article published Jul 8, 2004
Downtown condo rush stirring

By Rich Shopes

SARASOTA -- Harry and Phyllis Shapiro planned to divide their retirement between Southwest Florida and St. Louis, but after a few months here they've started wondering why they should leave at all.

The Shapiros looked at waterfront houses but didn't want the upkeep. They looked at Longboat Key "but the beach is kind of boring," said Harry Shapiro, a retired scrap metal dealer.

They settled on a small condominium at Sarabande on Palm Avenue in downtown Sarasota. In March, they moved to a bigger place at the Ritz Tower Residences.

The Shapiros are among the first prospectors in a condo gold rush that will reshape Sarasota's skyline, traffic patterns and retail scene for years to come.

Twenty-nine condo developments are targeted for downtown Sarasota over the next six years. They promise to lure about 5,000 mostly retirees, semi-retirees, speculators and 40- and 50-somethings.

Real estate brokers say most newcomers will be like the Shapiros, aiming for luxury and convenience and able to afford both. They're streaming in from the Midwest and the Northeast, visitors who decided to cash in on the real estate boom.

"We wanted to be snowbirds, but the more we were here the more we liked it," said Shapiro, 61.

The Ritz-Carlton's luxury units launched the condo land grab, brokers say.

Before the Ritz, most condo buyers headed to Siesta and Longboat keys, even though they ended up commuting to downtown restaurants and theaters.

Now many are heading directly there.

"They're buying because they want the urban lifestyle and it doesn't matter so much if they have a view of the beach," says Eileen Lyle, who heads condo sales at Sarasota-based Michael Saunders & Co.

Countywide, 583 top-end condos -- priced at more than $1.5 million -- were listed in the Sarasota market during the past two years. Of those, 107 are for sale now and about a third are in downtown Sarasota.

The costliest, a penthouse at 888 Condo on the Bay, just behind the Ritz Towers, lists for $6.9 million.

City planners estimate that another 2,400 units are under construction or being planned in the city's 420-acre downtown.

Twenty-nine of the 33 active and planned projects in Sarasota, Siesta Key, Longboat Key and Lido Key are condo buildings.

Eighteen of those will sell units for more than $700,000. The Tower Residences, Beau Ciel, The Metropolitan and six other existing or proposed residences don't offer units for less than $1 million.

At The Metropolitan, a $100 million, 18-story condo development proposed at Gulf Stream Avenue and U.S. 41, prices start at $1.8 million. A block north at the Ritz's Tower Residences, they start at $1.75 million.

The new wave

Not everybody eyeing downtown Sarasota is wealthy, but if they are not, they come close.

"It's a stretch for a young couple," said Lyle, who adds that most new buyers are like the Shapiros -- well-heeled retirees or semi-retirees who are active and want to walk or bike to shops, restaurants and theaters.

Then there are folks like Alice Rau, a 77-year-old grandmother and heir to a small Michigan newspaper, the Grand Haven Tribune.

She moved to Siesta Key 25 years ago, and now she wants to trade her laid-back lifestyle on the Intracoastal Waterway for a busier one at the Plaza at Five Points, where prices start at $553,000.

"After season, it's kind of empty around here," said Rau, a widow who's moving to the plaza's 12th floor when the project is completed next year. "All the locals moving are from the keys or out east, like Lakewood Ranch."

Rau is among the new wave of downtown boosters. She likes its broadening popularity and proximity to shops, restaurants and theaters. She serves on the boards of the Salvation Army and Ringling Museum of Art and has long been involved in civic causes.

But at the same time, she's concerned that too much growth will entice retail chains to overtake locally owned ones, and threaten the very charm that enticed her to move downtown.

"It's the variety that attracts me and that's what makes for a healthy community," she said.

Investment opportunities attracted Joe Cirulli. The 50-year-old owner of a chain of fitness clubs, Cirulli bought four units, about $3.3 million worth, at Five Points this past year.

He launched his business, Gainesville Health and Fitness Club, in the 1970s when he was 24. He traveled to Southwest Florida's beaches for years and bought a condo on Bradenton Beach. When he started looking at waterfront condos as an investment, escalating prices convinced him to look downtown.

"When I looked at how much (waterfront condos) had appreciated, I couldn't afford them. They're five times what my unit costs now," said Cirulli, who plans to keep one and sell the other three units. "I come down to Sarasota all the time. And this had the best location."

For investment purposes, Cirulli opted not to buy any of the project's $1.8 million penthouses. "I figured they'd be harder to turn over."

John Harshman, who sells commercial real estate, said the city's retail scene can't help but be influenced by folks like Cirulli, Rau and the Shapiros, despite their desires to see the downtown unchanged.

"Retail follows the rooftops," Harshman said. "I see Main Street's appearance changing significantly and many of those stores there now will not be there.

"It's really hard to place a national retailer in a downtown, but a year and a half to two years from now when a lot of these projects are completed, some of those retailers will be moving to the downtown."

Retail concerns

That concerns not just new buyers, like Rau, but also John Tylee, president of the Downtown Partnership, a civic association that's pushing for diverse development.

Tylee sees too much emphasis on high-end units that could squeeze out middle-class buyers, artists and some existing businesses.

"A vibrant downtown should be for everybody, with all ethnic groups, all ages and all income levels," he said.

Too many high-end condos could mean a glut of premium shops catering to the affluent. On the bright side, Tylee is hopeful the high-end units signify to investors Sarasota's economic strength and entice more builders.

He just hopes that some of those builders target middleclass buyers. So far, that's a longshot. Only a handful are doing that now.

Among the projects offering units at less than $300,000 are Alinari at U.S. 41 and Boulevard of the Arts and the Sarasota Main Street Apartments. Units at 100 Central, the site of the Whole Foods supermarket, will start at $300,000.

"What I believe is the most important part missing from the downtown is relatively high density and affordable year-round housing," Tylee said. "That is why part of our work is to call for increases in densities in some of the areas on the edges of the down-town."

That perceived high-end push could already be forcing out some buyers, even those affluent enough to afford the units.

It's one reason Marjorie Martini and her husband opted to buy a unit at the Promenade at Riverwalk in downtown Bradenton.

When it's complete, her 1,520-square-foot unit will have a balcony and overlook the Manatee River.

The Martinis, who now live in Mote Ranch in Sarasota, paid $314,000 for it. A comparable unit at the Renaissance, which they looked at, cost $400,000 and ran 1,100 to 1,200 square feet.

"We found that for what we got, it just didn't make sense," Marjorie Martini said.

Not every new condo buyer eyeing Sarasota is strictly value-oriented.

Most cite Sarasota's charm as a major factor for heading downtown. That is one reason developers market their projects to affluent Northeasterners and Midwesterners who see the city's core as a big selling point that will only boost their investment.

Richard Zipes, the developer of the lavish 128-unit Metropolitan, says most high-end developers are targeting markets such as New York, Chicago and Detroit. They are attracting buyers who might consider a place in Naples, but not many who are looking for something more fast-paced, such as Miami.

"There is a very distinct difference between the two," Zipes said of Sarasota and Miami. "People who move here are not interested in the hip hop, the nightclubs and everything else in Miami.

"That's why personally I think there will be a change. People don't want to go to Dade anymore. It's too congested," Zipes said. "And that's what makes Sarasota attractive."

That also is why, brokers say, most new buyers in Southwest Florida tend to be in their 50s and 60s -- though some exceptions spring up.

One of those is former New Yorker Tom Esposito, a 37-year-old investment banker at Bank of America.

Esposito worked at IBJ Whitehall Financial Group in New York. After 9/11 Esposito lost his job and two months later, he moved to Sarasota, where his parents live.

His father wanted him to move out to Longboat Key, but Esposito missed the hubbub of the city.

That was one reason he bought a $632,000 unit at Five Points, which he considers the heart of the downtown.

"A lot of people I have met here are older, but that's OK. I like living downtown. There is so much going on here.

"My parents live on Longboat, and it's nice that they have that outlet, but I don't really need the beach every day, or every night."
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040708/BUSINESS/407080458/1200

this could also impact the laguna project also.......since laguna's developers want to increase the height


Article published May 30, 2004
Building heights spark conflicts
The county, Palmetto and Bradenton all differ on the desirability of high-rises on their shorelines.

By DALE WHITE and SELINA ROMÁN STAFF WRITERS

MANATEE COUNTY -- As real estate prices escalate, developers are pushing to build higher and denser on the most valuable property of all -- the county's waterfront.

The movement toward more and taller waterfront high-rises has pitted county against city, and sometimes city against city. It's even instigated some rivalry among developers.

This summer, Manatee County and the cities of Bradenton and Palmetto will make decisions that could set precedents for how they manage growth on their shorelines.

Yet their visions often conflict. Although they've sworn in the past to engage in more joint planning, they aren't reaching any consensus on this issue -- which has already triggered annexation disputes and some litigation.

That's because their motives differ.

Palmetto wants to revamp its image into an upscale destination for the martini set.

Bradenton, also anxious to expand its tax base, believes height equals marketability.

The county, which has the most untouched shoreline in its jurisdiction, wants to keep urban densities from intruding into the suburbs and overtaking the mainland's skyline.

Environmentalists, city officials and county officials generally agree on one point, though: If Manatee is to see more high-rises, an appropriate location should be the county's "urban core" -- where there are already streets, sea walls and city services.

"You don't see mangroves in the middle of the urban area," said Joan Perry of the environmental group ManaSota-88.

Yet there's no consensus about what is the "urban core" and how high is too high there.

How these neighboring jurisdictions manage and react to each others' decisions about where high-rises can be built and just how high they can go will determine how the county's landscape is altered for many years to come.

The 'norm' for the bayfront

Manatee is overwhelmingly a community of single-story, single-family houses. Yet residential high-rises aren't new here, especially where there's a water view.

The 13-story DeSoto Towers on Ware's Creek dates back to 1970. Bradenton's riverfront has three condo complexes built between 1972 and 1981 that range from five to eight stories. In the mid-1980s, Palmetto approved the seven-floor Regatta Pointe on its riverfront and a six-floor condo overlooking Terra Ceia Bay.

"There's nothing wrong with height," said Frank Maggio, a high-rise developer in Palmetto's Riviera Dunes. "It's elegant and brings a level of sophistication to the area."

Yet some worry that, no matter how architecturally stylish any single high-rise may be, a proliferation of high-rises could scar Manatee's coastline -- much of which is still heavily fringed with mangroves and estuaries.

"People don't go to Pinellas County to fish," Perry said. "They come to our coast. There's a huge difference (between Pinellas' and Manatee's shorelines)."

A trend of high-rise developments could convert Manatee's coastline into a seemingly endless "wall" of structures, Perry said. "There ought to be some balance here."

Manatee County Commissioner Ron Getman's district includes a 2.5-mile stretch of still-undeveloped shoreline on Sarasota Bay, including a site where SBC Developments wants to build condos.

Getman and other commissioners told SBC last week that its plan, which called for buildings with up to six floors, must be scaled down.

"Whatever we allow for this particular venture will become the norm" for the rest of the bayfront, Getman said.

His constituents say they don't want Manatee to "become another Fort Lauderdale, with high-rises completely lining the coast and a lot of traffic congestion," Getman said.

"We will ruin the vista of Manatee County and what people came here to be a part of or escaped the east coast of Florida to get away from."

Getman said the commissioners objected to high-rises on land that SBC is now leasing to a gladiola farm because the site is in the "suburban fringe."

For that same reason, they have clashed with the city of Bradenton about a high-rise proposal in its domain.

Views for sale

The county commissioners opposed the annexation of crop land on Perico Island into Bradenton and to developers' plans to build condo high-rises there at a height and density the county would not have permitted.

The county, the Island cities and environmentalists have been in a four-year legal fight with the city over that Arvida Co. project.

Arvida reduced the number of proposed condos. Yet it still wants buildings as high as 10 stories.

The county commissioners are not appeased. They have even threatened not to provide drinking water to the site, a tactic that a city planning commissioner called "extortion."

To Bradenton city officials, Perico Island is a suitable spot for Arvida's project. They argue that Arvida needs height to make it marketable.

That's because Arvida won't just be selling condos. It will be selling views of Anna Maria Sound and Tampa Bay.

The higher the condo, the better the view.

Construction may be under way soon on the eight-story Promenade condominiums beside downtown Bradenton's Rossi Waterfront Park.

And developers will be coming forward with a proposed residential, retail and office complex for the former city hall site on Ware's Creek. Its height hasn't been determined.

Bill Theroux, director of the Bradenton Downtown Development Authority, believes new high-rises are crucial to that downtown's revival and survival, if it is to become a place to live and play.

They'll attract new residents to an area where the city already has utilities and infrastructure, boost the city's tax base and offer an alternative to suburban sprawl.

Bradenton doesn't have a rigid height restriction for buildings, Theroux said. "We're more concerned about compatibility, the style and the design."

Palmetto, also anxious to grow, is just as flexible.

But it's growing so fast that it now must make some hard decisions regarding just how far to extend its "urban core" along its waterfront and just how high developers will be allowed build there.

Palmetto's growing Riviera Dunes development, on the city's eastern edge, will include several waterfront high-rises.

A height battle is brewing there as one condo developer wants to go higher than its neighbor.

Developers of Bel Mare want to build three 15-story high-rises instead of the four 12-story buildings originally planned. Although Palmetto's council members haven't voted on the change, they're inclined to accept one less building for more open space.

Bel Mare salespeople have taken reservations for the penthouses and upper-floor condos, even though the developer hasn't received approval to build them.

Developers for another condominium tower at Riviera Dunes, Laguna, say that if the city lets Bel Mare go higher they want to go just as high.

Maggio, of First Dartmouth Homes, said he originally wanted to build Laguna at 12 floors, but city planners wanted the buildings at seven and he abided by their requests.

"We have the right to change our site plans," Maggio said. "We are very seriously considering having to stay competitive with our neighbors."

Timothy Vining -- principal with Corvus International, Bel Mare's developer -- said the City Council may vote on Bel Mare's revised plans soon. Construction could begin in August.

For Palmetto Mayor Larry Bustle, adding three floors to Bel Mare's plan isn't a drastic decision. Still, he and other elected officials have to strike a "balance."

"My feeling is we're trying to get a happy balance of the competing demands -- what a developer wants to do, gorgeous views of the bay and river, and with demand to preserve green space and keep density reasonable."


Timothy Vining -- principal with Corvus International, Bel Mare's developer -- said the City Council may vote on Bel Mare's revised plans soon. Construction could begin in August.


W.G. Mills, Inc.'s new plans for Bel Mare include three, 15-story condo buildings instead of four, 12-story condo buildings, pending approval.

laguna location
http://rivieradunes.com/laguna/images/aerial_view_large.jpg

PLEASE PUT THE URL with the ARTICLE so we can find it. Thanks.

Posted on Wed, Jun. 16, 2004




OFFICE-BUILDING PROPOSAL


Planners to review Sandpile project

TIM W. McCANN

Herald Staff Writer


BRADENTON - The famous Sandpile continues to attract development, the latest being a proposal for an $8 million, 41,400-square-foot office building located at a vital city gateway.

The site plan for Riverwalk Professional Park goes before the Bradenton Planning Commission at 2 p.m. today. The Bradenton City Council is expected to review and take action on the project July 14.

Located at the northwest corner of the new Third Avenue West and First Street/U.S. 41, the two Mediterranean-style buildings of 20,700 square feet each will sit just off U.S. 301/41 and next door to 252 upscale apartments. The proposed two-story buildings incorporate the appearance of the Mainstreet at Bradenton apartments.

City and downtown officials praised the proposed project for its appearance and ingenuity.

Mayor Wayne Poston said office buildings near residences is what the city wants downtown. Redevelopment experts tout mixes of residential, commercial and office uses as a trend in downtown redevelopment.

Bill Theroux, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority, said developer Bernard Croghan "has a very successful track record of doing his due diligence before he invests the capital," and Theroux expects the development to succeed.

"It's heavily landscaped," Theroux said of the site plan. "It's a very attractive front."

The site of the proposed office park is part of the original 65-acre Sandpile dredged from the Manatee River in 1968. Nowadays, most consider the term "Sandpile" as referring to the 27 acres leased from the city by developers Bradenton Riverfront Partners in January 1999.

The developers plan to build upscale homes, shops, restaurants, pubs, office buildings, a park and more. They built the Mainstreet apartments east of the railroad tracks that cut through the Sandpile and construction on the west side is scheduled to begin in July.

If approved by city council, construction on Riverwalk Professional Park is expected to begin in September and last about one year. Croghan told the Herald in May that plans call for office units ranging from 2,500 to 5,000 square feet, although buyers will be able to combine units. He could not be reached late Tuesday for an update.

The project site is roughly 4.8 acres. The site is behind the Herald building and contains two entrance/exit ramps for U.S. 301/41 abandoned when the city completed the extension of Third Avenue West to U.S. 301/41.

IF YOU GO

• WHAT: Bradenton Planning Commission meeting

• WHEN: 2 p.m. today

• WHERE: City Centre Council Chambers, 101 Old Main St.


http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradentonherald/2004/06/16/business/8932364.htm

Posted on Thu, Jun. 17, 2004





Sandpile office building OK'd

TIM W. McCANN

Herald Staff Writer


BRADENTON - Praise continues to greet a developer's plan to build an office building on the far eastern side of the Sandpile.

The Wednesday afternoon meeting of the Bradenton Planning Commission proved no different. Board members lauded the plan for its extensive landscaping proposal, unique design and other features.

Diane Barcus, planning board chairwoman, called it spectacular.

"It will be nice to see things happening on that spit of land," she said, following the board's 4-0 vote to recommend approval of the plan.

The plan heads before Bradenton City Council on July 14. The council has final say on the planned development project.

Riverwalk Professional Park, the name of the proposed office, is planned for the northwest corner of Third Avenue West and First Street/U.S. 41. The proposed site plan shows two Mediterranean-style two-story buildings of 20,700 square feet each just off U.S. 301/41.

Mayor Wayne Poston and Bill Theroux, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority, also gave kudos to the plan. Theroux said he likes that the top of the office building will resemble its neighbor, the Mainstreet at Bradenton apartment complex.

Those 252 apartments are part of the development plan of the Sandpile's 27 acres under contract by Bradenton Riverfront Partners.

Bernard Croghan, developer of Riverwalk Professional Park, said his plan has received interest from physicians, accountants, an attorney and a marketing firm. He said he's aiming for a healthy mix of medical and professional uses.

Developments across the river in Palmetto, the Mainstreet at Bradenton apartments, and Bradenton Riverfront Partners' pending plans for luxury condominiums, offices, shops, restaurants and other attractions on the western side of the Sandpile are attracting attention to downtown Bradenton, Croghan said.

"There's a lot of excitement in downtown Bradenton," he said.

For the past decade or so, the term "Sandpile" has commonly referred to the 27 acres that Bradenton Riverfront Partners is developing because those acres were the last pieces left of the 65-acre tract dredged from the Manatee River in 1968. Croghan's office building is technically still on the Sandpile - which is land owned by the city.

Croghan said his firm bought the 99-year lease from another developer and is working with the city to eliminate the lease. Then his firm can grant a fee simple title to prospective tenants, similar to what a homeowner gets when buying a condominium unit.


http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradentonherald/2004/06/17/business/8941573.htm

The costs for Sarasota's condo are astounding. I couldn't afford those prices for years to come, even if things go according to plan in my professional life (and we all know that nothing goes according to plan).

Smoke em if you got em, as they say.

PLaza at Five Points and Whole Foods Market are literally going to change downtown Sarasota forever, and for the good. Its actually going to take on a hip feel, which is the only thing it really lacks. Kick out the old people!

Ah, but as listed above, tehre will be much more in that area to help it along.

Unfortuantely (and fortunately, as they have much money) the old people will be there for a while.

The old people are Sarasota's greatest asset next to the natural beauty of the place, but they sure know how to kill any sort of party vibe downtown or at Siesta Key Village. The county and city are enforcing stupid noise ordinances that don't allow live music to be played after 10pm. What decent club hits its peak before then? All the people who could help make downtown hip head to Ybor City in Tampa.

I don't expect Sarasota's scene to compete with South Beach, but there's so much potential if the city leaders took a more tolerant attitude and realize not everyone came here to go to bed before 9pm.

I'm going to post pics soon of some of the downtown projects soon. I tried to take pics Thursday afternnon, but a bad thunderstorm thwarted my efforts.

Not that there's anything wrong with old people, right ?

There's nothing wrong with old people. I hope I didn't offend anyone. It's just that the retirees have made such a fuss that bars and clubs can't operate the same as in other cities. It's bad enough the young people can't afford to live anywhere around here. Now there's nowhere to get together with your friends.

OK. Next topic. Sarasota was once known for having cutting edge modern architecture back in the 50s and 60s creating what's known as the Sarasota School of Architecture. You'd think the developers would embrace that and more of these projects wouldn't have the faux Mediterranean Revival style prevalent in cities like Naples and Palm Beach. Urban design god Andres Duany chastised the city for not living up to its architectural heritage and allowing tacky Med Rev towers (the Ritz anyone). He actually suggested writing a code specifiying architectural constraints that would outlaw Med Rev. That didn't go over well, of course.

Other cities in Florida are facing similar issues. What do you think?

As an architecture student myself, if there is one thing I HATE to see, it is a city's identity fall prey to architectural cookie-cutterism, all in the name of the almighty "dollars per square foot" axiom, coupled with the "marketing research" crapola.

There can be no progress without innovation.

honestly, faux Med. Revival looks less tacky than most throw back architecture. For example, both Atlanta and Dallas are obsessed with faux Second Empire designs which look worse than the France pavilion at Epcot. So for that, I am happy that Florida at least has a more timeless style, however, as for Sarasota, its probably not the city it was back then when visionaries were doing more daring things, but that can be said about pretty much anywhere.

Well, perhaps I'm a 33-year old who likes Sarasota to be somewhat sleepy, but I can understand the need for younger adults to have some more 'fun' outlets here in Sarasota. Not that the older folks are creating a stranglehold on the cultural scene, either.... younger adults CAN find something to do here in Sarasota.

Architecturally, Sarasota is an interesting blend of post-modern and Med. I like what we have, and like Beau Ciel as much as the Ritz. I only wish that the skyline had taller buildings, whether commercial or residential. Sarasota's skyline has too much of a 'buzz-cut' with hardly any buildings that stand out; 150'-200' seems to be the average. The Ritz stands out well, as it is now the tallest in the city, and can be seen from I-75 at the Fruitville overpass.

Smiley, in regard to your earlier post with the picture of the demolition of the site where the Herald-Tribune building is going, the 'favorite' office tower you mentioned is the Bank of America building, formerly the Ellis Bank building. It was the first 'modern' high rise office building in Sarasota, built around 1968-69. It originally had a dark green glass facade, but was renovated four years ago with a darker, gray glass exterior (done nicely, I think). In the 1980's, the porches on the top floor had long needle ferns hanging from the building. It is one of my favorites, too.

BTW Smiley, in your initial post, Bayway Promenade and Broadway Promenade are the same project. It's called Broadway Promanade... I saw an ad for it in the print edition of TBBJ...

Why sir, I have no idea what you are talking about. :)

It's also U/C...It's on US-41, near the 10st pier.

I will have to check it next time i am there. Are you sure it is not the Publix they are building next door? In any event, that area, which is pretty desolate right now, is giong to be quite nice in 5 years or so.

I will have to check it next time i am there. Are you sure it is not the Publix they are building next door? In any event, that area, which is pretty desolate right now, is giong to be quite nice in 5 years or so.

The Broadway Promenade and the Publix are all part of the same mixed-use development. The 6-7 story residential building abuts Pioneer Park where I've seen prostitutes hanging out, but all that will change once this project is out of the ground. Farther north on Tamiami Trail on the other side of the park will be another high-end condo called San Marco. I haven't been that way in a couple of weeks, and it may be U/C.

It's the same project. The condo will be out of the ground before the Publix is completed early next year.


[edit] Yeah, what he said.

Kind of weak looking, but . . .
http://www.bradenton.com/images/bradenton/bradentonherald/9138/83510216330.jpg
Posted on Tue, Jul. 13, 2004

MANATEE COUNTY SEEKS REVIEW


Perico faces 2 new suits

CARL MARIO NUDI

Herald Staff Writer


MANATEE - The battle lines are drawn again as two lawsuits move forward to block the development of high-rise condominiums on Perico Island.

Manatee County filed documents Thursday in the 12th Judicial Circuit Court seeking a review of the Bradenton City Council decision June 9 to allow Arvida, a St. Joe Co., to build 686 luxury condominium units in 13 high-rises on 416 acres of the northwest part of Perico Island. Five of the buildings would be 10 stories tall.

The environmental organization ManaSota-88 filed a separate lawsuit in the circuit court against the city of Bradenton on Friday, along with the three cities on Anna Maria Island and Joan Perry, a Holmes Beach resident.

"It's a terrible plan to put 13 high-rise buildings on that site," said Ralf Brookes, the attorney for the ManaSota-88 lawsuit. "It would alter the landscape and face of western Manatee County forever."

The two lawsuits are similar to a lawsuit seven island citizens, the county, ManaSota-88 and the island cities filed against Bradenton four years ago.

That lawsuit was put on hold when Arvida changed its original plans to build almost 900 units on the property to the smaller number.

At that time, the company hired the Tallahassee land-use legal firm Hopping, Green, Sams and Smith to help the city defend itself in court.

Bradenton Mayor Wayne Poston said he would hope Arvida will assist again with the new lawsuits.

Basis of complaints

While the environmental group's new lawsuit focuses on the burden the development would place on one of the two evacuation routes from Anna Maria Island, the county suit centers on the compatibility of the project with the surrounding land uses.

The ManaSota-88 lawsuit said the project will cause delays during a hurricane evacuation using Manatee Avenue West.

According to the lawsuit, Bradenton officials ignored their comprehensive plan when they approved building within "a priority one hurricane evacuation area" and the project "does not ensure fast evacuation prior to natural disasters such as hurricanes."

ManaSota-88 also contended the development will be located in the coastal high hazard area and be vulnerable to flooding.

"A problem exists with hurricane evacuation when density is way too high for the site," said Glenn Compton, chairman of ManaSota-88.

Phone messages left with the Arvida offices for comment were not returned Monday.

In an unsigned news release received via e-mail from the company's public relations agent, Clarke Advertising and Public Relations, on Monday, Arvida took the position that the ManaSota-88 lawsuit was frivolous.

The argument that "the project will impede hurricane evacuation . . . and will cause substantial harm to Perico Island and its surrounding habitat . . . were once again fully discussed, disclosed and dismissed at the Bradenton City Council meeting," it said.

Arvida officials maintain the impact from additional residents will add only seven minutes to the evacuation time.

The county lawsuit claimed the city failed to follow its comprehensive plan by not taking into consideration the impact the project would have on the neighborhood.

"The city council relied on a staff report, testimony and analysis that failed to include any finding that the project is compatible with surrounding land uses," the county attorneys wrote in the lawsuit.

Other arguments

The county suit also argued that the city ignored testimony given at a city council meeting about the congested traffic along Manatee Avenue and "the addition of the Project's large number of motoring residents will significantly deteriorate its level of service."

Another point the county lawsuit made was that the city's decision was "based upon a desire for increased tax revenues . . . rather than upon the factors required to be considered under the City's Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code."

Brookes, who also serves as the city attorney for Bradenton Beach, agreed and said the city was going for "a short-term gain of an increased tax base, while ignoring the long-term goal of preserving the area so people would want to move to Bradenton," Brookes said. "The difference is what makes it so special.

"This is a sellout to the developers," he said. "The project should be reconfigured to preserve the scenic vista."

He said the coastal area along Manatee County is unlike many of the other counties in the state, attracting many visitors because of that uniqueness.

"Look at the high-rises along the water front of Sarasota or St. Pete and Clearwater," Brookes said. "This changes the sense of place. The low profile of the Manatee County coastline has a different feel to it."

The unsigned statement from Arvida's public relations firm said high-rises are permitted on the Perico Island land.

"What the lawsuit boils down to is height . . . (and) our plan conforms to the legal requirements of the city's comprehensive plan," the news release stated.

Mediation likely

Poston said the city was ready to defend its decision and does not think the majority of the county commission "has a strong appetite for the lawsuit."

The county commissioners authorized the county attorney to file the lawsuit at the June 22 meeting only after they were told state law requires government bodies to mediate before a lawsuit proceeds through the courts.

Poston said he did not know what issues would be mediated.

"Does the county want us to abandon our comprehensive plan?" he asked.

Two of the mayors representing the three island cities said they support the issues the lawsuits address. Mayor John Chappie of Bradenton Beach did not return phone messages left for him.

Mayor Carol Whitmore of Holmes Beach and Mayor SueLynn of Anna Maria said the project will have a major impact on the island communities.

To SueLynn, the major points are that water pressure could be compromised, an evacuation delay and the amount of traffic on the island the project will generate.

"This will impact our infrastructure," she said. "The cities will be required to provided additional services such as law enforcement and beach cleanup."

http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/local/9139987.htm

Posted on Tue, Jul. 13, 2004





Condo sales soar in Manatee

RAY JOSEPH

Herald Staff Writer


MANATEE - New and existing condominium sales rose 16.2 percent in the county during the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2003, according the Manatee County Property Appraiser's office.

Through June 30, 1,546 condos changed hands, 216 more than the first six months of 2003 and 323 more than the same period in 2002.

The midyear median price of these new and existing multifamily units settled in at $161,800, posting a $19,825 price increase over last year.

Projected to year's end, 3,092 condos likely will be sold in 2004.

That's 413 more than 2003 and 820 more than 2002.

Chris Brown, owner and president of C&S Condominium Management Services in Bradenton, recalled the 1980s and '90s when condo sales were down or at best flat. He said sales have picked up in the past few years.

Condos present a broad range of styles and prices, and appeal to diverse audiences of buyers, according to Lynn Parker, president of the Manatee Association of Realtors and a realtor with Wagner Real Estate.

"Condominium buyers can be empty-nesters that want to scale down, snowbirds that want to simply lock the doors and head back north, or busy professionals who prefer the low maintenance aspect of condos," Parker said.

There remains a huge range in condo prices. Sale prices in the first half of this year ranged from $30,000 to $1.7 million, according to the Manatee County Multiple Listing Service.

Offering a great appeal to those who want ownership as well as the benefits of apartment living, new and existing affordable and luxury condos are hot properties this year in Manatee County.

In spring, the preconstruction marketing began on Corvus International LLC's Bel Mare condominium community in Palmetto. To date, the first of Bel Mare's three phases, with units priced from the high $400,000s, is 70 percent reserved.

In May, Grand Oaks Town Homes, a RDC Inc. community of 62 converted apartments at 49th Avenue West openedwith units priced from the low $100,000s.

And anxious buyers lined up in late June for a lottery chance to pay an average of a half million dollars for one of 60 remaining luxury Watercrest condominium units in Lakewood Ranch.

Back in March, David Seiders, chief economist of the National Association of Home Builders, predicted continued popularity of condominiums throughout the year, driving construction starts of multifamily units to highs not seen for more than 10 years.


http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/local/9139988.htm

Sarasota is a really cool place to live. The city is becoming a real metropolitan area with an actual skyline. :eek2:

This pic had to be heavily massaged, just to have some decent clarity, because it was so overcast as to make it almost
dark outside. But anyways, it gives folks a nice concept of what one sees from the barrier islands, looking back toards DT.
This pic is almost two years old now, and is missing a few buildings, and numerous more are obscured from view.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/500/8sarasota_panoramic_large.jpg

With regards to the on Perico Island.... What's the point of gobbling up hundreds of acres like that? Please don't tell me they're going to put the buildings all over the place, requiring roads and shit to stretch on all over it. I just don't get it.

Question for those interested...

How many years before a real highrise is at least proposed for the Bradenton area? I don't remember if there is a hieght limit (surely there is, knowing those NIMBYs down there), but I think it won't be more than 3 years before someone is proposing a structure which is at or over that limit.

Hell, even Gainesville had one proposed, how far off can a growing area with water views and beaches be?

Here are some construction pics of the mixed-use complex called Courthouse Centre, which takes up nearly the entire block between Main St. and Ringling Blvd. on US 301. The modern building (thank God, it's not Med Rev) wraps around a half block of older traditional Main St. USA-style retail and office space.

Aerial shot looking southwest. Hollywood 20 is in lower right corner.
http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v347/palmeri/courthouse4.jpg


Looking north on US 301 (Washington Blvd.) The county courthouse complex is on the right side.
http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v347/palmeri/courthouse3.jpg



A look at the northeastern facade.

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v347/palmeri/courthouse2.jpg


Another shot of NE facade at corner of Main and Washington

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v347/palmeri/courthouse1.jpg


A rendering of the finished building

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v347/palmeri/courthouserender.jpg

All links are dead.

I edited the post and hope the links stick this time.

I still can't see any photos.

I don't think the photohost you are using allows hotlinking.

http://www.skyscraperpage.com/gallery/


5MB for free, so long as it's architecture/skylines/urban related stuff.

* *
Feature**by*Susan Burns
Sarasota-Manatee Business Magazine (http://www.sarasotabusiness.info/Pages/hotstories/hotstories.asp?story=2950&month=7&year=4)

Businesspeople of the Year
A bold bunch of downtown developers transforms the Sarasota skyline.




We only had to look skyward to choose the 2004 Businesspeople of the Year, the men and women who have most affected the region this year. A forest of construction cranes made the choice obvious: Sarasota’s downtown developers. With their vision and willingness to take big risks, they are, virtually overnight, changing our community forever.

A growing downtown with new buildings, new residents and new businesses and services means expanded opportunities for the local economy. Not everyone likes so much change so fast, of course; growth brings serious questions, including whether we can handle the resulting traffic, whether all the new buildings will find tenants and buyers, and whether we’re creating an enclave for the wealthy rather than for the mix of ages, professions and cultures that make a city truly world class. But whatever the answers prove to be, in terms of impact, the major downtown developers you’ll meet on these pages are unquestionably Sarasota/Manatee Business’ Businesspeople of the Year.

Our list is not comprehensive; huge developments such as WCI’s The Tower Residences of the Ritz-Carlton were completed more than 12 months ago, but had tremendous impact—in fact, were a catalyst for further development. Several smaller projects are also under way, as are six Golden Gate Point condominium buildings.

Will these bold visionaries succeed? Only time can tell, but most of our developers say Sarasota’s time-tested attractions and ever-increasing numbers of well-heeled new residents and investors will make their projects work. We salute their eagerness to back up that belief with ambitious and creative development, and to play a role in shaping the city to come.


Gilbert Alvarez and Mark Miller

Mark Miller and Gilbert Alvarez met just as each had changed paths. Alvarez, a Miami international banker, moved to Sarasota after Hurricane Andrew in 1991 to find a better place to raise his children. Miller left college where he was considering medical school to start his luxury home-building business Westwater Construction Inc.; Alvarez was one of his first clients. The pair became friends and eventually partnered with Terry Conti of Westwater and Chad Bratzke, a former defensive end for the Indianapolis Colts, to build the 23 Italian-style villas with a lavish garden courtyard near Burns Court.


Company: Burns Court Development, LLC

Headquarters: Sarasota

Project: Burns Court Villas (http://www.burnscourtvillas.com/), 23 two- and three-story townhouses

Cost: $20 million

Price of condos: $780,000 to $927,000

Timeline: July 2004-September 2005


Liz Breuer

Former broadcast journalist and PriceWaterhouseCooper CPA, Liz Breuer, president of P. Wallenberg Co., understands stress. She faced plenty 18 months ago when she lost all her Savoy sales after nearby Burns Court residents sued to block construction. Breuer prevailed, and immediately sold 15 of The Savoy’s 24 units. "I knew Palm Avenue was ready to go," says Breuer, adding that legendary architect and planner Oscar Newman, before his recent death, told her Sarasota is "poised for greatness." Next: urban-style lofts, ranging from $200,000 to $500,000 off East Avenue and First Street.


Company: Floria, LLC, a joint venture between managing partner P. Wallenberg Development Co., Inc. and Placida Properties, Inc.

Headquarters: Sarasota

Project: The Savoy on Palm Avenue (http://www.savoyonpalm.com), 11 stories, 24 condo units

Cost: $36 million

Price of condos: $1,045,000 to $3,550,000

Timeline: April 2004-July 2005

Other notable projects: Placida Harbour Club, Inc., Placida; Centre Shops of Longboat Key, Arbor Greene 1,300 master planned community in New Tampa


Chris Brown

Although Chris Brown of Delray Beach has developed a single-family subdivision in Palmer Ranch and custom homes in The Oaks and Laurel Oak Country Club, his specialty for the last 10 years has been downtown building. In three or four years, Brown predicts, Sarasota will be completely different in its building heights, pedestrian traffic and entertainment. "You have a very deep housing market," he says, with many affluent buyers who maintain second homes here or retire here. "Very powerful. Prices aren’t dropping that much from the beach."


Company: Sarasota Main Street LLC

Headquarters: Jacksonville and Boca Raton

Project: 1350 Main (http://www.1350main.com), across from Sarasota News & Books, 17-story, 134-unit mixed-use project with 6,200 square feet of retail

Cost: $35 million

Price of condos: $280,000 to $1.2 million

Timeline: fall 2004-spring 2006

Other notable projects: Palmetto Place, a mixed-use project of 25 condo in downtown Boca Raton and Highland Beach Club in Highland Beach, converting apartments into condos


Chris Cobbs

Before Alinari developer Chris Cobbs joined the Wynnton Group in 1998 (the developer of Alinari’s sister project, The Renaissance of Sarasota), he lived in the world of institutional real estate investment—big-fund real estate companies that invest on a global scale. Until a few years ago, Sarasota was not on their radar screen, he says. Since then, our new upscale developments and year-round residents with money have attracted these types of investors to Sarasota. The upshot? Even more national investors with deeper pockets who view Sarasota "as a good spot for real estate development."


Company: Sarasota Renaissance Limited Partnership

Headquarters: Sarasota; Columbus, GA; and Atlanta, GA

Project: Alinari at The Renaissance of Sarasota (http://www.renaissanceofsarasota.net), 17-story condominium, 205 residences

Cost: $85 million

Price of condos: $350,000 to $1 million-plus

Timeline: summer 2004-January 2006

Other notable projects: Renaissance Condominium I; Bayshore Apartments, Tampa


Casey Cummings, Mitchell and Susie Rice

Broadway Promenade partners Casey Cunningham, president of Ram Development in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., and husband-and-wife team Mitchell and Suzie Rice of Tampa’s RMC (one of Florida’s biggest commercial real estate firms) have been friendly competitors for years. The Rices, searching for a new home for Publix on the North Trail, say they found a site at Tenth Street with beautiful views that called for something different from the typical center. Cummings calls Sarasota a rare coastal town with "a Bohemian feel, real streets and neighborhoods that connect to other places—and real jobs and real commerce."


Company: Ram Development and RMC Property Group

Headquarters: Ram is based in Palm Beach Gardens; RMC is based in Tampa

Project: Broadway Promenade (http://www.broadwaypromenade.com), mixed-use project of two buildings, 187 condos, 21,000 square feet of retail, 3,200 square feet of office

Cost: $50 million

Price of condos: high $100,000s to $600,000-plus

Timeline: June 2004-Publix will be completed in April 2005, condominiums in April 2006

Other notable projects: Ram: Martin Down, 2,600-acre master-planned community in Martin County; manages or owns 4,600 apartments and 2.5 million square feet of retail space. RMC: builder of 91 Walgreen stores, currently building seven Publix markets


Ali Ebrahimi

After several years and two failed attempts, the vacant one-acre parcel at Five Points has found a savior in understated Ali Ebrahimi, founder of Houston-based Ersa Grae Corp., developer of offices, shopping centers, homes and master-planned communities. Ebrahimi fled his native Iran in 1979 after Ayatollah Khomeini took power. In 2002, he bought the property at the advice of friend Fred Pezeshkan from Naples-based Kraft Construction. Ebrahimi’s proposed Plaza Verdi behind the Sarasota Opera will surpass The Plaza at Five Points in size.


Company: Ersa Grae Corp.

Headquarters: Houston, Texas

Project: The Plaza at Five Points (http://www.plazafive.com), 16-story, mixed-use project of 50 condo units, 90,000 square feet of office and 15,000 square feet of retail

Cost: $75 million

Price of condos: $600,000 to $1 million, $1.5 million to $2.5 million for penthouses

Timeline: November 2003 - May 2005

Other notable projects: Parklane Plaza, 34-story condo in Houston; Ocean Park Plaza office park in Santa Monica


Charles Githler

Friendly, well-connected Charles Githler, who moved to Sarasota when he was in middle school, runs InterShow, Inc., which produces investment and trade shows around the world, and does development, too. Creating the sleek, modern condo tower Beau Ciel with brothers Stanley and Daniel Kane, Tom Brown, Jay Tallman and Marianne Siegal was almost a no-brainer, he says; Tessera and Sarabande proved people wanted to live downtown, and then the Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota residences sold out in a day. "You won’t recognize Sarasota five years from now," he says. "But I think you’ll like it."


Company: Githler & Associates

Headquarters: Sarasota

Project: Beau Ciel (http://www.beaucielonline.com), 18 stories, 44 units

Cost: $62 million

Price of condos: $778,000 - $4,900,000

Timeline: completed September 2003

Other notable projects: Hyatt Sarasota renovations: $13 million, Half Moon Beach Club Resort, The Palm Towers and 1543 Second Street office building – 1987, other retail buildings on lower Main Street, Epicure/"Jolly" building


Sam Hamad

In 1988, Sam Hamad retired to Sarasota after a globetrotting career running the international division of Bristol-Myers Squibb. He jumped into development with Marquee en Ville, upscale townhomes going up at Fruitville and Cocoanut. Now he’s planning a 15-unit condo tower at Main Street and Gulf Stream Avenue with partner Gary Hoyt. Hamad, who says development is cyclical and downtown won’t stay hot forever, is betting he’s timed the market correctly. And he’s having fun. "It beats waking up every day and wondering which golf course I’m going to play."


Company: Enterprise Associates of Sarasota LLC

Headquarters: Sarasota

Project: Marquee en Ville (http://www.marqueeenville.com), 4-story gated enclave of 29 townhomes with rooftop terraces

Cost: $20 to 25 million

Price of condos: high $700,000s to $815,000

Timeline: May 2004-May 2005

Other notable projects: State Street office building


Brett Hutchens

Ten years ago, at 44, Brett Hutchens sold his South Carolina commercial development company and moved to Sarasota. His plan? "I didn’t have one." Today he is president of Casto Lifestyle Properties, developing Whole Foods and One Hundred Central, which sold its last unit in April. Hutchens bought one, too—his big Landings home and yard aren’t as appealing since his kids moved out. The new Ringling Bridge and the Duany plan convinced Whole Foods the timing was right, and it didn’t hurt that the city approved a $6.65-million subsidy.


Company: Casto Lifestyle Properties

Headquarters: Sarasota

Project: One Hundred Central and Whole Foods (http://www.onehundredcentral.com), 11-story, mixed-use project of 95 condo units with retail, and a national-brand organic supermarket

Cost: $55 million

Price of condos: $278,000 to $1.65 million (average: $500,000)

Timeline: Fall 2003-Whole Foods will be completed Nov. 1, 2004; retail completed December 2004; and condominiums completed spring/summer 2005

Other notable projects: Winter Park Village, Orlando, Fla.; Deerfield Town Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; projects in Charlottesville and Raleigh, N.C., and San Juan, Puerto Rico


Harvey Kaltsas

After decades of herbs and acupuncture needles, alternative medicine pioneer Dr. Harvey Kaltsas is building a 14-story, eco-friendly condo tower with non-toxic materials and meditative labyrinths in quaint Laurel Park, just south of Main Street. More than half the units have sold before breaking ground—most to year-round residents. "I’d love to talk to the other developers about our healthy technologies," he says. "It’s not more expensive." But if local developers aren’t listening, others are: Kaltsas is discussing the development of Kanaya-like communities with a national spa developer.


Company: Kanaya LLC

Headquarters: Sarasota

Project: Kanaya (http://www.kanayacondos.com), 14-story, 35-unit condominium

Cost: $38 million

Price of condos: $575,000-$1.5 million

Timeline: June 2004-November to December 2005

Other notable projects: Kanaya is his first


Dr. Mark Kauffman

Retired orthopedic surgeon Dr. Mark Kauffman seems to have the Midas touch. His latest project is the modernistic, mixed-use Cityscape at Courthouse Centre across from his Hollywood 20. Many skeptics wondered when he announced plans for upscale condo lofts on the top two floors along busy U.S. 301 across from the courthouse. But he’s already sold out and given the formerly ho-hum block a jolt of urban energy. Next: a redo of the Glauser building on Osprey Avenue just north of Mound Street, and a strip center on University Boulevard near Honore Avenue.


Company: Courthouse Associates

Headquarters: Sarasota

Project: Cityscape at Courthouse Centre (http://www.courthousecentre.com), 10 stories, 19 condo lofts, 80,000 square feet of office/retail space, five levels of parking

Cost: undisclosed

Price of condos: $375,000 to $750,000 (sold out)

Tenants: Mediterraneo, Jolly’s, Melting Pot, law firm of Dunlap and Moran, CPA firm Kerkering Barberio, high-end audio company Synergy,

Timeline: July 2003-December to February 2005

Other notable projects: Hollywood 20, Links Plaza


Patrick Kelly

Affable Irishman Patrick "Paddy" Kelly blasted onto the scene big-time when he bought the Quay for $60 million in January 2004 and announced plans for a $1-billion mega development at the site of the moribund pink commercial complex between the Hyatt Sarasota and the Ritz. While some exclaim it’s too large—Kelly initially proposed five towers, each 27 stories and filled with hotel rooms, condo residences, office and retail—his grand vision has forced us to look at downtown Sarasota through new—and bigger—eyes.


Company: Irish American Management Services, Ltd. and Redquartz Development Ltd.

Headquarters: Dublin, Ireland

Project: Sarasota Harbor Place, hotel, condos, stores, offices, parking, maybe conference space on 10.5 acres.

Cost: $750 million to $1 billion

Price of condos: $500,000 to $1 million

Timeline: TBD

Other notable projects: Smithfield, Gallery Quay Condos, 278 waterfront condos; National College of Ireland—all in Dublin


Gilbert Alvarez and Mark Miller

Mark Miller and Gilbert Alvarez met just as each had changed paths. Alvarez, a Miami international banker, moved to Sarasota after Hurricane Andrew in 1991 to find a better place to raise his children. Miller left college where he was considering medical school to start his luxury home-building business Westwater Construction Inc.; Alvarez was one of his first clients. The pair became friends and eventually partnered with Terry Conti of Westwater and Chad Bratzke, a former defensive end for the Indianapolis Colts, to build the 23 Italian-style villas with a lavish garden courtyard near Burns Court.


Company: Burns Court Development, LLC

Headquarters: Sarasota

Project: Burns Court Villas, 23 two- and three-story townhouses

Cost: $20 million

Price of condos: $780,000 to $927,000

Timeline: July 2004-September 2005


Wayne Morehead

For decades, courtly Atlantan Wayne Morehead ran assisted living facilities in 11 states. He visited Sarasota in the late ’90s with thoughts of managing one more. The facility wasn’t right, but "Sarasota was stunning," he says. Morehead found property at Boulevard of the Arts and Cocoanut Avenue to develop The Boulevard, another mixed-use project pushing development north of the city. "I’m hoping I’ll get to do another mixed-use project in the area where The Boulevard is," he says.


Company: Khason Development

Headquarters: Atlanta

Project: The Boulevard, 8-story, mixed-use development with 35 condominium units and 4,000 square feet of retail

Cost: $20 million

Price of condos: $490,000 to $1.1 million

Timeline: summer 2004-fall 2005

Other notable projects: The Boulevard is Khason Development’s first


Jim Moynihan

A former New Jersey developer, boyish-looking Jim Moynihan fell in love with Sarasota three years ago on vacation and decided he could develop large projects in both states. But soon he sold his New Jersey holdings and moved here. He’s also developed the land for the residential Enclave at Ashton, is looking at South Trail motels for another mixed-use project and is on the board of Sarasota Home Builders Association. "This is home," he says. "It’s a great place to live, work and raise your children."


Company: JM Communities, LLC

Headquarters: Sarasota

Project: San Marco (http://www.sanmarcosarasota.com), 6 stories, 23 units, 5,000 square feet of first-floor retail, 2,300 square feet of executive office suites with a community conference room

Cost: $17 million

Price of condos: $400,000s to $1.1 million

Timeline: May 2004 - July 2005

Other notable projects: 85 single-family and condo residences at Shannon Estates in Burlington County, N.J.; Trellis Green, 121-unit condominium in Burlington


New York Times Company

Newspapers belong in the heart of a city, says Sarasota Herald-Tribune publisher Diane McFarlin, who convinced the brass at The New York Times Co. to buy a Main Street location instead of building its new headquarters—designed by Miami’s trend-setting Arquitectonica (http://www.arquitectonica.com)—on 30 acres it owned on Fruitville Road near the interstate. It helped when Sarasota provided $768,131 in TIF financing. "I vacillate between excitement and trepidation," she says about Sarasota’s growth. "I hope we can experience healthy, productive growth without trampling on the very characteristics that have made this such an appealing place to live."


Company: Sarasota Herald-Tribune, a New York Times Company

Headquarters: New York

Downtown project: Sarasota Herald-Tribune headquarters, three-story, 71,250-square-foot building for newspaper and SNN

Cost: $30.6 million

Timeline: May 2004-Sept. 2005


Piero Rivolta

Italian-born Piero Rivolta manufactures cars and boats, loves music, writes poetry and—what else would you expect in Sarasota—develops residential real estate, including his new Rivo at Ringling, a 15-story condo tower at the corner of Ringling Boulevard and Osprey Avenue that Rivolta will surround with retail, a bank and office space. This world traveler says Sarasota is becoming more cosmopolitan, but, so far, not too big. Warning about following Duany’s plan too rigorously, he says, "a city has to grow with the mentality and life of the people."


Company: Rivolta Group

Headquarters: Sarasota

Project: Rivo At Ringling (http://www.rivoringling.com), 15-story condominium, 106 units

Cost: $63 million for the condo; $12 million for the commercial parcels

Price of condos: $380,000s to $1.4 million

Timeline: September 2004-March 2005

Other notable projects: The Oaks, Longwood Run


Richard Zipes

Richard Zipes is an optimist. The 64-year-old developer of The Metropolitan became a father for the fifth time last February and is developing downtown’s priciest condo project, a $150-million, 18-story high rise at the corner of Gulf Stream Avenue and U.S. 41. Though some question whether the luxury condo market is flooded, "Sarasota is undersupplied," asserts Zipes, who reviews marketing analyses and says, "I go by the seat of my pants." Florida’s population will exceed New York’s by 2020, he says. Plus, "We have a good balance sheet and patience."


Company: Metropolitan Sarasota, LTD

Headquarters: Fort Lauderdale

Project: The Metropolitan (http://www.themetfl.com), 18-story condominium with 124 residences

Cost: $150-plus million

Price of condos: $1.8 to $5.5 million

Timeline: December 2004 at the earliest-December 2006

Other notable projects: four hotels in Fort Lauderdale and Orlando; largest is the $200 million, 42-story Las Olas River House in Fort Lauderdale

I suggest someone go to the beginning of this thread and take the pictures and match them up with the blurbs.

http://www.themetfl.com/images/homePic.jpg

Metropolitan reacts to soft market
By KEVIN McQUAID
kevin.mcquaid@heraldtribune.com

SARASOTA — In a concession to downtown’s softening luxury condo market, the developer of the planned 18-story Metropolitan wants to add units and trim prices.
Developer Richard Zipes intends to seek city permission next month to add as many as 21 smaller condominiums to his 124-unit luxury project set for U.S. 41 and Gulf Stream Avenue.
Zipes said the move will give him greater flexibility in marketing the Metropolitan’s upscale units, which were slated to sell for a minimum $1.8 million. The new minimum would be $1 million.
“This is not going to change the character of the project at all,” he said. “Really all that it does is it opens the door, and broadens the base of potential buyers.”
Zipes began considering adding units following the city’s adoption of a new downtown zoning code in late May. The new code, which will implement the city’s Downtown Master Plan 2020, allows greater residential density in some projects.
The decision to seek permission for more units also comes less than a month after Zipes said in response to some speculation that he wasn’t abandoning or altering the $100 million Metropolitan’s makeup.
At the time, while acknowledging that sales were slow, he added there were no plans to drastically lower unit prices.
“We have a plan for the project, and we’re not going to abandon it,” Zipes said in late June.
A leading Sarasota real estate agent praised Zipes’ move as a proper reaction to the luxury condo market.
“It shows a sensitivity to market conditions, and it shows the developer is creative in looking to explore opportunities,” said Michael Saunders, president of Michael Saunders & Co., the region’s top residential real estate brokerage firm.
Earlier this year, Zipes rejected Saunders’ efforts to become the project’s exclusive sales agent. Zipes’ own marketing team is handling sales.
Saunders added that despite a white-hot real estate environment with record jumps in prices and sales, current buyers are largely avoiding condos priced at $2.5 million and above.
“It’s where the market is right now,” she said, “which is not to say that by next season, with a slate of new buyers, that the market won’t be there. But right now, beyond a price point of $2.5 million, it’s slow.”
Zipes’ current Metropolitan design includes units with a minimum 3,200 square feet and increasing to 5,000 square feet.
And at $1.8 million, the Metropolitan’s starting sales prices are among the highest in Sarasota.
When the project was unveiled in April 2003 and again during a lavish kickoff party three months ago, Zipes pledged the Metropolitan would set a new standard for condominium living in Southwest Florida.
“It’ll blow the doors off,” he said.
If approved by the city, Zipes’ new units would contain roughly 2,000 square feet and sell for about $1 million.
Unlike the majority of Metropolitan condominiums, though, the smaller units would have either a south view toward Sarasota Bay or a north vista facing the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and condominiums.
The developer added that while initial market research indicated buyers were willing to spend upper seven-figures for large units downtown, foot traffic into the Metropolitan’s sales center convinced him to offer a less costly alternative.
By contrast, six Metropolitan penthouses will contain between 4,500 square feet and 6,500 square feet. They are expected to sell for $5 million each.
Zipes said he is planning a required neighborhood meeting to receive comments on the unit proposal on Aug. 3. A formal application to the city for the increased density is expected in mid-August.
Zipes said the addition of units, if approved, will not have any affect on the Metropolitan’s parking, site plan, height or amenities.
Each unit will continue to be sold fully-finished, complete with French doors, built-in wine coolers, marble flooring and counter tops, 78-inch baths, walk-in closets, recessed lighting and outdoor kitchens.
“Our square footage prices are not changing,” Zipes said. “One million (dollars) is still a lot of money.”
Zipes said he and partner Tarragon Realty Corp., of New York, expect to start construction on the Metropolitan in mid-2005 and complete the building two years later.
Meanwhile, Zipes traveled to England this week on a trip aimed at drumming up international sales. The developer hopes European buyers will take advantage of favorable exchange rates and be amenable to purchasing vacation or second homes in the United States.
The English pound is worth considerably more than the U.S. dollar, and the European Union currency, the euro, trades at roughly 20 percent higher than the dollar.
Zipes said he is planning similar sales trips to Spain and France later this year.
“This is not a panic,” Zipes said of the design changes. “This is just something I want to have in my pocket. Nothing’s changed; it’s still a marathon, not a sprint.”

Is Zipes losing his touch ? Seems that he's cancelled his second phase of Las Olas Riverhouse in FTL.

The url for that article, which you should always post with the article, is
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040721/BUSINESS/407210505/1200

And, I think this project was a bit too much in apretty competitve market. It is not really urban but it is really expensive. Why live there when there are so many other places that are a bit cooler to live.

Posted on Wed, Jul. 21, 2004



I M A G E S

GRANT JEFFERIES-The Herald
Crews with Gulf Foundation of Tampa drive one of 810 pilings into the soil Tuesday at the Sandpile to test the strength needed for the latest project on the site.





Clients clamor for water view

Developer reworking design to capitalize on river

KURT D. SCHULTHEIS

Herald Staff Writer


BRADENTON - A demand for waterfront views has Promenade at Riverwalk partners rethinking the placement of residential buildings along the river.

Construction began last week on River Dance, the first Promenade condo complex, consisting of 115 units that range from 1,277 to 2,111 square feet.

But even as pilings were being driven into the ground for River Dance on Tuesday, the president of Promenade at Riverwalk commissioned his architect to look for a way to add a fourth building and create more waterfront views.

"We have learned a lot by selling condos for River Dance," said President Robert Hatfield. "And what we've learned is that people want a view of the Manatee River."

River Dance is 83 percent reserved, and 90 percent of those reservations have been converted into sales contracts, Hatfield said.

Condos for the residential buildings are selling at prices between $286,000 and $575,000.

"The most expensive units with the views are snatched up," Hatfield said. "And I think once people see the building rise, the rest will fill up quickly."

He expects completion of the first building in August 2005.

Carolyn Skene, a realtor associate with Wagner Realty, said the demand for waterfront views is stronger than ever.

"This is Florida and everyone wants to be on the water," Skene said.

Skene said buyers not only want to be on the water, but they want those views for higher property values as well.

"Customers today know what sells," Skene said. "They know that a condo unit on the river will be worth a lot more than one down the hall that's overlooking a parking lot."

Watching the expensive units fill up first gave Hatfield and his partners an idea.

"We thought it would be great if we could re-position the buildings so they all are on the river, which would create more views," Hatfield said. Right now, the design has one residential building placed behind the others.

The current multimillion-dollar project calls for a mixed-use development featuring 350 condos in three eight-story buildings with parking decks. There are also plans for five commercial buildings on the property.

But Hatfield is looking at the possibility of a redesign that calls for four total residential buildings that are a bit smaller in size.

Hatfield would make the remaining three "with less units per floor and less units per building."

"But the end result would be more three-bedroom units with more views," Hatfield said.

Hatfield won't know if the redesign plan will work until later in the summer. "It's in the early stages now, and my architect is busy with River Dance right now," Hatfield said.

He expects the building to be sold out by this winter.

Once River Dance is complete, reservations will begin on the second building.

Kurt D. Schultheis, Herald business reporter, can be reached at kschultheis@bradentonherald.com or at 748-0411, ext. 2120.

http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/business/9202346.htm

This is what happens when you are spending other peoples' money:

Posted on Wed, Jul. 21, 2004





Perico legal fees cost $200,000

Continuing legal showdown will add to taxpayers' bill

TIM W. McCANN

Herald Staff Writer


BRADENTON - The first time the city approved a site plan to develop north Perico Island, the county sued and the two governments heaped up more than $200,000 in legal fees.

That was four years ago, and the scenario is threatening to repeat itself.

This year the city approved new plans presented by developer Arvida, a St. Joe Co. The county and environmental group ManaSota-88 sued.

Taxpayers, especially those in Bradenton, face paying for another round of legal fees. And because city taxpayers also pay county taxes, Bradenton taxpayers are essentially paying to sue and defend themselves.

That is a statistic not lost with Bradenton Councilman Gene Gallo, who called the lawsuits a shame and waste of taxpayer money. He said he feels the city and Arvida have met all legal requirements and he is a bit surprised by the second round of lawsuits.

But Gallo said he believes opponents want the plan scrapped mainly because it calls for 10-story buildings, not so much environmental and public safety reasons.

"I don't care what anyone says about evacuation and highways, it all boils down to height of buildings," Gallo said. "That development presented to us was environmentally sound. They're hurting nothing by going up in the air."

According to public records, Manatee County reimbursed attorney Dan Lobeck $38,920 between May and July 2001 for expenses related to the Perico administrative hearing. County attorneys and paralegals spent almost 960 hours on the Perico lawsuits, which translates to $68,243.

But to say the county's involvement in the Perico lawsuits cost taxpayers $68,243 and 960 hours of staff time is not entirely true, according to Manatee County Commissioner Joe McClash. The county annually budgets about $1.2 million for its attorney's office.

"That's money that would have been spent anyway," McClash said. "The suit did not increase the cost of the county attorney's office. The county's internal cost for the attorneys were budgeted expenses and not additional costs that came from additional taxes that need to be spent."

McClash added that ManaSota-88 filed the lawsuits in 2000, so the city would have spent defense money anyway - regardless of the county's decision to join the lawsuits.

Public records obtained from Bradenton show that the city paid the law firm Dye, Dietrich and Prather, City Attorney Bill Lisch, and a mediator about $86,000 between 2000 and 2003 to defend the city council's May 2000 approval of the original Arvida plan.

Mayor Wayne Poston came under fire four years ago when he asked Arvida to help out with the city's defense. Arvida declined to reveal what it spent.

But Poston hopes Arvida pitches in again.

Arvida hired the high-profile Tallahassee land-use firm of Hopping, Green, Sams and Smith. The firm represented the city during a grueling two-week administrative hearing in Bradenton in 2001 that put dozens of witnesses on the stand, including Poston, several city planners, mayors from the barrier island cities and representatives from the Florida Department of Community Affairs.

The plaintiffs received outside financial help, too. Perico Isles residents and the group Concerned Citizens of Manatee County raised more than $100,000 to help out ManaSota-88.

Earlier this month, Manatee County filed documents in court seeking a review of the Bradenton City Council's June 9 decision to allow Arvida to build 686 luxury condominium units in 13 high-rises on 416 acres of Perico Island. Five of the buildings are proposed to reach 10 stories.

The county's lawsuit contends the project violates the city's comprehensive plan because it is incompatible with the surrounding land uses, it ignores sworn testimony about traffic congestion on Manatee Avenue, and the council's decision to approve the project was based on revenue growth while not taking into account comprehensive plan and land use issues.

ManaSota-88 filed a separate lawsuit against the city, along with the three barrier island cities and Holmes Beach resident Joan Perry. The lawsuit claims the development will severely burden Manatee Avenue, one of the two evacuation routes off Anna Maria Island.

"The county has tried to send that message over and over again, but the city ignores the concerns of the community," McClash said.


http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/local/9202387.htm

Article published Jul 22, 2004
Condos pitched for Pino's property

By KEVIN McQUAID

SARASOTA -- Hoping to capitalize on downtown's frenetic condo scene, a local developer is pushing a plan for a 15-story, luxury tower at Main Street and Gulf Stream Avenue.

Developer Sam Hamad's proposed $30 million building marks the latest in a series of residential projects to hit downtown, including Plaza at Five Points, Plaza Verdi, 1350 Main St., 100 Central, the Metropolitan and several condo towers on Golden Gate Point.

Hamad expects his 15-unit project, set for the corner occupied by the restaurant Pino's Primi Piatti, to stand out from most competitors because it will have both waterfront views and be connected to Main Street.

"It's going to be drop-dead gorgeous," Hamad said. "It'll have to be, to compete with Golden Gate Point and some of the other projects. But it's a great location, and it'll have the benefit of being right on Main, looking at the water."

Hamad said the project, slated to contain units of roughly 4,000 square feet, will also include a pool, spa, fitness center and concierge service.

The building's parking structure will be different too. Instead of traditional deck parking, Hamad's garage will contain electric lifts to allow vehicles to be stacked atop one another within the building. Vehicles would be retrieved by a 24-hour valet.

"It's a system that's used in other countries, and in places like San Francisco," said Gary Hoyt, president of Hoyt Architects and Hamad's partner in the project.

"It's being done, and in some ways it's easier than a ramp system for accessing cars," Hoyt added. "It seems to be a natural fit for this project."

But the project's unorthodox parking system may not be the only hurdle it faces.

Hamad's proposal comes at a time when the local real estate market for seven-figure condos is softening, and agents are struggling to find buyers for numerous luxury units at the Ritz-Carlton, Beau Ciel and the Metropolitan.

Hamad said the Main Street condos will likely sell for between $2.4 million and $2.8 million.

He hopes to begin construction next summer and complete the project in mid- to late-2006.

The fate of Pino's, a 12-table Italian eatery that opened in fall of 2000, could not be determined. Owners Guiseppe "Pino" and Kim Luongo could not be reached for comment.

The Main Street projects marks Hamad's second new residential development downtown. He also is building Marquee en Ville, a 29-unit townhome project on Fruitville Road.

There, Hamad is developing a series of four-story residences with private garages and elevators, summer kitchens, fireplaces and optional hot tubs.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040722/BUSINESS/407220324/1200

Unfortunately, tehy put this out byt he interstate instead of in town, though I understand why
http://www.bradenton.com/images/bradenton/bradentonherald/9219/84998146472.jpg
Posted on Fri, Jul. 23, 2004


Decision on seats delays ticketing

MATT GRISWOLD

Herald Staff Writer


LAKEWOOD RANCH - Anxious hockey fans waiting to sign season-ticket contracts with DVA Sports are being asked to wait a little longer as the arena developers decide which manufacturer they will hire to provide an estimated 7,400 seats to fill out the facility's bowl.

Industry leaders Hussey Seating Co. and Irwin Seating Co. are vying to win the bid, said Larry Kish, senior vice president of DVA Sports. The variations between the two company's seat designs are enough to prevent Kish from promising people where they will be able to sit, he said.

"The season-ticket requests keep piling in every day," Kish said Thursday. "I got requests today for another nine tickets."

DVA Sports opened a third office in the Executive Suites at Lakewood Ranch - a room that will serve as the company's sales office as it gears up to sign season-ticket agreements and advertising contracts with both local and out-of-town businesses.

There have been about 600 requests for season tickets. All 38 luxury suites appear spoken for.

At about $30,000 annually, commitments to the suites alone translate to more than $1 million in guaranteed, first-year revenue.

Moreover, at least a dozen unsolicited companies have inquired about display advertising within the 220,000-square-foot East Manatee facility, he said, in addition to businesses with which DVA Sports officials are trying to cultivate relationships.

Three different ownership groups from the af2 arena football league have expressed interest in playing in the new arena, but DVA officials won't begin formal discussions with potential football tenants until after Labor Day, Kish said. At least four discussions have taken place with the NBA's developmental league about placing a basketball team in this market, he added.

"We've got a lot of decisions to make," he said.

Tampa's Walbridge Aldinger Co., the general contractor on the $70 million project, is in the midst of wetland-protection efforts as crews prepare to lay the arena's foundation, said Chuck Madden, a development partner with DVA Sports.

Vertical construction won't likely begin before October, Madden said.

"I think we're probably still looking at a formal groundbreaking of sorts in mid-September, once school starts and people get back from vacation and can have something to look at," he said. "This is what you have to do. You can't go vertical until you have a good foundation."

Another major revenue stream for the arena will come from a naming-rights deal that's not likely to be announced before the public groundbreaking ceremony. Kish said a naming-rights deal has not been closed.


http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/business/9221344.htm

Man, this proprety mentioned in the above article is precisely one of the blocks where I think that Sarasota would have been better off to buy the land itself, and then basically seeks bid for dsevelopers who would build a larger, taller true 'landmark' highrise for the city. Preferably something with a good deal of office space, to lure some employment DT, and perhaps a hotel. And surely retail on the first floor.

A nice 280-350ft tower with distinctive architecture would have been a real blessing IMO.

(btw, I think that the city should be doing this to about 6-10 blocks over time)

Posted on Tue, Jul. 27, 2004





Riviera developer selling lots, shifting focus to St. Petersburg

DUANE MARSTELLER

Herald Staff Writer


PALMETTO - The company that has built all of Riviera Dunes' single-family homes plans to pull out of the waterfront development to concentrate on another one in St. Petersburg.

First Dartmouth Homes said Monday it plans to sell its remaining 23 undeveloped waterfront lots and marina slips, as well as a vacant 2½-acre outparcel, to Corvus International LLC. Terms of the pending sale, which is expected to close in September, were not disclosed.

First Dartmouth is leaving Riviera Dunes to focus on a $250 million residential and commercial redevelopment project at St. Petersburg's Huber Marina Yacht Basin, chief executive Frank Maggio said. The St. Petersburg-based builder plans to shift its focus from single-family home construction to marina redevelopment, land development and multi-family housing projects.

"We're going in a different direction," he said. "It's a capacity issue for us."

First Dartmouth has built about 170 homes in Riviera Dunes and has another 17 under contract for construction, he said. The company will honor those contracts.

The pending sale does not affect Laguna at Riviera Dunes, a $110 million, five-building condominium complex that Maggio has a 40 percent ownership stake in. The first 42-unit building is now under construction, with all but two units already sold, and construction on the second building is expected to start in October, he said.

The deal will make Corvus, a real-estate development firm based in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., the largest single landholder in Riviera Dunes.

Corvus also is developing Bel Mare at Riviera Dunes, a proposed four-building condominium complex. The firm hopes to break ground on the first 12-story building later this year.

Corvus officials did not return telephone messages Monday.


http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/business/9250280.htm

I don't buy it, but . . .
Posted on Tue, Jul. 27, 2004




LAKEWOOD RANCH


Main Street permits finalized

MATT GRISWOLD

Herald Staff Writer


LAKEWOOD RANCH - It's hard to have a town without a Main Street. And there can't be a Main Street without someone to build it.

Permitting delays and lengthy negotiations with potential general contractors have held up development and construction of Lakewood Ranch's planned entertainment district, said John Swart, president of Lakewood Ranch Realty Co. Inc.

But that's about to change. Permitting was finalized June 21, and developers are days away from securing a general contractor to build the $25 million Main Street project.

Despite the delays, the project is still likely to open around the projected third quarter of 2005.

"Instead of July, probably September or October," Swart said. "But it looks like everything's coming together fine."

Main Street is being developed in a joint partnership between Schroeder-Manatee Ranch Inc. and Casto Southeast, a subsidiary of the Don M. Casto Organization, a Columbus, Ohio-based real estate firm. Developers have spent the past few months fine-tuning some of the project's details and signing more tenants.

Swart declined to disclose some of Main Street's newest tenants, electing to announce them publicly in the months ahead. He did say that Main Street's 108,000 square feet of retail is more than 60 percent pre-leased.

Main Street is a 24-acre, upscale retail and office project that will feature between 40 and 60 stores, five or six restaurants, 45,000 square feet of office space, a park, a new lakefront condo complex and a $3 million, eight-screen movie theater complex.

Morton's Market, Fred's Restaurant & Bar, Annabelle's Home & Kitchen and a new banquet hall facility will fill more than 17,000 square feet of street-level space at Main Street's primary entrance.

A nightclub will provide live entertainment and facilitate business meetings and ceremonies, said Brett Hutchens, Casto Southeast president, in a previous Herald report.

Main Street will be similar to Winter Park Village - a 40-acre, 524,000-square-foot village-style center near Orlando.

http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/business/9250276.htm

Article published Jul 29, 2004
History of Summerhouse could affect condo project

By Lauren Mayk

SIESTA KEY -- At 28, The Summerhouse restaurant might seem too young to be considered "historic."

But as part of a modern architectural movement, its significance may be mature beyond its years -- and enough to hold up plans to demolish the Siesta Key restaurant to make way for condominiums.

Historic preservation experts for Sarasota County are looking at whether the popular restaurant, designed by acclaimed Sarasota architect Carl Abbott, might be eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places because of its connection to the Sarasota School of Architecture.

The "school" was never a formal academic institution, but a style tied to architectural giants who taught at Ivy League schools in the years surrounding World War II and influenced design in Sarasota.

"Here, because of (the) unique climate because of pre-air-conditioning days, they were adapting the international style to Florida conditions," said Lorrie Muldowney, Sarasota County's historic preservation specialist.

Abbott is considered among the second generation of those architects, studying under masters such as Paul Rudolph. While studies and discussions are still preliminary, an historic designation could be the trump card in determining how Ohio-based Snavely Siesta Associates proceeds with its plan to build a three-building complex with 45 condominiums.

The Summerhouse announced this winter that owner George Perreault plans to sell the 3.42-acre property to Snavely for an undisclosed sum. The restaurant was originally scheduled to close this fall, but has pushed its final seating to Mother's Day of 2005.

As one of the county officials tapped to review the condo proposal, Muldowney asked the developer to do a study assessing the historic significance of the property. A report has been submitted to the county, but it has not yet been accepted.

If it is determined that the building is eligible to be included in the National Register, then county officials and the developers will discuss how to avoid or mitigate "adverse impacts" to the site, Muldowney said. Approval of the project would be conditioned on carrying out that solution, according to the historic preservation portion of the Sarasota County code.

Options could include incorporating the restaurant building into the condo project's design, moving all or parts of it or fully documenting the structure before knocking it down.

"We see creative solutions all the time," Muldowney said.

Those talks would go forward regardless of whether the developer or property owner actually goes through with registering the building.

"It can't be forced to be designated," said Arnold Berns, president of the Sarasota Historical Society.

But the developers are bound to work with the county on a solution if they want their project to be approved. Snavely could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

The Ohio company commissioned Sarasota firm Archaeological Consultants Inc. to conduct the study, which addressed the history of the building and the rest of the property.

The study falls short in several areas, failing to issue a firm opinion on the building's historic significance or to evaluate some landscaping features, Muldowney said. She plans to ask for revisions to the study, which was conducted in March.

Marion Almy, Archaeological Consultants' principal investigator, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

The study notes the building's glass curtain wall construction and "transparency of space."

"Although less than 50 years of age, the Summerhouse Restaurant is part of the Sarasota School of Architecture, a recognized modern movement and may meet the criteria of exceptional significance for buildings of the recent past," the study says.

Architectural firm Zoller & Abbott was commissioned to design the restaurant in 1976. It was built for former New Hampshire Gov. Hugh Gregg, who moved to Sarasota with his wife, the study said.

While Abbott is often given much of the credit for the restaurant's design, the study said it was Bill Zoller who incorporated existing plants and foliage into the structure.

"Over the intervening 28 years, the plants have matured and enhanced the effect of dining in a greenhouse," the study said.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040729/BUSINESS/407290644/1200

Oh give me a stinkin break. I have a better idea. REBUILD the same design somewhere else.

My advice - just do it -as long as it is nice and no surface parking
Posted on Fri, Jul. 30, 2004





Riverside Drive tops Gevity's list

Time and zoning may rule site out as new headquarters

DUANE MARSTELLER

Herald Staff Writer


PALMETTO - Gevity HR wants to relocate its Bradenton headquarters to a prime riverfront site, but city officials aren't sure if they can make it work.

The human-resource services provider is eyeing a 1.3-acre lot at 834 Riverside Drive for its new home, city officials said Thursday. The company wants to tear down a historic but gutted house on the site and build a 140,000-square-foot or larger office building in its place.

"It's their first choice," said Tanya Lukowiak, executive director of Palmetto's Community Redevelopment Agency, who has met with Gevity HR officials several times in recent weeks.

A Gevity HR spokeswoman declined to characterize the Palmetto site as such, calling it "just one of a handful" between Sarasota and Tampa the company is considering.

"It's one of the places we're looking at," said Anne-Marie Megela, the company's investor relations director. "We have not committed to anything or signed any papers."

The company has 500 employees working at its Bradenton headquarters at 600 301 Blvd. W., but is looking to move into larger quarters when its lease expires in late 2005. No timetable has been set for a decision, Megela said.

According to a rezoning request that was submitted to Palmetto last week but later withdrawn, a five-story building with 142,650 square feet of office space would be constructed at the Riverside Drive site. The application also showed a five-story parking garage on the north and west sides of Riverside Plaza, the proposed Gevity HR's building's neighbor to the west.

Riverside Plaza is home to Evolve Wellness Studio & Spa; The Smokin' Martini cigar bar; and Jonathan's at the Smokin' Martini restaurant.

Palmetto contractor Alan Zirkelbach, who submitted the zoning request, later withdrew it after city officials said it was incomplete. Zirkelbach said Thursday he has not been hired by Gevity HR, but submitted the rezoning request and conceptual building plans in hopes of persuading the company to move to Palmetto.

Terrence "Terry" L. Stewart of Bradenton, who owns the lot Gevity HR is interested in, could not be located for comment. But an owner of Riverside Plaza's parent company said she supported having Gevity HR as a neighbor.

"The relocation of Gevity to that site is a wonderful idea," said Carolyn Waygood, president of Riverside Plaza of Manatee LLC. "There are a lot of tasks that have to be done in order to make it happen."

But city officials have some doubts whether they can do that, citing potential problems with the site, the short time frame and some of Gevity HR's economic-incentive requests.

"It's a very, very difficult site to work with in such a short amount of time," Lukowiak said.

For starters, the site might not be big enough.

The city's comprehensive plan would require the lot to have as much square footage as the building, even if the building's foundation is smaller than that. The lot is just shy of 57,000 square feet, only a third of the proposed building's size.

Changing the requirement could take up to a year, which might not give Gevity HR enough time to construct the building and move into it by the company's Nov. 1, 2005, target. Gevity HR also could try to buy neighboring land to cobble together a larger parcel that meets the requirement, but that also would take time.

Another potential obstacle is Gevity HR's request that the parking garage be for its exclusive use but paid for by the city. The proposed 700-space garage could cost more than $7 million. Lukowiak said public dollars can't be used to build a facility for the exclusive use of a private company.

Also a potential problem: Gevity HR's desire that as much as 95 percent of its property taxes be refunded for as long as a decade.

"That would be a tough sell," Lukowiak said.

Duane Marsteller, transportation and business reporter, can be reached at 745-7080, ext. 2630, or at dmarsteller@bradentonherald.com.


http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/business/9277595.htm

Article published Jul 31, 2004
Quay owners rework their plan
Gone are conference center plans and some retail space.

By KEVIN McQUAID

SARASOTA -- The Dublin-based owners of the Sarasota Quay have shelved plans to include a conference center on the waterfront property.

In contrast to preliminary plans drawn up last fall, the latest round of planning is centered on a trio of 18-story condominium towers, stores and parking. And a design that had once called for more than 300,000 square feet of retail space has been cut by two- thirds.

The new concept for the 10.5-acre Quay differs significantly from sketches presented to Sarasota County officials in February, which featured a 138,000-square-foot conference center and 666-room hotel.

Irish developer Patrick Kelly said in a telephone interview this week that he believes a conference center would be better suited to the city's cultural center, which is adjacent to the Quay.

"If the city wants it, they have 42 acres with which to achieve it," Kelly said of the conference center. "And if we can help out, then we will."

Sarasota City Manager Michael McNees said conference center planning is ongoing, and that officials from both the city, where the center likely would be built, and the county are analyzing potential locations and funding.

"It all hinges on the funding issue," McNees said. "We have to now harden what it would look like and where it would go and the financial structure of it."

The decision to shelve the conference center, even temporarily, is one of a number of changes to the Quay proposal that have been made since Kelly and a team of investors bought the property in late January and launched plans for as much as $1 billion in redevelopment.

Most notably, Kelly has hired architects Nichols Brosch Wurst Wolfe & Associates, of Coral Gables, as the Quay's lead designer.

Nichols Brosch, which has designed more than $1.5 billion worth of resorts, hotels and offices since its founding in 1967, replaces Burke-Kennedy Doyle Architects, one of Kelly's principal design firms in Dublin. The ADP Group, a local architectural firm, will continue to be involved.

Nichols Brosch has a history of designing large, mixed-use projects throughout Florida, including the 1,200-room Fontainebleau Resort and Residences and the 30-story Barclays Financial Center, both in Miami. It also designed the Olympia Place Tower, a 400,000-square-foot office tower and 250-room hotel, in Orlando.

"I'm very, very impressed with what they're doing at Fontainebleau II," Kelly said of the firm.

John Nichols, the firm's president, did not return telephone calls for comment.

Kelly and Nichols have scaled back the proposed height of the Quay project. The recent plans call for residential towers capped at 18 stories, or 252 feet. In February, Kelly and Burke-Kennedy had proposed condominiums rising to 27 stories.

At the time, the additional height was proposed to offset the cost of the land provided for the conference center, but city commissioners objected to the number of stories.

"We won't do anything that's not in the city's development plan," Kelly said Thursday. "We have to work within the code, and we intend to."

The amount of retail space has also been trimmed, according to a preliminary design presented to city officials during an informal meeting in late June.

The new proposal calls for 75,000 to 100,000 square feet. An initial design included 323,812 square feet of retail, roughly three-quarters the size of the Westfield Shoppingtown Southgate mall.

"It won't be a big retail center," Kelly said of the future Quay. "I'm now convinced it can't support that there."

Nichols Brosch has also floated the notion of adding upscale stores east of U.S. 41 across from the Quay property, but Kelly said those plans would be "a separate deal" and "are not a priority."

Kelly has accelerated the timetable to begin construction. While originally he estimated building on the Quay property -- now occupied by a largely vacant nine-story building -- would start in 2006, Kelly now expects to break ground by December 2005.

"I'd like to think we'd be under construction by the end of next year," Kelly said.

Before construction can begin, however, Kelly's team must first complete a required traffic study and obtain site plan and other necessary approvals from the city.

"They showed us a really aggressive schedule for building," McNees said.

Despite the many alterations, many aspects of the Quay redevelopment remain unchanged from earlier this year.

Kelly said WCI Communities Inc. remains a potential partner in the project. WCI, which developed the 80-unit Tower Residences adjacent to the 266-room Ritz-Carlton Hotel downtown, would become the primary residential builder at the Quay in exchange for investing $10 million.

Kelly envisions the project including about 400 condominium units when completed.

"I think we're very compatible," Kelly said of WCI. "We're right now in a direction to lead to a positive conclusion."

New designs also include a roundabout at the intersection of U.S. 41 and Fruitville Road, at the mouth of the Quay property.

City officials, who contend eliminating traffic lights there would ease traffic congestion, estimate a roundabout would cost roughly $20 million.

"The advantage to that is how it would assist the city in meeting its transportation goals," McNees said.

And while the Nichols Brosch designs also include land now occupied by the 48-unit El Vernona condominiums, there appears to be little progress in negotiations between Kelly's team and residents.

"They've expressed their interest to us, but at this point, there's nothing on the table," said Susan Patterson, who heads one of four El Vernona neighborhood groups.

Kelly said he remains "optimistic" that El Vernona can be purchased and included in the Quay redevelopment. The El Vernona homes, and four acres of land underneath of them, are valued at roughly $10 million.

Perhaps the biggest constant, though, is that no official plans for the future Quay have yet been submitted to the city. Kelly acknowledges that the plans are almost certain to change again before being finalized.

"There's always an element of evolution in planning," Kelly said. "But I'm happy because it seems we're on the right course."

"Looking back a year from now, I think we'll be under construction. Looking back two years from now, I feel like we'll have made a lot of progress."
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040731/BUSINESS/407310461/1060&Page=2

By small steps are small distance travelled (and hopefully some longer ones eventually)

Posted on Sat, Jul. 31, 2004





Owner sees Old Main 'revival'

KURT D. SCHULTHEIS

Herald Staff Writer


BRADENTON - Come September, downtown will have its own cigar bar on Old Main Street.

AFY Management, the umbrella corporation over Le Cigar, signed a lease last month with building owner Mike Carter Construction Inc. to occupy the former Truffles and Treasures tea room spot at 425 Old Main St.

Shop owner Allen Yearick previously owned a Le Cigar in downtown Sarasota from 1997 to 2002.

Le Cigar will serve beer and wine. Diversions will be a pool table and televisions for sporting events.

Yearick thinks the time is right for a cigar bar on Old Main Street.

"I see growth and am confident that a revival is coming to downtown Bradenton," Yearick said.

The owner has plans for a members-only lounge with member lockers and access to the Internet in the back of the 2,000-square-foot location.

"The members will have their own room for social time and relaxation," Yearick said.

There will be 24 memberships available, with a one-time fee of $1,500.

Yearick, a cigar aficionado and outdoorsman, said, "Expect that Le Cigar's theme will be about nature," with leather seating.

"A humidor and a large selection of cigars will be available," Yearick said.

Bill Theroux, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority, believes a cigar bar is a fine addition to a street that "seems to be catering to restaurants and bars."

At the close of 2003, Old Main Street lost a chunk of its retail market, including Two Sides of Nature, Old Main Street Antiques and Lily's Gift Shop.

Michelle Chambers, the owner of Truffles and Treasures, left downtown for what she said was a more retail-friendly plaza in west Bradenton, complaining that "there has to be more reasons to bring people downtown than just restaurants and bars."

Word of mouth and networking is Yearick's initial plan to create a buzz for the bar on Old Main.

Yearick said Le Cigar "will be a bit more upscale than your average bar.

"But we are more casual and laid back than some other cigar bars."

Jonathan Shute, part-owner of Jonathan's and the Smokin' Martini, said Le Cigar should not affect his business.

"About 50 percent of my members come from Bradenton," Shute said. "And our bar offers a variety of live entertainment, cigars and martinis."

Shute questioned the viability of the new spot.

"Having the restaurant and the live music is a good mix for us," Shute said. "I couldn't support myself with just a cigar bar."

Linda Walker, vice-president of the real-estate division for Mike Carter, is excited that something different is coming to Old Main Street.

"I think this will give Old Main Street a great boost," Walker said. "It will complement other ventures that are already in place."

CIGAR BAR TO OPEN DOWNTOWN


http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/business/9287324.htm

Posted on Sun, Aug. 01, 2004





DOWNTOWN POISED FOR INFLUX OF RESIDENTS

More condos are planned along the river as growth demands development on the shoreline. New housing along the Manatee River lifts downtown Bradenton's hopes for an economic boon.

TIM W. McCANN

Herald Staff Writer


BRADENTON - The more people living downtown, the better.

That's one thing city leaders, developers and business owners agree on.

Because the more people living downtown, the more people there are to walk downtown for a drink, a bite to eat or to catch a movie. And they'll more often than not choose the short drive or walk to the nearby downtown clothing store or drug store instead of a trip to busy Cortez Road.

With a still relatively small downtown population, more downtown restaurants and stores are unlikely for now. But city and downtown officials believe the long-awaited critical mass is on its way: More than 1,100 new residents will be living in the 600 new upscale homes planned for the riverfront, not to mention a completed Bradenton Village just south of downtown and revitalized neighborhoods surrounding downtown.

And don't forget about the upscale developments, including condominiums, in downtown Palmetto. The downtowns of Bradenton and Palmetto stare at one another across the Manatee River, and anything beneficial to one benefits the other, says Nancy Engel, executive director of the Manatee Chamber of Commerce's Economic Development Council.

Some cities have tried sparking downtown revitalization by investing primarily in tourist attractions. Bradenton leaders are investing in South Florida Museum's planetariums, the Manatee Player Inc.'s Riverfront Theatre and other downtown attractions. But they figure the best way to revitalize downtown is to bring it more residents - then let restaurants, bars and other nightlife follow based on need.

Bound for downtown

An estimated 10,843 people live within one mile of the Manatee Avenue West and Old Main Street intersection, considered the center of downtown according to statistics provided by the chamber. The median age is about 36 years old.

The chamber's statistics show about 45 percent of those residents earn between $25,000 and $75,000, with 5.6 percent earning between $75,000 and $100,000. But projected estimates for 2008 show a younger age and an increase in wealth, with 7.5 percent earning between $75,000 and $100,000.

Engel said the projected numbers, which she described as "very conservative," are based on average annual growth and do not take into consideration the plans to develop land fronting the Manatee River.

When the 602 homes going up on the riverfront are completed and occupied - assuming 1.9 people per one-, two- and three-bedroom units, the number used to estimate total occupancy - more than 1,140 new residents will call downtown Bradenton home.

The completed first phase of developer Bradenton Riverfront Partners' riverfront community added 252 apartments on the eastern portion of the 27-acre tract known as the Sandpile. The apartment complex, about 18 months old, has an 80 percent occupancy, said Edward Vogler II, one of the developers.

Preliminary construction started in late July on the future Promenade at Riverwalk - 350 high-end condominiums, offices, retail shops, restaurants, bars and other features on the Sandpile's west side. Most of the luxury homes in the first tower, the 115-unit River Dance, already are under contract.

"It's going to be absolutely electric," Vogler said.

Outskirt effects

But the riverfront is not the only site of redevelopment. On the southern outskirts of downtown, construction of Bradenton Village Hope VI continues.

Under the direction of the Bradenton Housing Authority, new single- and multi-family homes are taking the place of empty lots and other run-down houses. The new development replaces dilapidated public housing with modern, attractive public housing, rentals and ownership opportunities designed to attract a mixed-income community.

While many of the 500-plus residents that will make up Bradenton Village lived in the neighborhood before, some did not - which means new residents in a growing downtown.

The success of new developments translates to investors taking a closer look at downtown Bradenton, said Bill Theroux, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority.

"If a developer sees someone was here last year and built a tremendous project and it's all leased out, he's going to decide, 'Maybe I should buy some land and capitalize on these synergies that are going around,' " Theroux said.

Downtown lacks restaurants, bars or much of anything open after 5 p.m. But add a few hundred residents to the new homes planned along the Manatee River, and all of a sudden there's a nearby customer base available to support local businesses.

An investor studies an area before sinking money into a business venture or housing development. Consultants look at everything from the success rate of similar developments to surrounding infrastructure, such as how pedestrian-friendly is this downtown?

"It's really a simple matter of numbers and economics," Theroux added. "X number of people will spend X number of dollars within X number of miles from the facility. If you bring residents to the downtown core, the businesses will follow to provide accommodations to that mass of people."

Touring downtown

Not all downtown redevelopment focuses on bringing in residents first. For example, city leaders in Chattanooga, Tenn., jump-started their downtown revitalization in the early 1990s by making downtown a place to visit.

The city once was renowned for its grime and odor until city leaders took a focused look at their dying downtown and abandoned waterfront. With extensive citizen input, the city created Vision 2000 in 1985 that incorporated recommendations for the city's redevelopment - including revitalizing downtown.

The plan introduced several of the city's most popular attractions, including the Tennessee Aquarium, which opened in 1992, the Chattanooga Visitors Center in 1993, the Creative Discovery Museum in 1995, the IMAX 3D Theater in 1996 and a renovated Walnut Street Bridge opened only to pedestrians in 1993.

That concept isn't lost in Bradenton. Granted, Bradenton (population about 53,000) is smaller than Chattanooga (population about 160,000) and tourists venture to Manatee County primarily to enjoy the balmy weather and beaches, not downtown.

But city leaders see promise in the development of the Sandpile's west side. Stores, restaurants and bars are sure to capture some of those tourist dollars along with providing nearby places for downtown residents to frequent, they say.

Vogler declined to discuss possible tenants but said the amenities will be a variety of restaurant choices, entertainment options like sports bars and other types of pubs and more posh establishments like coffee houses and upscale drinking/dining places.

Built-in attractions

But that's not to say downtown Bradenton lacks tourist attractions altogether. The South Florida Museum not only boasts the oldest manatee in captivity and a collection of historic Florida artifacts, but a new planetarium is in the works.

Set to open early next year in the museum, the planetarium will feature projection equipment found only in two other places in the world - a city in Germany and aboard the Queen Mary, the largest luxury cruise ship in the world, said Mike Carter, president of the museum board and a construction company owner.

"It is much more than a planetarium," Carter said. "It will represent the absolute best technology available and provide a one-of-a-kind venue for everything from jazz recitals to lectures to educational space-science presentations."

Another major plan aimed at boosting downtown tourism is a $6.5 million project to raze and rebuild the Manatee Player Inc.'s Riverfront Theatre at the corner of Old Main Street and Barcarrota Boulevard. Events designed to draw people downtown and give recognition to local businesses, like Get Down Downtown and the farmer's market, continue to grow.

The bigger and better the tourist attractions, the more people likely to visit the local community, Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker said. He said tourist dollars enable more restaurants and shops to survive.

But Corker also agreed that housing is a vital part of downtown redevelopment. Along with commercial and office space, housing is part of downtown Chattanooga's next phase of redevelopment, he added.

The new homes bound for downtown Bradenton will bring something it has never really had - a mass of year-around residents spending money. And the major upgrades at the South Florida Museum and new studios and other shops in the Village of the Arts will give residents and tourists more places to spend money.

"There's going to be people walking, exercising, sitting at outside cafes for a glass of wine and enjoying the company of people who are also enjoying that type of a lifestyle," Vogler said.

http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/9293077.htm

cmon its only 78 Feet!!!!!
Posted on Fri, Aug. 06, 2004

County waits on condo development decision

Commissioners cite a lack of information on traffic in delaying Long Bar Pointe discussion

TIM W. McCANN

Herald Staff Writer

MANATEE - More than five hours of discussion failed to produce a decision on a proposed condominium development targeted for southwestern Manatee County.

Citing a lack of information, especially about the proposed development's effect on local traffic, Manatee County commissioners voted unanimously to continue the hearing until their Aug. 17 meeting. In the meantime, commissioners asked county staff to study traffic conditions around the site.

Thursday's special meeting marked a second try for SBC Development LLP of Sarasota to gain approval for a 272-condominium development, including buildings that would rise 78 feet overlooking Sarasota Bay. The developer's first hearing in May met with intense criticism from commissioners over the size of the buildings, traffic congestion, hurricane evacuation and the increased burden on emergency shelter space.

The proposed development is dubbed Long Bar Pointe Phase 1.

After a similar meeting in May, commissioners continued the meeting for more than two months to allow developers time to alter the plan. But developers returned Thursday with no changes, said Norm Luppino, a county planner.

The lack of an updated traffic study bothered some commissioners, although County Planning Director Carol Clarke said she doubted the county could require a traffic study at the preliminary approval phase. But without one, some commissioners said they lacked enough information to make a decision.

"I'm a little shocked it's not here," Commissioner Joe McClash said.

The 102-acre site where the developer wants to build is roughly 600 feet south of the 75th Street West and 53rd Avenue intersection and southwest of the proposed extension of El Conquistador Parkway. Commissioners and development officials debated the responsibility of extending El Conquistador Parkway.

Most of the commission's opposition targeted the size of the buildings, which exceed the county's 35-foot height limit.

Betsy Benac, a planning consultant for the developer, noted that exceptions exist to the height limit if the development meets county land-use rules. She said the proposed development meets all codes, and the thick, tall mangroves along the bay along with generous setbacks should shelter much of the development from view.

McClash, however, wanted her testimony stricken from the record when she declined to say whether smaller buildings also would meet land use regulations. Benac said she could only comment on the site plan before her.

Edward Vogler II, attorney for the developer, pointed out that county staff backed the project, the county planning board supported it and Cedar Hammock Fire Rescue and the county's emergency management division signed off on it. He said the proposal puts the condos in an area marked for high-density urban development.

James Schrader, a former planner and president of the Coral Shores Homeowners' Association, said approving 78-foot towers establishes a trend.

"Once you approve these 78-foot buildings, the next developer will say, 'I want to be five stories higher,' " he warned.

Commissioner Jonathan Bruce agreed the development could establish a precedent of tall towers.

"I'm not sure that's exactly what we want to see there," he said.

After the meeting, Vogler called the commission's decision frustrating but added that if the extra time allows the approval process to move forward, he and his clients will remain patient.
http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/local/9332638.htm

Oh give me a stinkin break. I have a better idea. REBUILD the same design somewhere else.

Jasonhouse, I bet you're one of those people who think the Ritz-Carlton downtown is a Med Rev masterpiece to be duplicated all over Sarasota. It's not.

For those of use who live in Sarasota, it's a big deal that the restaurant may be torn down. It's not just four walls with a price tag on it. It's one of those special occa$ion place$ that has been a part of people's lives and can't be recreated. It falls into the same emotional/icon category as The Colonnade on Bayshore Drive in Tampa. While it may not be architecturally significant, imagine the loss and uproar if condos where proposed for that restaurant.

Architecturally, the Summerhouse is a unique structure sited perfectly on its lot. The condos that are proposed are just another soulless set of overscaled buildings on a sandbar. Once that restaurant is gone, there will be nowhere within walking distance for the new condo dwellers to enjoy a meal. There will be no "there" there.

It's unfortunate that in the rush to make money, a lot of public spaces (hotels, restaurants, apartments) are being privatized and are being enjoyed by the few who can afford to pay top dollar. That's the problem with Longboat Key. A lot of the hotels have turned into condos and are empty half the year, and businesses on the island are struggling because they depended on a heavy turnover of tourists in the hotels. Now all those condo dwellers on Longboat claim to be bored and are moving to downtown Sarasota because of it's restaurants and shops.

My fiancee' and I went out to the Summerhouse last weekend. We blew $130 there and the food, service, and ambience was great. This was the first time I had been to the restaurant, and it will be missed! The waiter said that The Summerhouse will remain open through Mother's Day 2005. The building's architecture, as well as the surrounding 'jungle', is going to be a great loss to the Siesta Key community.

Anyone know what this projects about????????????????
Panel to review Mangrove Point project

STAFF REPORT

MANATEE COUNTY -- A committee of county, Bradenton and School Board officials plans to review a development proposed for Bradenton's McClure property before the City Council votes on it in September.

During a Joint Planning Committee meeting Monday, Bradenton and Manatee County officials were at odds over whether the committee would review plans for Mangrove Point, but eventually agreed to do so. The project, on the Manatee River in eastern Bradenton, includes what would be the tallest buildings on the county's coastline: 14-story condominiums. County Commissioner Joe McClash said The Accord -- an agreement among the county, its cities and the School Board over annexed lands -- calls for joint review of the project.

But city officials questioned whether The Accord applied to the McClure property because Bradenton annexed the land before the Joint Planning Committee was established.

The city's Planning Commission is scheduled to make a recommendation on the 1,135- home community on Aug. 18.

http://www.newscoast.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040810/NEWS/408100452/-1/ARCHIVES30

Sounds damn big, I'll tell you that. But INLAND on the river? Kind of a wierd location. I wonder if the local roads and existing retail/public service infrastructure can even handle such a large addition. We're talking about a bonafide 2200-3000 people.

Of course, the tax income would be pretty big.

Jasonhouse, I bet you're one of those people who think the Ritz-Carlton downtown is a Med Rev masterpiece to be duplicated all over Sarasota. It's not.



??????

No, I don't. I think it's a 255ft McMansion, actually. (or whatever the exact hieght is, if I'm off)

I think it's 261ft.

I don't really know - I've been to Sarasota thousands of times in my life and have never set foot in or even discussed that restaurant except when someone asks what the building is. On the other hand, if some people like it, so be it. There area bunch of other places that can use a building - the area is by no means near being built out.

Let em build the stupid thing. Then they can all drive to the outlet mall in five minutes.

Oh. Duh! This is close to I-75, isn't it?

its important to save whatever is left of the sarasota school buildings because so many were destroyed in the 1980s, and siesta key has a long way to go before reaching its denisty capacity. i think the best solution would to be to turn it into some type of architecture museum in the orignal building and then build condos behind it. unfortunately, im sure this won't happen, especially with our particularly pro-med. revival city council that doesn't really care about sarasota's post-war history.

I'm not sure a roundabout is the best idea for that intersection - especially with all the parttime residents, who happen to be a bit elderly . . .

Article published Aug 17, 2004
City to buy property across from Quay The plan is to use to the land to construct a traffic roundabout.

By Lisa Rab

SARASOTA -- A developer's offer to sell the city more than $5 million worth of land across the street from the Sarasota Quay won initial approval from the City Commission on Monday.

City officials will now negotiate to buy the properties from Irish American Partners, the Dublin-based company that has proposed a $1 billion redevelopment of the Quay.

The deal will push forward a traffic improvement plan the city had not planned to start for more than a decade.

Officials want to use the land, now occupied by a furniture store and an inn, to build a roundabout at the intersection of U.S. 41 at Fruitville Road. It's a project the Quay developers also favor.

Commissioners said buying the land now would be a bargain because the price is sure to go up in the future.

"This is an opportunity that we really cannot afford to pass up," Vice Mayor Mary Anne Servian said.

But the city would have to borrow money to purchase the properties, and the investment could jeopardize funding the commission has promised to give other downtown developers, city Finance Director Gibson Mitchell said.

"I can't pay for all of this," Mitchell said. "They're going to have to make some decisions."

Money to buy the property would come from the city's Community Redevelopment Agency's fund -- the same fund the commission has used to provide millions of dollars in incentives and subsidies to downtown developers.

City Manager Michael McNees said the increase in property values downtown, which gave the redevelopment fund nearly $700,000 extra this year, would be enough to pay the debt service on the bond for the next 10 years. But Mitchell is not so sure.

The fund, which is sustained by downtown property taxes, is currently $2.07 million in the red. Mitchell said he will have to float a bond to buy the roundabout property, estimated to cost $5 million.

And payments to developers, such as the $4 million the commission recently agreed to give the developers of the Plaza Verdi project of Palm Avenue, might have to be postponed.

"Something has to stop temporarily," Mitchell said.

City officials have not yet appraised the land, which is now occupied by Cesar's Unique Furniture and the Quayside Inn. They also have not attempted to buy it themselves.

But Irish American Partners President John Awsumb said his company has the opportunity to buy the properties for about $5 million. Earlier this month, he offered to sell the properties to the city for $5 million plus whatever it costs to hold the land until the city is ready to buy it.

Irish American is set to close on one of the properties next week, so the company hopes to finalize its deal with the city by next Monday. After that, Awsumb said he could give the city 18 months to buy the properties from Irish American.

But the city's traffic plan doesn't call for construction of the roundabout to begin until 2014, and the project has not been approved by the Florida Department of Transportation.

Still, city engineers say the land would be used to build additional traffic lanes in the area even if a roundabout is not approved.

"There is no scenario in which the city loses money on this," McNees said.

In other action Monday, the commission voted to raise taxicab rates 13.9 percent. .
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040817/NEWS/408170447/1270/NEWS0101

A roundabout on 41? Are they on crack?

Well it had better be a BIG diameter circle, unlike that joke built in Clearwater beach.

Hey, the one in Clearwater was fine, aside from all the numnuts who didn't know what to do with it, like the one in Channelside. It is really not that hard to do it right, but if you are an idiot it is not hard to hit another car either.

that being said, I don't think it will work very well on 41 unless they are trying to kill some people.

Opponents hope Perico Island developer will relent

St. Joe Company's attorney stands firm on the Perico Island plan at the conflict-assessment session.
By MITRA MALEK

mitra.malek@heraldtribune.com
BRADENTON -- A developer set on constructing the tallest buildings on Manatee County's coastline insisted Friday it wouldn't trim its project.

But the county and Anna Maria Island's cities, which in July sued Bradenton for approving the 10-story condos, are hoping St. Joe Company will relent.

However, an attorney for St. Joe repeated himself some half-dozen times during Friday's conflict-assessment meeting, saying the company wouldn't reduce the condos' height. The meeting was required as part of the lawsuits.

Still the county and the island cities, weary from years of fighting the Perico Island project, wanted the company to at least agree to discuss alternate plans.

They seemed to believe they had wiggle room because at the meeting's start St. Joe asked whether those opposing the complex had brought other proposals. None had.

So attorney Ralf Brookes, who is representing the island cities and environmental group ManaSota-88, pushed for planners and architects on all sides to look at the project during a workshop.

"St. Joe is a kinder, gentler company," Brookes encouraged.

But St. Joe's attorney was steadfast. Of course the company would talk to planners from the county and cities, Kevin Hennessy said. But there is no need for governments other than Bradenton, which has jurisdiction, to review the project.

"That's just not appropriate," Hennessy said. "That doesn't mean St. Joe isn't here to discuss fine-tuning of the plan that's before you."

A workshop date was never set, though. Instead, as law requires, all the members of the county and city governing boards will meet in a follow-up mediation session by Sept. 22. County and island cities said they plan to get in touch with the company before that session.

"Please go back and talk," Holmes Beach Mayor Carol Whitmore pleaded with the St. Joe attorney. "Bring the buildings down and spread them out."

But that means the company would lose money, its attorney said. The company already took a financial hit when it shrank the project from its original 898 units to the current 646, he said.

The current project met all of Bradenton's requirements when the City Council approved it in June. But many opposed it anyway, saying it simply didn't fit in with surroundings. It also would add many more people to a primary hurricane-evacuation route.

The county has taken many tacks to try to stop or change the project -- filing
ling lawsuits, threatening to not supply water and suggesting it might buy the 353-acre site.

Bradenton approved St. Joe's original project in 2000. Lawsuits followed, and the company withdrew that plan. It came back this year with a less-dense proposal -- although some of the buildings were just as tall.

http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040828/NEWS/408280506/1003/COMMUNITY

Bel MAre (at riviera dunes)
http://www.belmareliving.com/images/models_r2_c2.jpg

Not a great website, but . .

http://www.belmareliving.com/

Any news on the construction timeline?

Is this thread dead? :deadthrea

No, but the construction talk is since the two storms blew through...

It will pick up in a week or so, when the papers start having space for articles about things other than how to save your ass in a hurricane.

No, but the construction talk is since the two storms blew through...

It will pick up in a week or so, when the papers start having space for articles about things other than how to save your ass in a hurricane.

How funny! Even the local (SNN6, ABC7) have too much 'hurricane' news on. Omigosh...... it's too much!

I was in DT Sarasota on Monday and should have had my digital camera with me. The Five Points Plaza is up to the eighth floor, and the Courthouse Centre was about the same-- eight floors. I wonder if Five Points Plaza will be taller than what's listed on Skyscrapers.com (180'). The eight stories already completed (although it's still the steel/concrete skeleton) is quite high. It's going to be an impressive building once completed.

Since I live in Venice, I should take a couple of photos of the new condo highrises on the intercoastal waterway off of US41 business. One is completed, and another is being built adjacent to that one. If I only had my camera.....

Article published Sep 16, 2004
Foes win one against high-rises

By Mitra Malek

BRADENTON -- Residents who petitioned against plans for high-rise condos along the Manatee River marked their first victory Wednesday when a city board voted against the development.

The Bradenton Planning Commission recommended denial of the project with a 5-1 vote, saying the Mangrove Point development would be too dense, the buildings would be too tall and the access roads aren't adequate.

But the City Council will make the final decision on Oct. 13.

The Riverdale community fought Bradenton's May 2003 annexation of the property. The residents lost that battle and have since worried that homes will be built on the riverfront property.

The potential traffic made them most nervous: only a narrow two-lane road leads to the site off State Road 64, near Interstate 75. Those living on 48th Street Court East were beleaguered by the dusty shell road for years, until workers paved it this spring.

At worst, they thought 500 homes would wind up on the 374-acre peninsula because wetland covers so much of it. They assumed that the developer would build single-family homes.

Then they found out that WCI Communities wants 1,135 homes -- including some condos 14 stories high.

"We were all shocked," said Julie Castaneda, who lives on 48th Street Court East. The tallest condos would face Riverdale.

"I don't have a problem with single-family homes built around a nice, environmentally sensitive green belt," said Bill Hague, an Inlets resident in Riverdale. "To stick up condos … seems a bit foolish. It's going to block the whole area."

The Manatee County Commission doesn't like the proposed development either. It insists that Mangrove Point is subject to an agreement called The Accord, which Manatee County, its cities and the School Board signed to jointly review annexations and their development.

The agreement requires that developments on annexed properties abide by the county's 35-foot height limit.

City officials have argued that the Mangrove Point development isn't bound by The Accord because the property was annexed before it was fully implemented. WCI plans to widen 48th Street, but won't be able to widen it much without acquiring yards. Many residents say they won't give up their property.

That means that cars would travel down a two-lane road an estimated 8,500 times a day.

"We didn't move here for that," Castaneda said.

The road also could pose problems for the school district.

"It would be very difficult for school buses to get into that area to pick up kids," School Board member Frank Brunner said. Researchers estimate that Mangrove Point could add as many as 298 students. The school district does not object to the project.

But that matters little to Riverdale residents, whose schools were recently redistricted because of overcrowding.

WCI doesn't need any special exceptions for its project and has met the city's open-space requirements.

The $450 million project is expected to be completed by 2012. When it's done, it's expected to generate about $1.9 million a year in property tax revenues.

This year Bradenton collected $9.2 million in property taxes.
http://www.newscoast.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040916/NEWS/409160567/-1/ARCHIVES30

Article published Sep 22, 2004
Perico height limits proposed
The county's idea to trim the controversial project gets a cool reception, in mediation, from the builder.

By ROBERT PATRICK, Mitra Malek and Debi Springer STAFF WRITERS

BRADENTON -- The County Commission unanimously approved a proposal Tuesday that would cut the height of a controversial condo project planned for Perico Island, but the developer scoffed at it.

The move could signal that mediation to avoid a lawsuit over the proposed 686-unit complex will fail, and Bradenton, Manatee County, the Anna Maria Island cities and ManaSota-88 will end up in court.

The county's proposal would limit the St. Joe Co. buildings to three stories, or 45 feet, on the eastern portion of the site and five stories, or 65 feet, on the west side.

The Bradenton City Council had approved seven- and 10-story buildings.

"We were asked to give them something to work with. It's not to say that we won't get countered," County Commissioner Jane von Hahmann said. "We did what we felt comfortable with today."

The county's proposal left one company official "shocked."

"We'd been led to expect a thoughtful, substantive plan from them, but instead we get a poorly thought-out proposal that would have a negative impact on the environment they claim they're trying to protect," said Ed Hill, president of central Florida operations for St. Joe in a prepared statement. "It's hard to take this seriously."

Company officials said the same number of units in shorter buildings will increase the footprint of the project, causing more harm to the environment.

St. Joe officials said they were willing to spend whatever time and money it takes to win approval for the development in court.

Bradenton officials, who stand to collect $2 million in property taxes once the project is completed, say they are also ready for a legal fight.

"See you in court -- that's the only option," Bradenton Mayor Wayne Poston said. "The county hasn't budged an inch on this thing. I can't believe they would be that arrogant."

Bradenton City Councilman Gene Gallo said the county's proposal ignored traffic, environmental and safety concerns the commission had complained about and focused on just one issue, height.

The county, beach cities and environmentalists have been fighting plans for Perico since 1998, when Bradenton annexed the land over the county's objections.

In 2000 Bradenton approved plans for 898 units in seven- and 10-story buildings. The company cut the number of units but not the height of the buildings after lawsuits were filed opposing that plan.

Bradenton approved a revised plan in June over objections that the development dwarfed other buildings in the area and would crowd a primary hurricane-evacuation route. Lawsuits were filed again in July.

During Tuesday's commission meeting, Commissioner Pat Glass proposed an amendment that would have set five- and seven-story limits as a "good faith offer" and a way to avoid "lengthy litigation," but her amendment failed.

http://www.newscoast.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040922/NEWS/409220515&SearchID=73184864128850

Article published Sep 24, 2004
Developer cuts ties, stalls projects
Lauded as a catalyst for citywide redevelopment, the Wynnton Group leaves unfinished work.

By Kevin McQuaid

SARASOTA -- Ending its often contentious seven-year ties to the city, the developer of Sarasota Renaissance has sold the project to a Miami firm for $14.5 million.

In selling the 11-acre property at U.S. 41 and Sixth Street to America's Capital Partners, the Georgia-based Wynnton Group Inc. leaves behind a legacy of unfulfilled developments.

It also exits Sarasota without having fulfilled its potential. In 2000, for instance, its two projects -- Renaissance and the Five Points Tower downtown -- were the largest planned in the city, with a combined value of $125 million.

But neither reached fruition. At Renaissance, it developed just one of a series of planned buildings, a 16-story, 244-unit condominium complex.

At Five Points, market conditions and resident opposition combined to smash the developer's plans for a 14-story office tower. Wynnton's design for the skyscraper sparked fierce debate about its size and scope.

Wynnton sold the Five Points parcel to Houston-based Ersa Grae Corp. in late 2002 for $3.9 million. Ersa Grae is building a 16-story, mixed-use tower on the property.

But while Wynnton didn't complete either the Five Points skyscraper or Renaissance, its impact on Sarasota will be felt for years.

"As a client, they were a dynamic development company," said John Harshman, president of commercial real estate brokerage firm Harshman & Co. Inc., which represented Wynnton in land sales for both projects.

"They anticipated the rise in the downtown residential market before anyone else," Harshman added.

Like Five Points, Wynnton's Renaissance project was also a lightning rod for opposition.

Many residents complained when Wynnton elected to change the tower from apartments to condominiums, and others griped that the developer had altered the way the building was constructed on the 750 N. Tamiami Trail property.

"Originally, it was laid out as a V shape," said Ernie Babb, who argued before the City Commission that the change was "illegal" because the panel didn't vote on the alterations. Instead of creating a V shape to the highway, the building is parallel to U.S. 41.

Renaissance neighbors in the city's Rosemary Park district also grumbled when Wynnton sold a parcel there intended for a luxury hotel to a developer who planned, but has never completed, a Holiday Inn Express.

Commissioner Richard Martin, on voting for the hotel, described the Renaissance project as "a broken dream."

Neither Wynnton officials nor their New York-based parent company could be reached for comment regarding the sale Thursday.

The arrival

Wynnton arrived in Sarasota in 1997 amid great expectations.

Chosen from a half-dozen developers who submitted plans for the former Mission Harbor site, it paid the city $3.1 million.

It donated another $1 million to the Players Theater, to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and to improve the Cohen Way public housing complex one-half mile away from Renaissance.

City officials lauded Wynnton as the developer that would spark citywide redevelopment.

Two years later, Wynnton began work on Five Points Tower, a site briefly considered as a headquarters for juice giant Tropicana Products Inc.

When Tropicana decided to keep its home base in Bradenton, NationsBank Corp. emerged as the tower's prime tenant. But it got mired in banking industry consolidation and civic objections, and the project stalled.

Wynnton's local denouement had little to do with the banking or real estate markets, though.

It came in mid-November 2001, when Wynnton President Robert Schiffman was arrested in the Newtown section of the city and charged with possessing a gram of cocaine, a felony.

Less than a week later, Schiffman resigned from the Board of Trustees of New College and severed ties with the school's foundation.

"I don't think Mr. Schiffman is happy today," said board chairman Robert Johnson. "I don't think anyone else is happy today."

Despite Schiffman's troubles and his absence from the company after his arrest, Wynnton continued with plans to develop a second condo tower at Renaissance.

The city approved the developer's concept for the 17-story, 205-unit tower in August 2002.

Although the design was similar to the initial condos, Wynnton promised larger units and amenities such as a fitness center, a pool and a Zen garden.

The new Renaissance owner said it doesn't intend to alter the city-approved plan for the tower or future phases, which include town houses and some commercial space.

America's Capital Partners hopes to start construction on the Alinari at the Renaissance early next year, and complete the second tower in late 2006.

Roughly half the units there have been pre-sold, said Chris Cobbs, Renaissance's development manager and a former Wynnton executive.

The units are expected to sell for between $400,000 and $1 million.

"This is a transaction that facilitates bringing in a good, new developer to continue the project," Cobbs said. "We're moving ahead and we're very excited about it."

Officials from the six-year-old Miami development firm, which owns 46 mostly suburban office buildings totaling 4.4 million square feet, declined to be interviewed.

But on its Web site, American Capital Partners lists its goal to become "the largest and most successful real estate owner in the state of Florida."

http://www.newscoast.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040924/BUSINESS/409240326/-1/ARCHIVES30

I forgot to tell folks... My G/F is startig a new job in downtown Sarasota on Monday. She will be working in the old Kress building... Poit being, expect me to be down there more frequently, taking more pictures. Hell, I might even get a job there myself and move there if her job goes as well as she hopes.

Article published Oct 4, 2004
Plan to heighten condos faces vote

By Selina Roman

PALMETTO -- Condo developers at Riviera Dunes are fast on their way to building taller towers on the Manatee River.

Developers with Bel Mare at Riviera Dunes want to build 15-story condominium towers instead of the 12-story ones they originally planned. The revised plan means one less building -- three instead of four.

City commissioners will have a first reading and approve it for advertising at its meeting Monday. They will vote on the height increase at their Oct. 18 meeting. Palmetto's planning and zoning board unanimously approved the change last week.

But another Riviera Dunes developer, Laguna, also wants to change its course and build taller towers if commissioners approve Bel Mare.

Jerry Shaw, senior vice president of real estate for Opus South Corporation, which is building Laguna, said going higher is a definite possibility.

"We'll be taking a real hard look at that within the next 60 days," Shaw said.

Laguna's plan calls for five buildings at about seven stories. The first phase is nearly complete, with the second to begin later this year. Shaw said the remaining three buildings could be consolidated into two taller buildings.

Although Palmetto's mayor and commissioners haven't voted on the change, they've given their vocal approval on the project because the changes would mean one less building.

Eric Ball, a city commissioner who represents the entire city, said the Bel Mare plan calls for more open space and a better overall look for the waterfront,

"It looks less crowded," Ball said. "Four would look like one solid wall."

Originally, plans for Bel Mare's 32-acre site called for four 12-story condominiums. Developers recently amended their plans to ask for three taller buildings to allow for more parking at the marina, Mangrove Grille restaurant and proposed retail shops.

The Bel Mare condominiums would contain about 160 homes ranging from $450,000 to $1.2 million and come with amenities such as fitness and business centers, a community room, a lap pool and a handyman workshop. Construction is slated to begin by Nov. 1.

Earlier this year, some existing Riviera Dunes residents balked at the taller plan. But city commissioners said they haven't heard any recent complaints.

"As long as the (people) in the area are satisfied, I don't have any issue with it," Ball said.

Brian Williams, a city commissioner whose district includes Riviera Dunes, said he likes the plan. "It's better to have three buildings than four."

Commissioners will also vote on the city's budget as well as the property tax rate, which will not increase. The meeting is at 7 p.m. Monday in the commission chambers, 516 8th Ave. W.

Posted on Fri, Oct. 15, 2004
Click here to find out more!

15-story condos planned for river

TIM W. McCANN

Herald Staff Writer

PALMETTO - Three condominium towers reaching 15 stories high and capturing scenic views of the Manatee River and beyond make up the latest plan for Riviera Dunes, the growing development on Palmetto's riverfront.

Dubbed Bel Mare at Riviera Dunes, the plan calls for three 190-foot towers instead of four 12-story towers. Developers opted for three in an effort to eliminate what some critics have called a concrete wall of buildings lined along the river.

But developer Corvus International of Florida first needs to get the city's OK to exceed its 130-foot height cap. The development plan goes before the Palmetto City Commission at its 7 p.m. Monday meeting.

Mayor Larry Bustle said Thursday he expects the commission to approve the plan because tall buildings are planned for the city's urban core, where even opponents of tall towers agree they should go. But Bustle acknowledged there are opponents to all tall buildings.

"I'm concerned the issue of high buildings has gotten off the track in Manatee County," Bustle said. "The county needs to discuss it with the cities."

Criticism from county government and residents has hampered recent attempts by developers to gain approval of site plans calling for tall buildings and hundreds of homes on waterfront land in Bradenton and Palmetto.

For example, the city of Bradenton is facing a lawsuit from the county over its approval of 10-story towers on Perico Island, and county leaders also opposed the city's Wednesday approval of 10-story towers on a peninsula. That development, Mangrove Point, drew opposition from county leaders for other reasons, too.

Earlier this spring, some county leaders question the method the city of Palmetto used to calculate density for annexed property. Density is the number of homes per acre.

Bel Mare calls for 186 condo units.

"I think the community needs to have a dialogue on the general subject of height of buildings, density, open space, green space and probably affordable homes," Bustle said. "They're all related."

Developers could not be reached late Thursday for details on the Bel Mare proposal. But when they presented a preliminary site plan to commissioners in March, the site plan was presented as a "mini St. Armands Circle" with condos, restaurants, retail shops, a dog park, recreational opportunities and green space.

During an impromptu gathering with nearby residents in February, developers laid out their plans to ask the city for three 15-story buildings instead of four 12-story ones. Although some residents liked the idea, many feared the tall buildings will block views from their Riviera Dunes single-family homes.
http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/local/9922584.htm

High and out of place

Bradenton council should reject Mangrove Point project

Developers have lopped four stories off high-rise condos proposed for the eastern edge of Bradenton. But it's still the wrong project in the wrong spot, and the City Council should reject it.

Today, WCI Communities is scheduled to ask for approval of Mangrove Point, a mix of condos and houses on the Manatee River just east of the Interstate 75 bridge.

The city annexed the site in May 2003. A full year earlier, officials from Bradenton and Manatee County signed the Accord, a growth-management pact that stipulates that the county's regulations for building heights apply to annexed land.

"It is understood," the Accord reads, "that no increase in building height over 35 feet shall be permitted in annexed areas without full public hearing in front of the City Council using the current height ordinance criteria of Manatee County … "

The county's rules are somewhat flexible to take into account a project's design and location, but WCI's four proposed 10-story buildings clearly don't meet the standard.

This project is miles from the county's urban core. It would add to the mounting pressure to line Manatee's waterfront with highrises, contrary to community wishes.

Council members also must consider public safety: The site lies in the highest-priority evacuation zone and is accessible by only one road.

Supporters are likely to point out today that the city would reap tax revenue from this project that could aid revitalization efforts elsewhere. But in their eagerness to solve one problem, city officials shouldn't create a new one that will tower over the community for years to come.

Posted on Tue, Oct. 19, 2004
Click here to find out more!

Development gets go ahead

The plan was approved after negotiations dropped it from four towers to three

AIMEE JUAREZ

Herald Staff Writer

PALMETTO - Developers received a thumbs-up from city commissioners Monday night to build three 15-story towers along the Manatee River at Riviera Dunes.

In a unanimous vote during Monday night's commission meeting, the city of Palmetto allowed developer Corvus International of Florida to exceed the city's 130-foot cap by granting permission to construct the three 190-foot high towers.

"I think we worked very hard over the last 12 months to genuinely communicate with the residents and get their valid input relating to not only our condominium development but also the future retail and what shops they're looking for," developer Tim Vining, principal of Corvus International, told the Herald after the meeting. "We're just glad the commission supported what really is the majority of the feeling at Riviera Dunes."

Dubbed Bel Mare at Riviera Dunes, the plan calls for three towers instead of four 12-story towers.

After numerous meetings with Riviera Dunes residents through the community's homeowners' association, developers opted for the three in an effort to eliminate what some critics have called a concrete wall of buildings lining the waterfront.

"We're all happy with the Corvus corporation in terms of providing us neighbors at Riviera Dunes the opportunity to view the project as it was ongoing and provide us with the opportunity to give them feedback," Charlie Castelli, secretary of the Riviera Dunes homeowners' association, told commission members. "I thought it was kind of unique and actually good for our neighbors to get involved and find out what they did like and what they didn't like."

Patricia Shafer, resident of Riviera Dunes, told commission members that not all of the community's residents agreed with the proposal. Shafer questioned whether approval of the Corvus plan would encourage other developers to follow suit.

"The people that I've talked with bought in our community because we liked Palmetto," Shafer said. "When they came up with 15-story condos, we were upset simply because it was destroying our view of the west that borders the back end of our property. That's what we're going to be looking at - concrete monoliths."

With a proposed 186 condo units, Shafer noted concerns of inadequate infrastructure that may not be able to handle the volume of residents the three towers would draw.

Construction on the Bel Mare project could start in three months, Corvus officials said.
http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/local/9954424.htm

Great news!!

Very nice - if only they could do something downtown.

County to amend building height caps

By PATTY ALLEN-JONES



patty.allen-jones@heraldtribune.com

SARASOTA COUNTY -- The Sarasota County Commission agreed Tuesday that if developers of mixed residential and commercial developments meet certain conditions, they can build high rises as tall as 110 feet.

The five-member board unanimously voted to change the section of its zoning code that capped building heights in commercial districts at 85 feet. But developers will have to apply for a special exception permit for the additional 25 feet, and get the approval of at least four of the five commissioners.

Such requests will be considered only for mixed-use projects that include such things as community centers and sidewalks that promote walking rather than driving.

Special exceptions were required for buildings up to 85 feet high, said Anne McClung, the manager of planning and development services. Now applicants must get a "special exception with extra criteria."

"The burden of proof will be on the applicant to show the benefit," she said. "You have to prove it's a positive."

The amended height limit is one of many changes to the zoning ordinance, which was updated last year for the first time since 1975. Other amendments address such issues as guest houses, signs, farm or produce stands and roof ornaments.

The board, which held public hearings and workshops this summer, is expected to adopt the amendments when it meets today in North Port. The meeting begins at 9 a.m. at North Port City Hall, 5650 North Port Blvd.

According to McClung, developers asked for more flexibility in height restrictions for large-scale developments that incorporated new urbanist concepts such as pedestrian friendly environments.

No height cap was proposed until Tuesday's meeting, when Commissioner Shannon Staub recommended that the buildings not exceed 110 feet, or nine stories, "which is something I would feel comfortable with," she said. The board agreed.

"It makes what I think is a bad policy better," said Commission Chairman Jon Thaxton.

Sandpile poised to go condo soon

KURT D. SCHULTHEIS

Herald Staff Writer

BRADENTON - The first unit of the Promenade at Riverwalk condominium complex will begin to rise from the Sandpile in two weeks after partners with the project closed on construction financing.

The first condo complex, called River Dance, consists of 115 units that range from 1,277 to 2,111 square feet. Pilings for the unit were driven into the ground more than a month ago.

But for a month, the area has had no construction activity. Bradenton Riverfront Partners, the investors of the Promenade project, said they were waiting for the influx of construction money that comes once financing is complete.

"We were able to close on the project and vertical construction on River Dance will begin soon," said Ron Allen, a partner.

Further construction will begin in about two weeks, he said.

The pilings, some of which are taller than others, will get "cut and capped" to fit the dimensions of the building, he said.

River Dance has 115 units and all are sold except for eight.

Condos for the residential buildings are selling at between $286,000 and $575,000.

The multimillion-dollar project, as it is currently drawn, calls for a mixed-use development featuring 350 condos in three, eight-story buildings with parking decks.

There are also plans for five commercial buildings.

Promenade at Riverwalk President Bob Hatfield is looking at the possibility of a redesign for the other structures that call for four total residential buildings that are a bit smaller in size to gain more waterfront views for interested buyers.

Reservations for River Dance have also been converted to sales contracts.

"As the building starts to rise, the new owners will begin working with interior designers for their specific units," Allen said. "They will close on their properties once the building is complete."

Once River Dance is complete, reservations will begin on the second building.

Kurt D. Schultheis, Herald business reporter, can be reached at kschultheis@bradentonherald.com or at 748-0411, ext. 2120.
http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/business/10023025.htm

Sarasota high-rise to break ground

Rivo at Ringling, a 15-story high-rise condominium in the heart of downtown Sarasota's new entertainment and business district, will break ground Nov. 10.

The development will have 92 two- and three-bedroom residences ranging from 1,400 square feet, as well as 14 penthouse residences on the top three floors, each providing more than 3,000 square feet. Following construction on the 2-acre site, the first residences will be available for occupancy in June 2006.

Prices on the units will range from $411,408 to more than $1.4 million.
© 2004 American City Business Journals Inc.

http://tampabay.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2004/11/01/daily10.html?jst=b_ln_hl

That would be this oddness:
http://waterside-realty.net/images/properties/rivo.jpg

Well, it is "different." Not your med revival at least.

That is one way to look at it.

It kind of "slabby" looking. It also looks a bit "50's" to me as well.

Fate of Summerhouse remains unclear

STAFF REPORT

Sarasota Herald Tribune
November 6, 2004

SARASOTA COUNTY -- A developer's plan to save the historic Summerhouse Restaurant from the wrecking ball was rejected by the Planning Commission this week.

Agents for Snavely Siesta Associates said it would cost about $1 million to renovate the 1976 Siesta Key restaurant, which is cited as a prime example of the Sarasota School of Architecture.

In exchange for renovating and preserving the building, the developers wanted permission to build a 113-foot-high condo tower, 36 feet higher than the county's codes permit.

The developer wants to build two condo buildings totaling 45 units, and a parking garage on the nearly four-acre property north of Stickney Point Road.

They need the property rezoned so they can exceed the building height cap for one of the residential buildings.

But the board voted 7-1 to recommend denial of the plan to the County Commission, which has the final say.

Planning Commissioner John J. Fellin was against the denial, and Jody Hudgins recused himself from the discussion and vote.

In their objections, the Planning Commission said that the building's height is more important than saving the restaurant.


Last modified: November 06. 2004 12:00AM

In their objections, the Planning Commission said that the building's height is more important than saving the restaurant.

Like wtf? The commision wants to save this structure, but going 36ft taller is too much to ask? Gimme a break...

Article published Nov 6, 2004
Quay pushes back plans amid conference center talks

By Kevin McQuaid

SARASOTA -- Amid continued wrangling over whether to build a conference center downtown, the start of redevelopment at the Sarasota Quay has been pushed back until at least mid-2005.

When the waterfront property was sold in January, the demolition of the nine-story Quay building was scheduled by year-end, with construction beginning in earnest in 2005.

Quay principal owner Patrick Kelly now says construction on the 10.5-acre tract probably won't take place until next June or into 2006.

"We'd like to start in June, but as a practical matter, there's no certainty in that," Kelly said this week. "It may be 2006. But we're optimistic we're going in the right direction."

Kelly said the new timetable stems from the need to relocate Quay tenants, such as the Da Ru Ma Japanese restaurant, Boar's Head Provisions Co. and the Waterside Room, and to obtain city approvals.

The Dublin-based Quay owners, who are proposing as much as $1 billion in condominiums, stores and offices for the land, hope to file specific plans with the city before the year is out, Kelly said.

They also hope to incorporate a waterfront pedestrian walking area that would include the Quay, Hyatt Sarasota, Ritz-Carlton Hotel, and condominiums and the Beau Ciel residences. Discussions with the properties neighboring the Quay are ongoing, Kelly added.

At least part of the delay can be attributed to the lingering discussions over whether -- and where -- to develop a conference center in Sarasota.

In January, a Sarasota County consultant concluded that the area could support a $65 million center containing as much as 200,000 square feet.

Proponents claim the project would create hundreds of jobs and steady the local tourism and hospitality industries, especially during slow times in late summer.

But city and county officials have seemed reluctant to commit to developing and operating a conference center that would require an estimated $650,000 in annual public subsidies to maintain, and even more in marketing and advertising.

Since February, city and county officials have held only a handful of meetings on the subject, and the question of whether to build it has, until recently, stalled.

The issue snagged again this week, when the Sarasota City Commission rejected a Quay proposal to swap a portion of its land for city property in Centennial Park.

"It's very discouraging," said Charles Githler III, a Hyatt Sarasota owner and conference center proponent.

Had the swap been approved, the city and county would have built the center at the Quay, and Kelly and partners would have developed residences in the park. City officials said they were uncomfortable with allowing private development on public property.

The commission rejection marked the second time this year that the city has rebuffed a Quay proposal regarding the conference center.

In the spring, city officials dismissed a proposal that would have allowed Quay buildings to go 28 stories -- 10 floors higher than city code allows -- in exchange for land for the center.

For their part, the Quay owners -- who once welcomed the conference center for the traffic and retail support it would provide -- say the city and county should look to the 40-acre cultural center, home to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and Municipal Auditorium.

"They have a fantastic site there," Kelly said. "But I don't know that Sarasota really wants a conference center. I'm surprised that if the city and county want it, they aren't doing more to achieve it."

Conference center backers, while acknowledging that the issue stalled over the summer, contend it remains a priority.

"I'm still very committed to it," said Tim Clarke, chief executive of Clarke Advertising and Public Relations. "I think the community needs it, and it would be a critical component to our economic development efforts."

But Clarke, Githler and others agree that the Quay remains the best site for the center, and they note that options are disappearing.

"People are making decisions that are closing doors to us, and it's understandable," Clarke said. "This community needs to make a decision and make it quickly, or it might have to spend a lot more money for a less desirable site."

"We've seen a lot of communities trying to support a conference center where the lifeblood is drained because it's either not in the right place or doesn't have enough nearby hotel rooms," said Virginia Haley, executive director of the Sarasota Convention and Visitors Bureau. "So it's a critical issue for us."

Faced with the perceived time crunch, momentum appears to be building again.

As early as Nov. 30, county finance officials may provide data on the projected economic impact of a conference center, together with anticipated costs and studies of other communities' facilities.

That work follows a pledge Thursday by the county's joint economic development and tourism board to make the center a priority in the coming year.

The city, too, intends to ramp up.

City Manager Michael McNees said he would pull together a "cultural district stakeholder group" to analyze what contribution, if any, Sarasota could make to the conference center.

"That way, we can either solve, or put to an end, the perception that there's city land available," said McNees.

Clarke hopes to involve the private sector to a greater extent as well. Early next year, he hopes to present to a joint meeting of the city and county commissions the recommendations of an ad hoc business committee.

Those recommendations are expected to include ideas on potential funding, parking and identify adequate sites, Clarke said.

And Kelly, too, remains cautiously upbeat.

"We'll help if we can," he said. "After all, it would be good for us, and good for the town. And I believe if the city really wants it on our parcel, it could be achieved. If there's a will, there's a way."
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041106/BUSINESS/411060461/1200

I think that Sarasota would be better served to pursue other ventures. There are conference centers all over the damn USA, and it is an extremely competitive industry, pitting taxpayers against taxpayers...

I think they would be better served pursuing things that others might not be. Provide incentives to emerging undustries, entice other forms of attractions to come to town, or just continue to enrich the local arts scene... Basically anything other than invensting millions in a highly risky proposition.

Manatee approves Perico deal

Holmes Beach commissioners will decide tonight whether to continue with the lawsuit

TIM W. McCANN

Herald Staff Writer

MANATEE - The Manatee County Commission officially approved a deal this morning to settle lawsuits with the city of Bradenton over its approval of a residential development for Perico Island. The deal, approved 5-2, lets developer St. Joe Co. build up to 686 condo units in high rises with waterfront views.

Tonight, Holmes Beach commissioners plan to decide whether to continue their involvement in the lawsuit against Bradenton.

County commissioners said they voted for the deal because they feared they could lose everything if the lawsuit went to court. Commissioner Amy Stein, who led the county's negotiations with St. Joe and Bradenton officials, said she based her backing of the deal on "harsh realism" and Commissioner Jonathan Bruce said, "I think we got everything we're going to get out of the deal."

The deal reduces the building height from 10 stories to seven stories along Anna Maria Sound, increases the height from 10 to 12 stories for two buildings facing Tampa Bay and increases the height of two of the three buildings facing Perico Bayou from seven to 10 stories. The county also has the option of buying part of the island not targeted for development for $6 million.

County Commissioner Joe McClash, who voted against the deal with Commission Chairwoman Jane von Hahmann, lampooned the city council for its approval of the development. McClash said the city ignored the will of the community and failed to include citizens in the approval process.

"We can't fault the developer," McClash said. "The city had the ability to say no."

After the vote, Bradenton City Councilman Gene Gallo, observing from the commission chambers, said the city entertained several public hearings. But in the end, the city legally had to approve the development because St. Joe met all the city's criteria.

"I think (McClash) was a little harsh," Gallo said. "I take it as an insult to our city."
http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/breaking_news/10137985.htmhttp://www.bradenton.com/images/bradenton/bradenton/10138/102779043000.jpg

Crescent-Siesta Key condo is ready for construction

STAFF REPORT

SIESTA KEY -- With all but three of its 26 residences under contract, Crescent-Siesta Key is ready to begin construction. Demolition of the Crescent View Beach Hotel, 6512 Midnight Pass Road, is under way.

The beach-front property is being developed by Jae Heinberg, president of the Bella Vista Group Inc., who also developed Somerset Cay and Seagrove on Siesta Key.

Shanska USA Building Inc. has been selected as general contractor for the Crescent condominium. Clients in Florida include the Setai Hotel and Residences in Miami, Tampa International Plaza and the Wyndham Hotels.

Heinberg says he wants to enhance the beachfront of Siesta Key while retaining the charm of the picturesque island. The Crescent will strike a balance between outdoor beach living and cosmopolitan contemporary architecture.

Each of the 26 residences will have a unique floor plan with individual touches to enable owners to express personal styles. The remaining three residences are priced from $2.265 million to $2.91 million (the latter is a penthouse) for about 2,100 square feet. They feature Gulf views, high ceilings and clerestory windows. The project is scheduled for completion in the last quarter of 2005.

For more information on Crescent, call Michael Saunders & Company at 312-0146 or toll-free (888) 673-9338.

Article published Nov 10, 2004
Condos offer what city wants, but …
Height is the problem with the proposal for more affordable units.

By Lisa Rab lisa.rab@heraldtribune.com

SARASOTA -- Developer Wayne Morehead has proposed a condominium project that has almost everything the city wants: lower-priced housing above retail shops within walking distance of downtown.

But it's tall, and falls just outside the zone where the city allows tall condo towers to be built.

So it's become a test of how strictly the city will interpret the 4-year-old downtown master plan, which is supposed to be the road map for growth over the next two decades.

Morehead wants to remake a four-block swath of Cocoanut Avenue between Boulevard of the Arts and 10th Street with 374 condominiums and 89,000 square feet of shops and commercial space.

It's a project the Rosemary neighborhood association supports as a way to bring more residents to the up-and-coming area north of downtown.

But Morehead's plans for CityPointe Downtown Sarasota show eight buildings, some of which would be eight or nine stories tall.

Under Sarasota's downtown master plan, buildings on this section of Cocoanut Avenue are limited to five stories.

So city planners are advising the commission to reject a rezoning for the project, though it features the kind of mixed- use, downtown living they hope to promote.

"This is not easy, because there's a lot of things we like about this project," Sarasota Senior Planner Harvey Hoglund said.

Hoglund pointed out that the downtown plan calls for "small-scale, mixed use" buildings in the areas of the city that lie outside of the downtown core.

Most other buildings in the eastern section of Rosemary are one or two stories, and the city has not allowed them to be higher, he said.

Morehead doesn't see the problem.

He points out that the 16-story Renaissance of Sarasota condominium tower is just west of his proposed development, and the Sarasota Housing Authority's 11-story McCown Towers is across the street on the south side.

Also, Morehead's Atlanta- based company is about to break ground on an 8-story condominium on the southwest corner of Boulevard of the Arts and Cocoanut.

"I think that we are extremely compatible with the city's plan," Morehead said. "We're bringing residential in."

If approved, CityPointe would fundamentally alter the landscape in the Rosemary District, a historic area that has been slowly gaining technology firms, shops and cafes in recent years.

Some neighbors say the condos would help bring more people to the area after dark.

"It's such a nice project that I would hate to see a couple stories get in the way of it," said Greg Penix, president of the Rosemary Neighborhood Association. "I think it would be a real loss to the area."

The project would replace seven aging, single-story apartment duplexes that many Hispanic families rent for $450 a month. It also displaces Unity Church and would require that two historic buildings in the Rosemary District be moved.

Morehead is promising to make his condominiums "workforce housing," saying a significant portion will be priced between $175,000 and $250,000. He said he needs taller buildings so he can fit in more condominiums and keep the prices low.

Ian Black, a local real estate broker who owns property in the area, said the downtown master plan should allow for that extra density. He suggested that the city approve Morehead's project on the condition that he promise to make the units "affordable."

"The height is an issue you could deal with," Black said. "The city is losing an unbelievable opportunity for the Rosemary District to really realize its full potential."
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2004411100431

Mike Piergrossi, manager at one of the district's newest shops, the Sarasota Coffee and Tea Company, understands why some residents favor the condominium project. More condos mean more foot traffic in the area, which Piergrossi is eager to see.

But he thinks the city should continue to enforce its rules about growth.

"I do believe there should be limits on it," Piergrossi said. "It's a beautiful skyline here. I believe that's something important to preserve, too."

Their height limit neuroses are way out of hand. It's not like it is 20 stories . . .

http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041118/NEWS/411180533/1270/NEWS0101

Article published Nov 18, 2004
City Planning Board backs condo project

By Lisa Rab

SARASOTA -- Responding to public pleas for lower-priced housing and redevelopment north of downtown, the City Planning Board voted to overrule its staff Wednesday and support a condominium project planners said was too tall.

The board unanimously backed a rezoning request for CityPointe Downtown Sarasota, which features 374 condos and 89,000 square feet of commercial space off Cocoanut Avenue between Boulevard of the Arts and 10th Street.

The request now heads to the City Commission with a recommendation of approval, despite the planners' recommendation that it be denied.

"I love this project," Planning Board member Ken Shelin said. "I think increased height and density is exactly what we need for workforce housing."

City planners argued that the project does not fit in with the neighborhood because some of the buildings would be eight or nine stories tall.

The project would conflict with the city's growth plan, which limits buildings in the area to five stories.

But more than two dozen neighbors, business people and other city residents spoke in support of the project Wednesday night, arguing that it would provide much-needed "workforce housing" for the Rosemary District.

Even a pastor whose historic church will have to be moved to make room for the project said it would be good for the neighborhood. "We have been waiting for half a century for redevelopment of this area," said Greg Penix, president of the Rosemary Neigborhood Association.

Many supporters were swayed by developer Wayne Morehead's offer to sell 20 percent of the condos for $175,000 to $250,000. Those prices would be affordable to young professionals downtown, his supporters said.

That promise was not written into any of the plans the planning board discussed, and the board members acknowledged they had no guarantees the prices would stay that low.

But they decided the project should be approved anyway, because the city did not require sale-price limits for other projects approved downtown.

"It's not fair to put the burden on you," board chairman Michael Shelton said.

Other board members reasoned that the project might conflict with the newly adopted height limits in the downtown zoning code, but that code was not in effect when the project was filed last year, so the limits don't apply.

"In my opinion, the code is the code, and he can build if he wants to charge $500,000 a unit," board member Shannon Snyder said.

Despite the Planning Board's support, the project may face another hurdle.

In its implementation of the new downtown code, the city is beginning a massive rezoning of more than 1,800 properties, changing their height and density allowances.

On Dec. 15, the Planning Board is scheduled to consider rezoning the CityPointe site to a density lower than necessary for the project.

If the City Commission hasn't approved the project by then, Morehead will have to fight the rezoning.

Well I'm glad there are some people in Sarasota with brains. I bet the people fighting this project don't live in the neighborhood.

of course they don't. The article points out how the nieghborhood, including folks being displaced by it, are supporting the project.

I will have to keep an eye on this one. Anything around $200k is in my price range. Of course, I bet the unit isn't more than like 900, maybe 1,000 square feet.

Article published Nov 28, 2004
Acupuncturist proves it doesn't take a developer to dream

Michael Pollick michael.pollick@heraldtribune.com

SARASOTA -- Meet the most leveraged man in Southwest Florida.

His mortgage broker, Robert H. Rogers, with his client standing right there listening, bluntly points out that acupuncturist Harvey Kaltsas is a guy who makes $80,000, maybe $100,000 a year, has no history as a developer, but has now received a bank's commitment for a $24 million condominium construction loan.

"It's true," said Kaltsas, smiling calmly, as if the thought were in some way amusing. "I'm more leveraged than anybody in America right now."

The 57-year-old owner of his own acupuncture clinic isn't building just any condo.

From the creation of its name, "Kanaya," to its rooftop gardens, the building is feng shui-inspired and designed to promote the well-being of its inhabitants.

It was no easy journey getting to where he is now, with big-time builder W.G. Mills poised to start sinking the pilings for $40 million worth of construction, including Kaltsas' own future dwelling, the ninth-floor southwest corner unit.

Part of Kaltsas' success is good timing.

The once seedy Orange Avenue property where he moved his acupuncture practice in 1992 has blossomed into a real estate hot zone, with beat-up four-plexes going for three-quarters of a million bucks.

Later, with his condo project growing in mind, he had to borrow money from friends and relatives to buy enough adjacent land to build straight up. Then he had a tough time finding a lender.

"There were times I was just about ready to say to hell with it," Kaltsas recalled.

Not any more.

On Tuesday, in the hallway of his Oriental medicine clinic on Morris Street, he attached a paper gold star to a poster-size drawing of the building.

He had just received a 20 percent down payment on a 10th-floor unit listed at upwards of $1 million. It was the 27th sale for the project's 35 residential units.

Now, instead of listening to the polite rejections of bankers, Kaltsas is busy listening to buy-out offers.

But, as he has from the beginning, the acupuncturist-turned-developer insists on maintaining control of his beloved Kanaya.

"I'm not going to become a mega-mega developer, but if I can inspire them, that's what I'd really like to do," he said.

Feng shui

The words "feng" and "shui" are Chinese for wind and water.

Like the Oriental medicine Kaltsas practices, feng shui is an art developed over thousands of years of civilization.

In this case, the art is the proper placement of objects. You are engaging in a feng shui exercise when you move a plant in your living room to somewhere that makes you feel happier.

Now imagine making an entire apartment building that follows hundreds of subtle guidelines.

Layer on top of that a building in which nearly every New Age health concern has been addressed, from electromagnetic radiation to filtering the air-conditioning air.

You're starting to get the idea of Kanaya.

A year and a half from now, Sally and Roger Betts will have moved into Kanaya from Punta Gorda, where they have owned a home for the past 12 years.

They will drive into the building from Orange Avenue and take a private elevator to their apartment, the center unit of three on the fifth floor.

They won't see the shielded electrical course that makes its vertical run near the east end of the apartment, keeping electromagnetic radiation as far away as possible from their master bedroom, which is near the west or bay side of the apartment.

When the weather is right, opening the doors onto two large balconies, facing east and west, will send breezes through their home. When it's too hot or too humid for that, their apartment will be refreshed by a high-efficiency air-conditioning system that brings in 15 percent fresh air as part of its mix after it has run it through a heavy-duty set of filters.

An ultraviolet lamp inside the air conditioner will make sure that no mold grows on the cooling coils.

In keeping with feng shui design principles, exposed wall corners will be rounded, not sharp.

In the kitchen, the sink and stove, representing fire and water, will be arranged so they are not directly opposite each other.

"The stove is a fire element. The sink is water. What does the water do to the fire? It puts it out. So two conflicting elements in a room causes arguments. It can cause illness," said Katrine Karley, founder of Sarasota's Absolute Harmony Feng Shui Inc. and a consultant to Kanaya from its very inception.

Karley even named it.

Kaltsas was going to call it something like "Ringling Court Tower." Karley said forget it, and began a feng shui process to make up the name.

"It cost $3,000 just to come up with the name," Kaltsas said. "I know it sounds flaky, but it's worth it. The name is really important."

Inside, Kaltsas has gone to extremes (measured in the hundreds of thousands of dollars) to make the dwellings quiet, with each one insulated from the sound of the others.

The techniques include an engineered wallboard called QuietRock and cast iron drain pipes instead of PVC pipes. The drain pipes alone cost an extra $50,000.

"That is not much money," Kaltsas says, repeating a constant refrain. "Otherwise, you are listening to people flush their toilets all day long. Think of it. It is like a waterfall, 150 feet tall."

Kanaya has much more to offer than solid plumbing.

For example, architect Don Lawson and Karley turned the rooftop into a community living space, with herb gardens, kitchens and shady vistas.

"Immediately I knew this was the right place for us," said Sally Betts, a student of what she calls energy medicine, meaning the treatment of the inner body through energy.

A path of his own

Kaltsas' father, a Boston-based Greek immigrant and entrepreneur, wanted his son to become a lawyer, but he lasted exactly six weeks at Boston University School of Law before dropping out.

The younger Kaltsas took up macrobiotics, studied Oriental medicine, and started his own commune on a 155-acre farm he bought with his own money in Saskatchewan, Canada.

He apprenticed in acupuncture with a Chinese doctor in Boston and had practices in Tucson, Ariz., and in the Northeast before settling down in Sarasota in the early 1980s.

His sister had already been living on Siesta Key for seven years when Florida liberalized its laws for the practice of acupuncture in 1981.

"She had always urged me to come down," Kaltsas said. "When I found out I could actually practice acupuncture without an M.D. supervising, it was a no-brainer."

It wasn't until 12 years later, in 1993, that Kaltsas began indulging his taste for commercial property ownership.

He bought the old house on Orange that year because it was the cheapest place near downtown.

But the check writing didn't start in earnest until December 2001.

At that point, Kaltsas had a half-acre along Orange that had cost him roughly $500,000, and he began hiring experts to determine what he could build on it.

He soon realized that to combine parking with a large building, it would help if he had a bigger site, say three-quarters of an acre.

In April 2003, he took the big gulp, paying more for a couple of lots behind his property -- land with no commercial frontage -- than he paid for what should have been the most expensive property, the land along Orange.

Kaltsas borrowed money from his sister and business partner Cynthia Kaltsas, then paid $765,000 for 1622 Laurel Ave. and 520 Rawls Ave.

So there he was with enough land to do something big, and some drawings for a building, but he had a tough time finding a banker who would listen.

"Basically they were saying 'Look, you don't have any experience. You're not a builder. Your personal financial statement doesn't support a $24 million loan, so you would have to take on a partner who will co-sign with you,'" Kaltsas said.

Then somebody told him he could borrow money from an insurance company. He got involved in a yearlong process with one of them, but when push came to shove, they raised the bar to an unrealistic level, asking him to show $12 million in cash to get the $24 million.

"He has had to go so far out on a limb, that was my biggest fear with Harvey, was his health," said Kaltsas' friend, fellow acupuncturist Thomas McCormack.

He and Kaltsas are the same age, 57.

"Day after day, you have to get up and know that everything you own is at risk. It is extremely stressful. So I'm always looking at Harvey's tongue. In Chinese medicine, that is one of the ways we determine somebody's health."

So how does it look?

"Harvey is holding up very well," McCormack said. "He can compartmentalize, which most people can't."

Saving grace

During what has been a prolonged period of seeking construction financing, what saved Kanaya was that the value of the property not only continued to rise, but accelerated quickly in value.

As property values downtown and in the residential area "West of the Trail" skyrocketed throughout the '90s, Orange Avenue became less seedy in the eyes of home buyers and investors.

From 2001 to 2003, what is now the Kanaya property rose in value by about $1 million.

In April 2003, when Kaltsas received an entitlement to build from City Hall, the appraised value soared to $3.4 million.

"That is insane; it's insane, but it's true," said Kaltsas, his voice climbing an octave, as it does when he gets exuberant.

It was in January that Robert H. Rogers, founder of First Nationwide Mortgage, found Kaltsas.

Rogers had worked for a couple of big lenders before dropping out, then opening his own firm. He knows how to talk the talk.

Kaltsas "had been working with another company that was really just stringing him along. As he is going along, he is still spending money, money he doesn't have," Rogers recalled.

"He was primed for a development to go up, but everybody knew he didn't have any money. Developers were circling around him. He was still going to walk away with money, but he was primed for getting his butt beat."

At this point, Kaltsas owed fees in the hundreds of thousands to his architectural firm and his law firm, Lawson Group and Icard Merrill.

"To Don Lawson's credit, he carried this project. Icard Merrill too. They all carried the project without payment. Bottom line, everybody knew there was value in the real estate and value in the project."

For his part, Lawson didn't have to bother with Kaltsas or Kanaya. He has designed such monumental projects as Sarasota Bay Club and is a lead designer in the Ringling Museum expansion.

He just got hooked on Kaltsas' concept for Kanaya.

"We thought, this could be an example that others could really look at and benefit from," Lawson said. "We just thought, 'We are going to make this work, whatever it takes.'"

Meanwhile, Rogers did 47 presentations just to get a bridge loan of $2.5 million in the spring. With that as breathing room, he convinced Orion Bank to commit to the $24 million construction loan that is about to be issued.

"It was a job," he said. "The problem was, everybody who had the horsepower to make the investment, they wanted to buy the project."

On the poster-sized rendering of the building with all the apartment numbers written in, Kaltsas points to the one he plans to live in, No. 1203.

It would be priced at $1,585,000 if it were for sale.

"You know, I couldn't afford to live in this building unless I were building it. I would have to work 17 years as an acupuncturist and put every cent into it, and that's without eating."
http://www.newscoast.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041128/BUSINESS/411280502/-1/ARCHIVES30
http://www.lawsongroup.net/uploadimages/smRingling_Court_-_for_website.jpg

http://shimg.us.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=SH&Date=20041130&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=411300421&Ref=AR&Profile=1060&MaxW=250
Article published Nov 30, 2004
Plaza Verdi project delayed
Opera officials say they need time to negotiate with the developer.

By Lisa Rab

SARASOTA -- Negotiations with the Sarasota Opera have slowed a developer's plans to build a $141.5 million condominium, hotel and retail complex on a city-owned Palm Avenue site.

City officials say they probably won't finalize an agreement for the Plaza Verdi project until March -- about three months later than planned.

But the city commissioners said Monday that they want the project to proceed and are willing to give developer Ersa Grae Corp. several more months to negotiate.

"I'm very confident that we're moving forward," Commissioner Danny Bilyeu said. "I'm very pleased with what I heard today."

Ersa Grae must sign an agreement with the opera because one of the opera's buildings, along with the Golden Apple Dinner Theatre, would be demolished and relocated under the Plaza Verdi proposal.

Starting in July, Ersa Grae had about five months to make sales agreements with the two arts organizations. Without those deals, city officials would not give Ersa Grae land for the project or $4 million in public funds to defray the cost of building public parking spaces and revamping Five Points Park.

Ersa Grae signed a deal with the Golden Apple on Monday, and was supposed to sign with the opera, too. But opera leaders said they needed more time to negotiate a deal that will allow them to expand their facilities while Plaza Verdi is under construction.

Ersa Grae has offered to replace the administrative and production space that the opera would lose when the Dean Carroll Allyn Pavilion building on Pineapple Avenue is torn down.

But Executive Director Susan Danis said the opera also needs to make about $10 million worth of renovations, including a new orchestra pit, dressing rooms and rehearsal space.

The problem is that the opera wants to make those changes at the same time as the Ersa Grae construction, and it doesn't have the money. Opera leaders want to make sure they will be able to raise the money before signing a deal.

"We have a very large task ahead of us," said Ed Bavaria, chairman of the opera's board of directors. "The project can't be launched on the back of the opera."

Bavaria said he was "confident and hopeful" that the opera could eventually make a deal with Ersa Grae, but he was reluctant to set a deadline.

Danis said she would have a better idea about fund-raising by the time the opera season ends in March or April.

The city commissioners, however, are pushing for a firm date. This is the third time in four years they have tried to redevelop the Palm Avenue parking lot where Plaza Verdi would be built, and they are eager to see the project succeed.

Ersa Grae has offered to build 300 public parking spaces along with hotel rooms, condos and 88,000 square feet of retail and office space.

"We're anxious to get this project under way and get it moving," Commissioner Lou Ann Palmer said.

Representatives from Ersa Grae said they would give the city commission an update on their progress at a public workshop in January. City staff said they could probably reach a development agreement in March.
http://www.newscoast.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041130/NEWS/411300421/1060

Article published Dec 2, 2004
Saunders unveils HQ plan
The real estate giant wants to build a Sarasota complex

By Kevin McQuaid

SARASOTA -- In an effort to harness its sprawling operation and increase efficiency, real estate behemoth Michael Saunders & Co. is proposing a $60 million, two-building downtown office complex on Orange Avenue.

Saunders' plan calls for a pair of office buildings that would rise six and eight stories in Sarasota.

The 200,000-square-foot complex would replace an existing single-story, brown brick building that Saunders uses as a technology center, and a surface parking lot.

The 1.67-acre project would also contain ground-floor retail space, a restaurant with as many as 200 seats, an elevated park and three levels of deck parking.

"The idea is to join Pineapple to Main so people can shop and walk and antique," said Michael Saunders, founder and chief executive of the real estate company that bears her name.

Once the project is completed, Saunders said, she plans to consolidate five offices that are scattered around downtown Sarasota and house about 150 employees.

"We're just not efficient now," Saunders added. "We spend more time jumping in the car and running around town."

Specifically, Saunders said, she would move her accounting and human resources departments and the company's relocation team and install a training center in the new buildings.

"It's relocating a local corporate icon," said Bruce Franklin, president of the ADP Group Inc., the architectural firm working with Saunders.

Since its formation in the mid-1970s, Michael Saunders & Co. has risen to become the region's leading residential real estate brokerage firm.

Its agents typically handle the premier condominium and single-family listings, generating billions in annual sales volume.

In that capacity, Saunders has been integral to numerous local real estate developments, including the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Condominiums, the Whole Foods Market Centre, the Plaza at Five Points and The Concession, a multimillion-dollar development in Manatee County.

But Saunders' plan for her own quarters -- unveiled Wednesday during a meeting at City Hall -- is facing some initial resistance from Sarasota officials and some Laurel Park neighborhood residents concerned about increased traffic and access.

City officials said they were concerned about how the Saunders buildings would connect to the surrounding neighborhood because several one-way streets bound the Orange Avenue site.

The project would be bounded by Orange, Morrill Street, Laurel Street and Rawls Avenue.

"With the scale of the project, transportation and related issues are certainly going to be an issue," Allen Parsons, a senior planner in the city's Planning Department, said during the city's Development Review Committee meeting.

Parsons and other committee members also questioned how tenants would access the buildings, which are surrounded by one-way streets.

At least one Laurel Park resident said she was concerned about the height of the proposed buildings.

"I just have to wonder, what are they thinking?" said resident Diana Hamilton. "You know the neighborhood, when they see this, is going to be concerned about the height."

Franklin and Saunders said they were exploring building town houses on the edge of the property that faces the Laurel Park neighborhood to buffer the residential area from the commercial development.

Saunders isn't happy, either.

She contends that a proposed change in the city zoning code is forcing her to submit plans for the project now.

If she waits until March, Sarasota's new zoning code would limit her building to five stories and decrease allowable density by as much as 60 percent.

"The code is forcing me to do this now, because of the negative impact it will have," Saunders said. "It would take away my right to develop my property."

Saunders and Franklin hope to submit plans within the next 10 weeks so the real estate maven can develop the property under current C-CBD zoning, rather than the "Downtown Edge" zoning that will take effect next year.

Downtown Edge limits building height to five stories. Under current zoning, developers can build as high as 180 feet, with some provisions.

Franklin said the project could begin construction in late 2005, and be completed roughly two years later.

Saunders said consolidation -- whether in Sarasota or elsewhere -- is paramount.

"If I don't do it here, I certainly have to do it somewhere," she said. "Downtown has been a big part of the company's presence from the beginning."

"I want this to be fabulous," Saunders added. "I want this building to make a statement to the city and be timeless."
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041202/BUSINESS/412020498/1060

Article published Dec 7, 2004
Developer downsizes Quay plans

By Kevin McQuaid

SARASOTA -- Nearly a year after proposing a $1 billion development that would be among the largest in city history, the Irish owners of the Sarasota Quay have filed scaled-down plans that envision a trio of condominium towers on the waterfront property.

The developers, who once touted the potential for 1,000 condominiums, have reduced the total to 530.

Moreover, plans that once heavily emphasized retail stores, have been replaced by designs that show only a smattering of them.

"In the context of the market, we felt it was the highest and best use for the property," said John Awsumb, a representative for developer Irish American Partners.

Irish American's plans for the 11-acre Quay now also include office space, boat slips and about a dozen town houses.

Although the Quay has been the subject of discussion for much of 2004, architect Nichols Brosch Sandoval & Associates Inc.'s plans are the first time the city has received formal submissions regarding the project.

The city's Development Review Committee is scheduled to examine the Quay plans on Dec. 15, the first in what could be a nearly yearlong city approval process.

"I think they're interested in getting some feedback from the DRC and get some at least initial response because of the scale of the project," said Allen Parsons, a senior city planner.

Following the example of several other developers considering projects downtown, Irish American is attempting to construct the Quay property under existing commercial, central business district zoning rules.

In March, the city is expected to formally adopt new zoning that limits building height and puts other restrictions on developers and architects.

Under Nichols Brosch's design, four buildings would be constructed on the redeveloped Quay property.

The primary structures on the property would be three 18-story residential towers containing the 530 units, according to plans filed with the city late last month.

The fourth building would contain 78,000 square feet of office and retail space.

The revamped Quay would also contain 1,589 parking spaces.

The existing nine-story Quay building, completed in 1985 and containing roughly 230,000 square feet of office and retail space, would be razed.

"All existing buildings on the assembled site would be demolished," the plans say.

Along with the 19-year-old Quay building, a 4,256-square- foot Splash beach store, built in 1994, also would be torn down.

But contrary to the original vision, unveiled in February after the Dublin-based consortium spent $60 million to buy the nearly vacant tract, the latest Quay plans do not include a conference center, large hotel or spa.

Sarasota County consultants have said the Quay remains the best spot for a proposed conference center because of its proximity to nearby hotels and downtown shopping.

County officials are slated to decide whether to build a $65 million conference center in Sarasota sometime next year.

While the new Quay plans lack conference facilities and related space, they don't contain nearly the number of residential units envisioned nearly a year ago.

At that time, designers working with Irish American -- a consortium led by Dublin developer Patrick Kelly -- considered the possibility of more than 1,000 condominiums.

They also planned for retail space that was three-quarters the size of the Westfield Shoppingtown Southgate mall in south Sarasota.

The new design limits retail space to 32,420 square feet, even smaller than a more recent plan this summer that envisioned 75,000 to 100,000 square feet.

It could not be determined if the total value of the redevelopment had shrunk from the anticipated $1 billion price tag predicted months ago.

Even so, if current plans reach fruition the revamped Quay would be among the largest private-sector developments ever in Sarasota.

In addition to the condominiums, the plans call for 10 town homes and 28 boat slips to be built near the Quay basin that leads to Sarasota Bay.

Kelly said in early November that the time line to begin construction had been pushed back to mid-2005 or into 2006.

Initially, he said he hoped to begin work at the Quay early in 2005.

Awsumb said Monday that construction might begin in the fall of 2005, "at the earliest."

Irish American intends to hold a neighborhood meeting concerning the project on Dec. 16 at the Hyatt Sarasota hotel.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041207/BUSINESS/412070390

Article published Dec 8, 2004
Retail still part of Quay idea

By Kevin McQuaid

SARASOTA -- The Sarasota Quay's principal owner said Tuesday that he still hopes to convert the waterfront property into an integrated, mixed-use development with shops and other commercial space.

Dublin developer Patrick Kelly's comments regarding the 11-acre, downtown property come as plans filed with the city late last month emphasize residential construction -- units that will probably carry seven-figure pricetags.

Those plans, designed by architect Nichols Brosch Sandoval & Associates Inc., call for the construction of a trio of 18-story condominium towers.

A fourth building would contain 78,000 square feet of office and retail space. In all, the Quay plans contain just 32,420 square feet of retail space.

Earlier this year, Irish architects created sketches containing nearly 10 times the retail space, along with a hotel, conference center, and spa.

"I would love myself to see a mixed-use (project) there," Kelly said, in a telephone interview from Dublin. "We'd still like to do it, but one can't get as high a price for retail, and at this point, we have to preserve the density we have for residential development."

The Quay's residential component is slated to contain 540 units, according to the plans filed with the city.

Kelly said the condos will likely average 2,000 square feet and sell for about $1 million.

The amount of shop space shrunk, in part, in response to other proposed retail development and expansions slated for Main Street, Westfield Shoppingtown Southgate, St. Armands Circle and Lakewood Ranch.

"There's a question in our minds of whether the city would be overbuilt from a retail standpoint," Kelly said.

Kelly is also hoping to strike a deal with WCI Communities Inc. to develop the trio of condo towers at the Quay.

In February, Kelly said his Irish American Partners and WCI, the developer of the Tower Residences at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel downtown, were close to an agreement. WCI objected, however, to the amount of retail space that had been proposed.

Kelly said he remains hopeful that WCI will be part of the Quay's expected $1 billion redevelopment.

WCI officials said Tuesday that no deal with Irish American, which bought the Quay in January for roughly $60 million, has been finalized.

"We'd prefer not to speculate," said Bill Pappalardo, a WCI spokesman. "We're just not there yet regarding the Quay."

With or without WCI, Kelly hasn't ruled out expanding the amount of commercial space designated for the Quay.

Irish American continues to negotiate with the owners of the El Vernona condominiums on a potential purchase of the 48-unit neighborhood.

Collectively, the El Vernona condos, on 4 acres adjacent to the Quay property, would sell for roughly $30 million.

If that land could be acquired, Kelly said the amount of retail space at the redeveloped Quay could more than double, to 80,000 square feet.

Kelly also continues to watch, with interest, the discussions surrounding the possible construction of a conference center downtown.

If such a center were developed downtown, probably within the city cultural district near the Quay, the amount of supporting retail space near it would expand dramatically.

Sarasota County and city officials are expected to decide in 2005 whether to proceed with plans to develop a conference center.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041208/BUSINESS/412080396/1200

Article published Dec 14, 2004
Forum discusses proposed center

By Kevin McQuaid

SARASOTA — A publicly funded conference center downtown would create hundreds of jobs, boost local tourism and pump millions into Sarasota County’s economy, a panel of industry experts said Monday.

“A conference center would put your city in an entirely new ballgame,” Ed Griffin, the chief executive of the Florida Hotel & Motel Association, told a forum attended by almost 250 people at the Hyatt Sarasota. “It redefines a city’s business image.”

But the potential benefits could also spark higher taxes, increased traffic congestion and cost tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to build and maintain.

Even conference center proponents caution that any such development would have to be done carefully and prudently to succeed.

The forum, the kickoff to what is expected to be a protracted effort during the next year to convince local leaders to develop a center, also contained frank talk about the expenses associated with attracting conferences.

“It’s true; few conference centers make money,” said Thomas Connors, a senior vice president with SMG, a Philadelphia-based firm that is one of the nation’s largest conference center operators.
“Profit has to be loosely interpreted here,” Connors added, referring to intangibles such as growth in parking revenue.

“The public sector will have to take the lead,” said Bill Kreuger, a director of CS&L International, which completed a conference center study for Sarasota County in January. He added that nine in 10 lose money.

Even so, the experts said, scrimping on initial cost could haunt the community in years to come.

“Don’t let money hinder your creativity,” Griffin said. “Spend the money you need to spend even if it pushes the envelope.”

Tim Clarke, chairman of Clarke Advertising & Public Relations and a Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce official in favor of building a center, contends that concession contracts, the sale of naming rights, city tax increment funding, resort taxes and bonds could cover much of the expense to build the center.

CS&L estimates that a center would generate $44.6 million in new annual, local spending and generate roughly 700 new jobs.

Developing a center now also would dovetail with nearly two decades of conference industry growth.

In all, businesses and associations hold roughly 1 million meetings each year.

Proponents said the center would also reverse declines in the number of repeat leisure tourists, stem the loss of hotel rooms converted to condominiums, add vitality to downtown and result in higher sales taxes and new businesses.

A conference center could even hold high school graduations and other public events, and double as an emergency hurricane shelter.
For their part, meeting planners seeking new venues and cities for their groups would be attracted to Sarasota.

But numerous obstacles remain, including a lackluster local airport and competition from cities with existing centers and fat marketing budgets.

“You need to address the problem of getting people here,” Griffin said.

Time and location also represent hurdles. A conference center would require three to five years to design and build, a span that might cause prime sites downtown near hotels like the Ritz-Carlton and Hyatt to disappear to other development.

Worse, many meeting planners cause centers marketing conundrums because they won’t consider booking conferences until after a city’s facility is completed.

“There’s no question that we have our work cut out for us,” Clarke said.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041214/BUSINESS/412140396/1200

Hmm . . . well, ok. I guess that works. . .

Article published Dec 14, 2004
CityPointe project wins city's approval

By Lisa Rab

SARASOTA -- A developer's proposal to build lower-priced housing in a neighborhood north of downtown won unanimous support from the city commissioners Monday, despite staff concerns that the project was too tall.

The commission approved a rezoning request for CityPointe Downtown Sarasota, a project that will cover four blocks of Cocoanut Avenue with 374 condos and 89,000 square feet of commercial space.

City planners said the development, which includes some eight- and nine-story buildings, was not compatible with the Rosemary District neighborhood.

Under the city's growth plan, buildings in that area are supposed to be no more than five stories tall.

But neighbors and business owners insisted the project would help revitalize an area struggling to improve its image.

And the commissioners applauded developer Wayne Morehead's written promise to sell 20 percent of the condos at prices ranging from $175,000 to $250,000. They said it would bring much-needed "affordable housing" for downtown's young professionals.

"I think that he is going to follow through and make sure that that happens," Commissioner Lou Ann Palmer said. "I really am very proud to be able to vote in favor of this."

CityPointe would be one of very few downtown developments offering condos for less than $400,000, according to local real estate broker Elizabeth Kipta. Right now, most downtown condos are listed for more than $1 million, she said.

Commissioner Fredd Atkins said approving the CityPointe project was the beginning of bringing more affordable housing to the area. Currently, the city has no incentives in place to encourage developers to build lower-priced units.

"We're going to figure out a way legally to hold prices down. You just keep watching us," Atkins said.

Morehead conceded that he had no way of ensuring the condos will be sold to those, such as downtown professionals, who most need affordable housing. He also can't prevent the resale prices from rising.

But he said he is "trying to do the right thing" by selling the condos at lower prices.

Morehead said he would try to assist the approximately 19 families who now pay $450 to $500 a month to rent apartments on the land where CityPointe will be build.

He promised to give the tenants 90 days notice before evicting them, and said he would waive their rents for an unspecified amount of time so they could save money to move.

Vice Mayor Mary Anne Servian said she would look into the possibility of having the displaced families buy homes in the nearby Rosemary Park development, a public housing project the Sarasota Housing Authority is converting into affordable condominiums.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041214/NEWS/412140480/1270/NEWS0101

Article published Dec 15, 2004
Downtown group protests zoning code
Property owners worry that Sarasota's new rules could restrict development and cost them millions.

By Kevin McQuaid

SARASOTA -- A prominent business group is protesting the city's new zoning code, contending that it could cost property owners millions by restricting development.

The Downtown Partnership of Sarasota Inc. wants the city to revise the code, which is connected to the downtown master plan and will govern growth for the next two decades, beginning next May.

One major bone of contention in the view of the partnership is that the city has not adequately explored the potential economic impact that the new rules, adopted in June, will have on the thousands of properties that it will govern.

"There's a lot of concern that the city didn't do a good job with the economic impact," said Ian Black, a real estate broker and partnership member who led a task force of 40 residents that made the recommendations.

"The sense is the city is mandatorily doing something here," Black added.

The group's concerns come as the city is preparing to rezone more than 3,000 properties to conform with the new code and as numerous downtown property owners who recognize the potential impact are filing development plans to take advantage of existing zoning rules.

Most notably, Michael Saunders & Co., the region's premier real estate brokerage firm, filed plans seeking city permission to build a $60 million, twin-towered office complex on Orange Avenue this month.

The Downtown Partnership is hinting that it might try to get involved in March's city elections if its concerns are not addressed.

Specifically, the partnership is asking the city to grant increased density to spur more affordable housing in and around downtown and limit "retail only" areas regulating development along Main Street and Central Avenue.

It also wants the city to alter the rules to allow the City Commission to hear Planning Board zoning appeals through 2007. Code regulations say future Planning Board appeals must be made to circuit courts.

The rezoning process, slated for completion in March, begins today with a Planning Board hearing in City Hall at 6 p.m. The City Commission must also approve the rezonings before they take effect.

Michael Saunders, owner of the real estate company that bears her name, said she needed to file plans for her 200,000-square-foot complex now or lose the ability to fully develop the Orange Avenue property under the new code.

Until the rezonings are completed, property owners like Saunders may file plans and meet either set of zoning regulations.

"The new code and the negative impact of it forced me to do this now," Saunders said earlier this month.

City Planning Director Jane Robinson said officials are evaluating potential changes to the code and will continue to review it throughout 2005 and 2006.

"Certainly through the process there will be changes," Robinson said. "But this needs to be looked at holistically."

Robinson added that planners will probably soften "retail only" rules in the new code to allow banks and other office-oriented uses in predominantly retail zones.

But allowing increased density is a "complicated issue" that could expand bureaucracy and require more staff to enforce and implement.

The partnership's opposition to the code marks the second time in as many years that it has been challenged.

In March 2002, real estate developers, property owners, business groups and attorneys challenged the plan before the state, claiming it would compromise potential development.

That challenge was settled in August 2002, when a divided commission voted 3-2 to adopt a series of changes to the Sarasota downtown master plan.

Those changes included eliminating, in some cases, requirements that buildings "step back" every fourth floor to allow more air and light to reach streets.

Other changes allowed for construction of surface parking where garages had been envisioned and up to two 18-story "signature" commercial buildings downtown. The downtown plan caps commercial buildings at 10 stories.

But the challenge by the partnership, with 250 members, could be far more reaching.

For its part, Black said the partnership doesn't intend to file suit to stop implementation of the plan or the new code. Instead, the group wants the city to alter its comprehensive plan and make the changes next May.

If the city refuses, Black said the group may work to derail the re-election bids of Commissioners Richard Martin and Lou Ann Palmer in March.

"I don't think (the city) will ignore us," Black said. "But if they do, then the democratic process may come into play."
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041215/BUSINESS/412150597/1060

Article published Dec 15, 2004
Palmetto project calls for hotel near Civic Center

By Rich Shopes

PALMETTO — The developer of an upscale condominium complex at Riviera Dunes plans to build a hotel, two restaurants and a corporate headquarters next to the Manatee Civic Center.

Corvus International said it has a tentative agreement to buy 12.5 acres just north of the Civic Center and east of U.S. 41 for $2.78 million.

The deal is expected to close on Jan. 15, and Palmetto officials are reviewing Corvus’ development plan now. If approved, construction could begin in February.

“These plans are more than just pie in the sky. These are real live companies that have made commitments to move to Palmetto,” said Tanya Lukowiak, executive director of the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency, which has quietly negotiated with Corvus. “We feel a strong level of confidence that this is going to happen.”

Corvus said it has lease agreements with Teltronics Inc., a South Manatee-based technology manufacturer, and is fielding offers from separate hotel developers to build a four-story Hampton Inn or four-story Hilton Garden Inn.

Civic Center officials, who said Tuesday they were unaware of Corvus’ plans, have pushed for a hotel for more than a decade to boost attendance at the center.

Several plans, including one floated just a couple of years ago, have fallen through.

“After 9/11, bankers just pulled their money,” said Larry White, executive director of the Bradenton Convention and Visitors Bureau, which operates the Civic Center.

On Monday, County Commissioner Joe McClash, seeking to spark interest in the idea, asked the visitors bureau to request proposals to build a hotel on the parking lot just east of the Civic Center.

White said the requests might not be necessary if the hotel deal is approved, but after years of disappointments he was skeptical the project would happen.

“There have been so many pipe dreams for that property, but nothing has ever happened,” he said. “If they have a plan for over there, then I applaud that. Let me say this clearly: We desperately, desperately need a full-service hotel adjacent to the center to bring it to another level.”

CRA officials, meanwhile, say this time the deal could happen. The difference between now and the last time a hotel was proposed, two years ago, is that development is taking off at Riviera Dunes and that Corvus’ plans include Teltronics, which would support the hotel.

“We hope to have approval from the city on Feb. 7. Then we would break ground on Teltronics the next day,” Vining said.

Ewen Cameron, Teltronics’ chief executive, said the company’s lease at 2150 Whitfield Industrial Way is scheduled to expire in August. Officials there have been in talks with Corvus for eight months to build a larger headquarters and to save money on its lease.

Cameron wouldn’t disclose the terms of the lease but said it would run 10 years. Of the company’s 225 employees, 150 would move to Palmetto. The rest are scattered in offices around the United States, Mexico and England.

Teltronics makes telephone switching systems and other communications technology. It has operated at its 72,000-square-foot headquarters for 20 years.

The new headquarters would increase its manufacturing space from 35,000 to 55,000 square feet. The total facility would jump to 80,000 square feet.

“This gives us an opportunity for a much larger work pool,” said Cameron, adding the company expects to add employees over the next 18 months.

Corvus, based in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., has built plants for General Motors, Ford and other large manufacturers.

“That is really what Corvus cut its teeth on,” Vining said.

In Manatee, the company is known for developing Bel Mare, a three-building condominium complex that overlooks a marina and where units run from $471,000 to $1.94 million. Construction there started about a month ago.

At one point, Corvus was considering building a hotel at Riviera Dunes, just south of the Civic Center, but then officials started looking at the 12.5 acres owned by Gil Waters north of the Civic Center, Vining said.

“It just made more sense to put the hotel there, away from the condominiums,” Vining said.

In addition to the hotel and Teltronics’ headquarters, Corvus plans to build a bank and two restaurants, Mo’s Southwest Grill and Mama Fu’s, both of which owned by Tampa-based Cha Cha Coconuts, the parent of the Columbia Restaurant. The two restaurants would share a lobby.

Vining said Corvus chose to keep negotiations quiet until the deal seemed close to approval.

Lukowiak said she doesn’t expect Corvus’s development plan to encounter any substantial problems when city officials review it over the next two months.

The hotel would sit just east of U.S. 41 between the Civic Center and Teltronics. Seventh Street would be extended east across U.S. 41 to accommodate the bank and the two restaurants. A traffic light, which was approved by state transportation officials, would be erected at Seventh Street and U.S. 41.

Currently, the property is uninhabited and overrun with shrubs and Brazilian pepper trees.

“The hotel will follow shortly after Teltronics, then the bank and the restaurants,” said Vining, one of three principal owners of Corvus.

The total project will run through late 2006 and cost about $22 million, he said.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041215/BUSINESS/412150387/1200

Article published Dec 16, 2004
Sarasota group unveils housing plan

By Kevin McQuaid

SARASOTA -- As part of its plan to alter the city's new zoning code, the Downtown Partnership of Sarasota Inc. is pitching a plan it says will generate more affordable housing downtown by allowing developers greater density.

Under a proposal unveiled this week, the local business group recommends the city double -- and in some areas quadruple -- the number of housing units developers may construct.

In exchange, developers building in the heart of downtown and around its edges would contribute money to a city affordable housing trust fund created earlier this year.

City zoning currently restricts development to 50 units per acre through much of downtown. The partnership's plan would allow 100 units per acre around downtown and 200 units per acre around the bayfront.

The partnership contends that relaxing the zoning and density limitations is key to spurring more affordable housing, which it defines as residences that sell for $240,000 or less.

"More restrictive density in regards to housing causes land prices to go up," said Ian Black, a real estate broker and partnership member who helped craft a position paper on the code released this week.

Specifically, Black and others contend zoning limits have stunted redevelopment in Gillespie Park and the Rosemary District.

Proponents say the city should also consider relaxing the code in tony Laurel Park.

"Over-regulation is a great concern of ours with this plan," Black said. "There's no flexibility, and it's a complicated plan."

Other partnership members have chastised the city for failing to fully analyze the economic impact of the downtown master plan and the new zoning code.

"There's been no critical thinking in this process," said Bruce Franklin, president of land planning and architectural firm The ADP Group Inc. and another partnership member who contributed to the group's position paper.

"The fundamental question with this is what is the economic and fiscal impact of it, and it hasn't been addressed," Franklin added.

Franklin maintains that several developers -- including Michael Saunders & Co. Inc., which submitted a proposal for a $60 million headquarters on Orange Avenue downtown -- are filing plans before the new code is adopted, in February or March, in order to avoid complying with the new rules.

Under the partnership's plan, developers who are granted increased density by the city would be prohibited from renting units for the first eight years after initial occupancy.

And if a unit is sold within eight years, a percentage of any capital gain would be contributed to the city's housing fund. In the first year, 80 percent of any capital gain would be contributed. In year eight, 10 percent.

Additionally, developers receiving increased density would have to pay $1,000 per unit into a city transportation fund, which was also created and approved this year.

Since then, however, the city has had only tenuous success in achieving its affordable housing goals.

In March, the City Commission granted increased density to developers Christopher Brown, Michael Langton and Bill Morris, who were planning a 17-story condominium tower at 1350 Main St.

Brown and his partners, who asked for permission to build 134 units instead of 50, said the increased density would lead to the design of more affordable units.

When sales began and prices skyrocketed to more than $500,000, though, the trio instead pledged to contribute up to $365,000 to the housing and transportation funds.

In May, units in 1350 Main St. fetched more than $60 million in total sales in less than two hours.

Rather than leading to more affordable housing, the increased density gave Brown and his partners an additional $8.6 million in profit, according to the developers' financial formula submitted to the city.

As a result, city officials say they are reluctant to grant increased density without guarantees it will result in more affordable units.

"We need to figure out and validate what is affordable, and what we want to do to achieve it," said City Planning Director Jane Robinson. "There's a lot that needs to be looked at."
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041216/BUSINESS/412160665/1200

Article published Dec 16, 2004
City says new Quay should be connected
The new owners say they agree with access, but many other issues remain to be resolved.

By Kevin McQuaid

SARASOTA -- Officials questioned representatives from the Sarasota Quay on access, parking and other issues during the city's first public review of the proposed $1 billion redevelopment plan Wednesday.

City Development Review Committee members also focused on how the largely vacant 11-acre property, slated to be converted to a trio of condominium towers and office and retail space beginning in 2006, would connect to neighboring tracts.

Specifically, city planners said they want to improve links to Sarasota's 40-acre cultural district adjacent to the Quay, which is also the subject of a planning study.

"A plus for the city would be if you attempted to re-establish connections," said Harvey Hoglund, a senior planner. "So it wouldn't be just an inward turning project."

Hoglund said the Quay's "major flaw," and the reason it didn't succeed commercially, was its isolation from nearby properties.

Representatives from Irish American Partners, the Dublin-based group that bought the Quay in January for roughly $60 million, intend to increase connections with the cultural district and other waterfront properties.

"We're sensitive to the connectivity issue," said John Awsumb, who is representing the group led by developer Patrick Kelly. "We're trying to achieve it as well."

Awsumb said Irish American hopes to slow traffic down along U.S. 41 by adding parking spaces, widening the sidewalk and creating access to the property off of Boulevard of the Arts.

The review committee's preliminary analysis marked the first in a series of public examinations the Quay plans will undergo in the coming year.

Tonight, Irish American is scheduled to hold a neighborhood meeting at the Sarasota Hyatt, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Awsumb said Irish American hopes to file formal plans with the city next week, and begin construction in 2006.

Numerous questions regarding the project remain, however, including development timetables and whether the developers will request an estimated $10 million in tax increment financing to pay for a traffic roundabout that would be built leading to the revamped Quay.

The committee also questioned preliminary details like length and slope of driveways and truck access.

Sam Freija, the city's traffic engineer, objected to a proposed vacation of Fourth Street because the developers have not shown that it would generate public benefit. Ultimately, state transportation officials will decide whether or not to grant the closure.

Freija also asked the developers to consider building a pedestrian overpass across U.S. 41 from the Quay roundabout to improve safety.

"The question is how do you get people safely across the road," Hoglund said. "Because it's in your best interest to do so."

Despite more than 90 minutes of questioning, city officials said they are pleased with Irish American's plans to date.

"It's a really excellent project," said Allen Parsons, a senior city planner. "We don't mean to just put up roadblocks. Understand that we're interested in working with you."
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041216/BUSINESS/412160387/1200

This is all well and good, but not urban enough for my taste - this thing will be totally unconnected to downtown with its "long driveway"

Article published Dec 17, 2004
The new Quay towers
Dublin developer reveals design, answers questions

By Kevin McQuaid

SARASOTA -- The Dublin-based team redeveloping the Sarasota Quay unveiled designs and answered residents' questions Thursday during a neighborhood meeting.

Residents asked questions about traffic, parking, pedestrian access and the sizes and prices of condominiums planned for three 18-story towers.

Architect Don Wolfe described the design of the towers, which will contain 530 units ranging in size from 1,700 square feet to 2,500 square feet, as contemporary.

"We wanted to make it complementary to the neighborhood but at the same time provide contrast," said Wolfe, a partner in the Coral Gables firm Nichols Brosch Wurst Wolfe & Associates Inc.

"We want it to be a catalyst for progressive thinking for the future," Wolfe added. "We feel Sarasota is ready for something like this."

The meeting at the Hyatt Sarasota marked the first time Irish American Partners, the Dublin team that bought the Quay in January with plans for $1 billion worth of residences, shops and offices, unveiled designs.

The buildings, each of which will include swimming pools and other amenities, will have concealed parking and be surrounded by gardens and landscaping.

The exterior of the towers will probably be stucco masonry, with aqua-tinted glass, Wolfe said.

Several of the roughly 50 attendees said they approved of the design.

"It's a beautiful project," said Mary Davenport-Michaels.

John Awsumb, an Irish American representative, said demolition of the existing nine-story Quay building is scheduled to occur in March 2006, about six months later than its owners said earlier this year.

Construction of two of the three condo towers would take roughly 20 months, Awsumb said.

Awsumb also revealed several other details, including plans to convert the Splash beach store into a Quay sales center next spring.

Wolfe said the Quay's entrance, off a roundabout planned for the intersection of U.S. 41 and Fruitville Road, would be similar to that of the neighboring Ritz-Carlton and feature a long driveway.

Although the building design didn't appear to rankle the residents, several questioned whether the planned "roundabout" would alleviate congestion.

"There's a lot of talk about a pedestrian-friendly downtown, but no one's done a single thing," said Bob Einsweiler.

Awsumb said the Quay owners are conducting a traffic study to determine the vehicular impact of the development. He added that Irish American intends to "enhance the flow of traffic and enhance the safety of pedestrians."

"I can't see how traffic there can be made better," said Walter Davisson, a resident of the Beau Ciel tower adjacent to the Hyatt. "You're adding 540 units."

Davisson and others also asked whether Irish American intends to buy the 48-unit El Vernona condominiums adjacent to the Quay.

Awsumb said the developers are "having discussions" with the El Vernona owners, and hinted that designs could change if that four-acre condominium project is included.

Awsumb assured the residents, however, that Irish American has no plans to construct a conference center on the 11 acres it owns.

City and Sarasota County officials have considered the Quay for the site of a potential $65 million conference facility that would create jobs and boost tourism.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041217/BUSINESS/412170583/1200

Just a little update - the Whole Foods project downtown is actually open - a bit surprised there was no big splash in the paper that I saw.

Posted on Wed, Dec. 15, 2004

DEVELOPMENT TAKES SHAPE

City Hall to fall; complex to come

TIM W. McCANN

Herald Staff Writer

BRADENTON - An architect's rendering shows twin 10-story condominium towers, two office buildings and a parking garage on the old City Hall property.

The 14,328-square-foot building that served as the city's headquarters for nearly 30 years is scheduled to get knocked down Thursday, said Ron Allen, president of NDC Construction Co. and one of the building's owners. Allen said a crew plans to mobilize equipment on the site today and begin demolition Thursday.

Allen declined to discuss details of a proposed mixed-use plan for residential, retail and office space at the roughly four-acre site, but said plans are in the works.

A preliminary conceptual site illustration, obtained Tuesday from the Bradenton Downtown Development Authority office, appears to provide a glimpse of the site's future. Allen could not be reached later Tuesday to comment on the renderings; phone messages were left at his office, home and on his cellular phone.

A rendering by Fawley Bryant Architects Inc. shows the condo buildings overlooking Wares Creek, a parking garage with 50 spaces along Sixth Avenue West and two office buildings on 15th Street West. Bill Theroux, Downtown Development Authority executive director, said plans also include a public park along Wares Creek.

Details include 52 condominium units in each tower, a 69,250-square-foot office building and an 18,300-square-foot office building. Theroux said he heard a bank recently committed to the larger of the two buildings, although that could not be confirmed Tuesday, nor was it mentioned in the Fawley Bryant conceptual plan.

The plan surprised city council members Gene Gallo and Michele Weaver when contacted for comment Tuesday afternoon. Weaver, whose Ward 3 includes the old City Hall site, said she wants to see the plan and learn more details before commenting; Gallo was surprised the renderings were in the Downtown Development Authority office.

But he said he liked what he heard.

"I think that is what we have been striving for," Gallo said. "We're looking for people to live downtown and we're looking for an increase in businesses. I think that covers them both."

Theroux called the preliminary plans impressive. He said downtown needs more residential opportunities because that prompts developers to invest more in downtown's night life.

"It's promoting downtown and showing the revitalization of downtown," Theroux said. "It's important because it shows developers are willing to invest money here."

Allen and a team of investors bought old City Hall in March from investor Dottie McCarthy for about $2 million. McCarthy bought it from the city in 1999, beating out three other bidders. She wowed the council with a $4 million site plan calling for a computer company, a fitness center, rooftop cafe, public park and 40,000-square-foot tower.

But nothing happened, and old City Hall has sat mostly vacant since former Mayor Bill Evers relocated the city's headquarters to the new City Centre in November 1998.

Allen is one of the premier developers in Manatee County - especially downtown Bradenton.

He is building the Bradenton Village townhomes and is one of the developers building condos, apartments, restaurants, offices and other features on the Sandpile. He recently won the bid to build a parking garage to go with the new judicial center, and some of his downtown projects in the past 15 years include the county administration center, City Centre and the city's fire
http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/local/10419010.htm

Learning from Sarasota's vanishing architectural heritage

BY EDWARD J. "TIM" SEIBERT, FAIA

Author Jeff LaHurd, a most able writer of books about the Sarasota of years past, has told us of his sense of loss for the destroyed Lido Casino -- his, and my, boyhood hangout.

Harold Bubil has written about his feeling of shock while walking down the newly built canyon that Sarasota's First Street has become.

I experienced a sense of loss and disorientation in that same neighborhood a few days ago, when I walked down to see the new bus station, and suddenly knew how much I wanted the Plaza Restaurant back. I spent many happy times there, celebrating anniversaries, birthdays, getting my architectural license, and just plain enjoying friendships and family lunches.

There comes a sense of loss that sneaks up when you least expect it, and the lump in my throat and shortness of breath surprised me. There are more and more encounters in Sarasota now that bring on this sense of loss for those of us who have spent our lives here.

I was present at the tearing down of the old Casino, and designed its replacement. The amount of money allocated to renewing the building was of necessity an arbitrary sum because at the time of the (1964) bond issue, nobody knew yet what needed to be done with the old building, nor was there a design program.

A committee was formed and plans were made to rebuild the locker rooms in an up-to-date and compact form. (People no longer went to the beach in street clothes and put them in lockers.) The restaurant and kitchen were to be restructured for new uses. The cabanas were threatened by beach erosion. Just as our design program was beginning to come together, a structural engineering inspection showed extensive rot in the main timber trusses in the ballroom. There was barely enough money for what we'd already decided was needed, and with this development, the project budget needed a drastic revision upward.

The money was not forthcoming, so I was then asked to design a smaller building to fit the cash on hand. It stands today, now somewhat bedraggled.

Sadly, we will never be able to replicate the old Casino. Even in 1964, the changes of scale and plan required of locker rooms and food facilities, the probable loss of cabanas, and a myriad of practical repairs would have changed the feel of the place as we knew it when we were growing up. Today, with federal flood-plane requirements, the building would be many feet above sea level. Rebuilding on a small mountain, and the resulting loss of
loss of authenticity, would be an historical and aesthetic disaster.

Recyling old styles

Making new buildings with a modernist architecture philosophy has difficulties all its own now. In the early 1950s, the philosophy of postmodernism crossed the Atlantic from France and landed in the Ivy League. Postmodernism is a philosophy that states that any claim to a "universal truth" is impossible, that there is no "truth," just narratives and stories that work for particular cultures.

By the early 1970s, postmodernism had infected the teachers and academicians of architecture. They now teach a deconstructive philosophy, which results in a broken and scattered idea of architecture. If you have no beliefs, designing a building is like playing chess without a board. When technology makes it so that you can build anything that you can imagine, and you have no beliefs, what do you make? Architectural theory has become like a broken watch that can be fixed to work again, only now we have forgotten how.

Now there is a cacophony of claims by the "world famous" architects -- mainly they are famous only to each other -- as to how to build for the 21st century. They consider themselves to be innovative solo artists entitled to use somebody else's money for building a vehicle of personal expression for the enhancement of their ego and careers. Think Howard Roark in "The Fountainhead." Often the designer's true intent is hidden from an inexperienced client, who may have thought he was retaining someone to solve his building problems.

Searching for direction

All of the confusion and lack of an accepted direction among architects makes it difficult to know what direction our leaders might wisely take in the creation of this century's Sarasota.

At present we are headed down the same path with all the rest of Florida, toward architectural chaos, mediocrity and worse. The "I don't know anything about architecture, but I know what I like" approach to selecting the building patterns for our future is not fair to the rest of us. Nor do Draconian edicts about what to build, issued by government and its hired experts, seem to serve us well.

The so-called "Mediterranean Revival" style is popular today perhaps because people feel they can understand it. I spent my boyhood in a somewhat charming "Mediterranean" style house in McClellan Park, so I grew up with it. That house did not suit Florida's climate. It was dark and damp, flat roof leaked, as did walls without overhangs. The scent of mildew gives me Proustian memories of life before air conditioning.

Addison Mizner on Florida's East Coast did the really good Mediterranean work in the 1920s, and some 75 years later, a stroll through certain parts of Palm Beach will show you just how good he was. Mizner was an intuitive and original designer with an extensive knowledge of art, history and antiques, a man of great talent. He took Mediterranean architectural elements and used them in new ways to make real architecture. His work suited the nouveau riche of those times, who believed they must emulate things European.

Three quarters of a century later, in Sarasota, we ought to have an architecture that reflects who we are, here and now. Our huge and costly "Med Rev" designs, largely made by amateurs, are out of scale, have no sense of history and are crude and pretentious in proportion. They are a poor value for the contemporary newly rich here in Sarasota. They are not getting their money's worth.

A mind so bright

What has become known as the "Sarasota school of architecture" is sometimes put forward as the architecture that should represent our place and time, as it did once before. It had its genesis in the very early work of Paul Rudolph, here in Sarasota. In the early '50s I watched Paul take the philosophy and form that had been started in 20th-century Europe and make something new from those elements. It was his own, a new architecture, and one that perfectly developed his ideas into buildings that suited the climate, landscape and functions required for Florida.

Today Paul Rudolph, who died in 1997, is recognized as one of the great architects of the 20th century. Even in the '50s young architects in Sarasota could understand his talent. We believed we had "found the answer" and were happy to work for him for very little pay to be able to learn from him. Even before he became the dean of architecture at Yale, he was a teacher. Every time I work on a building design, I think of the lessons he gave me in his critiques and talks. It gives me joy to remember those times and his mentorship. He was also generous about letting young architects sit in when the then-greats of architecture came to Sarasota to visit him.

When young architects get a license, they usually want to start their own practice, as did many of us in the '50s who were mentored or influenced by Paul Rudolph. This was the beginning of what was later named the "Sarasota school of architecture." There was yet another element contributing to success -- a pool of excellent clients.

Serendipitous Sarasota

In the late 1940s and early '50s, Sarasota was a small and pristine place, and its unsullied beauty attracted writers, painters, sculptors, playwrights, novelists, screenwriters and intellectuals of all sorts, all in a community of about 20,000. This made for a large percentage of our population to be interested in ideas about architecture and art, and for lively discussion about, and appreciation of, building design. It was serendipity that brought a great teacher, earnest young architects, and a small but understanding group of clients together at one time and place.

The "Sarasota school," today in a renaissance, lives on with national and even international recognition. The Sarasota Architectural Foundation had some 400 people come to Sarasota in November 2001 for a week-long series of lectures, tours and seminars. Architects who attended got credit for professional continuing education. The Society of Architectural Historians of Southern California came here for a "Sarasota Modern" tour, the theme being the "parallel lines" of development of California modern with that of Sarasota. The Sarasota Architectural Foundation has given many tours of "Sarasota school" buildings. Recently a dozen Swedish architectural students showed up, and I gave them a tour of the "Sarasota school's" work. It seems that after 35 years, the little left of what was originally only a small volume of architecture excites the imagination about what Sarasota was, and could be again.

Toward the future

Understanding the past is much easier than living in the future. What could we do to bring back a sense of the possibilities for excellence in the built environment that once made us feel so special about Sarasota?

I believe our community leaders should once again encourage the use of the design principles of the "Sarasota school." Andres Duany said he was surprised that Sarasota's architects did not come forth to promote that idea. Perhaps the "practical" people who don't know anything about art or architecture, and who think all of our problems can be solved with more rules and regulations, have discouraged architects over the decades. If a good city could be built using only rules, there would be no need to educate architects or artists. Just give themyour handbook of rules.

There are quite a few architects working in Sarasota today who do a very good job with the "Sarasota school" design principles, perhaps a greater total number of them than were here in the '50s. As these architects continue building in the "Sarasota school" idiom, they develop and improve it as the requirements of our times and technology change. A number of recent Sarasota buildings have received widespread professional recognition. The talent is here, more so than ever.

We have the opportunity to skip the nonsense of what I hope will be the soon-defunct postmodernist movement and all the other nonsense it has spawned, drop the "Med Rev" and start over with our own, recognized, native designs. Technology, the computer, talent and artistic freedom will move us quickly into our architecture for the 21st century, but we must first break free from the confusion and lack of community leadership of the past decades.

A lesson for leaders

Elected and business leaders need to learn that great architecture brings joy and inspiration to our everyday lives. To enjoy any art, one must learn about it and participate in it. Architects should abandon elitist attitudes and learn to flourish in collaboration with those who have other kinds of expertise, views and talent to offer in the building of a new Sarasota. Communication is a two-way street, and in this we have been sadly lacking for many years.

In my Utopian world, you couldn't get elected to public office if ignorant of architecture, nor if you were unable to understand the many kinds of talent that inhabit the world and how it may be used to build good cities. We are not all of us the same, and ignorance is not conducive of bliss.

If it sounds as if I believe in an architectural Utopia, it is because I once lived there. Then, the chairman of the school board was a true patron of architecture, and with his leadership the Sarasota schools were hailed as the most innovative and best designed in the nation. Sarasota was said then by Time magazine "to be the most interesting place in America for architecture." Our national reputation was good for Sarasota, because it helped to attract new citizens of the kind that make for building a dynamic and interesting community. We believed then that Sarasota was not like all of the rest of Florida, but was a unique and "special" place. I for one would like to be able to feel this way again.

Sarasota's rship of the early '60s decided that Sarasota was beginning to fall behind culturally. It was decided that to help counter this possible failing, we should build an outstanding college here, and that idea became New College. Because of this leadership of more than 40 years ago, Sarasota has a university today. Fourteen of America's outstanding architects were interviewed for the job then -- I.M. Pei got it -- and the project got national attention for the excellence of its concept and design.

We need leadership such as this again. How shall we find it?

Article published Dec 21, 2004
CityPointe project on hold
The developer is told to remove one acre from his condo project because he doesn't own it.

By Lisa Rab

SARASOTA -- A newly approved condominium project that promised to bring lower-priced housing north of downtown has been put on hold because the developer does not own all the land on the site.

City officials say plans for CityPointe Downtown Sarasota must be scaled back to remove one acre -- 48 condos -- from a project originally slated to include 374 condos and 88,500 square feet of commercial space.

It's a revision that developer Wayne Morehead says will have a "very minimal effect" and won't change the price of the condos.

But city officials say the revision could send the project back to the drawing board, and they are not sure how long the delay will last.

"I think it is a major problem," said Tim Litchet, the city's director of building, zoning and code enforcement. "My recommendation is that everything stay on hold."

Under a proposal approved by the City Commission last week, CityPointe was supposed to cover 7.5 acres of Cocoanut Avenue between Boulevard of the Arts and 10th Street.

It was a popular project, lauded by the commissioners and many residents for bringing much-needed "affordable housing" to the neighborhood. Morehead promised to sell 20 percent of the condos at prices ranging from $175,000 to $250,000.

But on Monday, the owner of about one acre on the corner of Florida Avenue and 10th Street sent a letter to City Hall saying she never agreed to sell the property to Morehead.

"I will be developing my property independently of Wayne Morehead," Elizabeth Meyer wrote.

It's not clear why Meyer's objections are just coming to light now, a week after CityPointe was approved by the commission.

In her letter, Meyer said she first told Morehead of her plans last June. But he said they had a "gentleman's agreement" to work together.

Meyer had signed a document saying that her property could be included in Morehead's application to have the land rezoned for his development.

The city requires developers to submit that documentation, city Planning Director Jane Robinson said. But developers are not required to submit sales contracts proving they own the land they want to build on.

Morehead didn't have a contract with Meyer. He said he wasn't counting on using her property, though he included it in the plans he showed city officials.

"While I'm disappointed, I'm not terribly caught off guard," Morehead said.

The loss of Meyer's property has city attorneys investigating whether Morehead actually owns the other land included in CityPointe.

But Morehead said he owns some of the properties and plans to close contracts on the others in the next several weeks.

Meanwhile, he said the loss of Meyer's property means eliminating one of the eight buildings he had planned in CityPointe.

And it won't affect his promise to sell 20 percent of the condos for prices ranging from $175,000 to $250,000. The number of "affordable" units will just shrink from 74 to 65 because fewer condos are included in the project, he said.

But city officials say the change won't be as simple as just removing a building from the project. It will affect street entrances, driveways, landscaping, and other factors because Meyer plans to build right next to CityPointe, and Morehead will no longer have access to her land.

"You're not just removing a building. There are other ramifications," city public information officer Jan Thornburg said.

Morehead will probably have to submit new plans to the city's Development Review Committee, and he might have to participate in another public hearing before the Planning Board, Litchet said.

That process could take months, and at least one city commissioner is worried about the time and money the city might have to spend on it.

"It doesn't sound to me like a small, little change," Mayor Richard Martin said. "I was a little more alarmed than I'm hearing Mr. Morehead is."
http://www.newscoast.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041221/NEWS/412210492/1060

Article published Dec 21, 2004
Building owners worried about renovation rules

By David Hackett

VENICE -- A city plan to impose architectural standards along the U.S. 41 Business corridor ran into a roadblock of concerns Monday.

The plan would require new construction and major renovations to follow the city's Northern Italian Renaissance guidelines, which include stucco walls, tile roofs, balconies, awnings and even certain colors of paint.

City Council members and residents questioned everything from how the city arrived at Northern Italian style to whether Venice, in its quest to enhance its character, is promoting stretches of bland, pseudo-Mediterranean buildings.

Despite such concerns, however, it was generally agreed that the city must act swiftly if it hopes to regulate its southern gateway from Milan Avenue to the Circus Bridge.

Now that U.S. 41 Business and the Circus Bridge have been expanded, developers are expected to bring plans to replace several boarded-up buildings and vacant acreage along the corridor.

Monday's meeting was a workshop. City Manager Marty Black said a formal proposal would be brought before the City Council next month.

The plan, if approved, would have an enormous impact, putting 1.5 miles of the city's most visible land under a single, unifying architectural style.

City planners view the design standards as part of a larger goal to make the area more "pedestrian friendly," including increasing landscaping, moving stores closer to the roadway with parking in the rear and putting apartments above businesses.

Donald O'Connell, a property owner and former city judge, said one of his chief concerns is that Venice already has three different Northern Italian districts: "Historic," "Theme" and "Gateway."

"And I don't think anyone can explain the difference between them," O'Connell said. "There should be one standard."

O'Connell noted that other architectural styles are well represented elsewhere in the city, including 60 to 70 examples of the Sarasota School of Architecture. He questioned why should they be excluded from certain areas.

"If I was an architect, I would be screaming about this," he said.

City officials say the Northern Italian architectural style reflects the vision of John Nolen, the city's original planner, in the 1920s.

But City Council member John Simmonds was skeptical of invoking such history.

"It seems like every time we want to justify something, we face west and say John Nolen three times," Simmonds said. "My biggest concern is that we have flexibility."

There were also concerns whether property owners along the thoroughfare would have to reconstruct their buildings to meet the architectural standards, even if they just planned to do minor repairs.

Under the plan submitted by the city planning department, existing buildings would have to conform to the new standards only if the renovation is in excess of 50 percent of the building's value. That means, for example, putting on a new roof would not automatically force an existing building to be entirely remodeled.

But even that is not clearly defined. If the City Council places the area under the Theme district instead of the Gateway district, property owners would come under the scrutiny of the Architectural Review Board, which requires any renovation over $2,000 to follow the district's guidelines.

On the other hand, the Architectural Review Board includes architects and other experts better able to help the city shape its vision.

"The Gateway approach is far too vague," said Architectural Review Board chairwoman Mary Horlick. "I would urge you not to eliminate the ARB from the process."

Attorney Jeff Boone, who represents many land developers, said the standards would be among the most restrictive he is aware of in Florida. A major concern, he said, is that it involves an area that is already developed.

"My hope is that the City Council will take its time and thoroughly balance some peoples' desires for a certain look with the rights of property owners," Boone said. "You're talking about creating an entirely new regulatory scheme,"

O'Connell called the Gateway district along East Venice Avenue the most "monotonous" in the city. And council member Bill Willson said he was concerned that U.S. 41 Business could become a similar architectural cookie-cutter.

But resident Phil Trembley said that even on East Venice Avenue the architectural standards have enhanced Venice.

"What uniformity gives you is an ambience," Trembley said. "Ask yourselves how it will look 50 years from now. I think what has been done will hold up very well."
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041221/NEWS/412210370/1270/NEWS0101

Article published Dec 24, 2004
Saunders modifies HQ plan

By Kevin McQuaid

SARASOTA -- Michael Saunders & Co. Inc., whose proposed $60 million headquarters has become a flashpoint in the debate between commercial viability and neighborhood compatibility, has modified its plans in response to residents' concerns.

The biggest change involves the types of uses that will be contained in the twin-towered complex, slated to be built on a 1.7-acre tract on Orange Avenue.

Saunders now intends to include 73 condominium units in one of the buildings, which are being designed to rise 180 feet and 160 feet, respectively.

When Saunders' preliminary plans were presented to the city's Development Review Committee this month, the project contained a mix of office, retail and restaurant space, but no residential component.

"We want to be good neighbors, and we want to be able to build a viable development," said Michael Saunders, founder and chief executive of the giant real estate brokerage firm that bears her name.

"We're continuing to refine it and hopefully make it better," Saunders said of the plans.

Laurel Park residents have raised concerns about the proposed height of the buildings and because city rules would force traffic to access the buildings using narrow neighborhood streets.

Beyond Laurel Park, though, the Saunders project has touched off intense debate about the city's pending zoning code and how it impacts property owners' rights to develop and their ability to profit from real estate investments.

By March, new zoning would limit development on Saunders' property to five stories. Saunders' plans, which are being filed under Sarasota's existing zoning rules, call for 13 floors.

Saunders said this month that she filed the headquarters plans to take advantage of the existing zoning.

Critics of the new zoning requirements maintain that the changes will hamper the economic viability of downtown development.

In response to residents' concerns, Saunders and architectural firm The ADP Group Inc. also are studying building a dozen town houses around the perimeter of the property, facing the neighborhood on Rawls Avenue.

Saunders called the town house idea a "fabulous suggestion."

The head of the Laurel Park Neighborhood Association said the revised designs appear to be more comparable with existing buildings.

"From the point of view of the neighborhood, one of the big issues involves height," said Kate Lowman, president of the neighborhood group. "The neighborhood will be happier if and when we have new zoning so we wouldn't have such big buildings right around us."

"But the thing that's of greater concern is to have some sort of town home frontage toward the neighborhood," Lowman added. "It would put a friendlier face on the buildings."

Saunders said the buildings will be "stepped back" to alleviate height concerns. Buildings that are "stepped back" at various levels appear tapered and less massive.

"From the scale people will be looking at, they won't see the height, the same way people strolling along Palm Avenue don't see the height of surrounding buildings," Saunders added.

ADP is also considering traffic flow options that will lessen congestion in the neighborhood.

"We're focused on designing it, from a circulation perspective, on how the neighborhood wants it," said ADP President Bruce Franklin.

The residences will shave roughly 66,000 square feet of office space off the project, on which Saunders hopes to begin construction late next year.

Twenty-two-thousand square feet of retail space and a 500-seat restaurant remain in the plans.

Saunders hopes to consolidate about 150 employees in the buildings when completed, probably in late 2007.

Franklin said ADP expects to submit more formalized plans to the city in February.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041224/BUSINESS/412240671/1200

Just a little update - the Whole Foods project downtown is actually open - a bit surprised there was no big splash in the paper that I saw.


Whole Foods is open?? Today my wife and I saw The Polar Express and after the movie, I drove toward Five Points. I turned right onto Lemon Avenue and saw the market. The streetscape is much better than what I had imagined it would be like. Next time I'm in DT, I'll browse the market; that place will be mobbed!! Thanks for the info.....!

Indeed, it is open - I know someone who was shopping there last week - said it was a madhouse inside and out. They parked in the garage.

My girlfriend works on Main, across the street from the 5 points condo going up. I will have to check it out next time I see her for lunch.

Copyright Times Publishing Co. Jan 1, 2005

A developer is hoping luxury condo buyers will be attracted not just by a downtown location with views of the Gulf of Mexico, but also by healthy construction techniques and the harmony and peace promised by feng shui, the ancient Chinese art of placement that channels positive energy flow.

Kanaya, a 35-unit, 15-story building that will rise soon at 505 S Orange Ave., will offer a Zen garden on the roof and a labyrinth for walking meditation. Blessing and cleansing ceremonies were held before construction began. The building's advertising describes it as "the place where your body, mind and spirit feel most in balance."

The building will use paint with low or no volatile organic chemicals and fiberglass insulation manufactured with nonformaldehyde glue. Appropriately placed electrical lines will eliminate overexposure to electromagnetic fields that some regard as health hazards. Each unit will have a humidistat; an ultraviolet light that kills bacteria in the air-conditioning system; Japanese mineral water filters; and its own rooftop garden plot. A solar- heated pool will use no chlorine, and there will be Pilates and yoga studios.

"You can put in a lot of healthy features without spending a lot of money," said the developer, Harvey Kaltsas, an acupuncturist who has long practiced Oriental medicine. "I'd like to see it done everywhere."

Kaltsas said he was inspired to develop a "healthy building that supports a healthy lifestyle" when a patient complained about mold infestation in her luxury home. Another couple were overcome by carbon monoxide in their home because their air conditioning intake opened into the garage, where the husband left the car running while he unloaded groceries.

"Are builders paying attention to the health needs of residents?" Kaltsas said he wondered. "How can you build a $1-million structure infested with mold?"

Living the life that is healthy and harmonious is not inexpensive. The units remaining at Kanaya range from $900,000 to $1.6-million (units started at $600,000). There are two floor plans: the three-bedroom, 3 1/2-bath Bamboo, with 3,000 square feet of living space; and the three-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath Laurel, with 2,600 square feet.

Rod Phillips, who is handling sales and is a minority partner with Kaltsas, put the overall price tag for the building at $40- million.

"I wouldn't get too hung up on the feng shui," he said (pronounce it "fung shway"). "It's part of our package, but not the identity for the building. It's got healthy amenities and a wonderful location. Our tagline is, "Live Well-Balanced, a Balanced Lifestyle."

The Kanaya is within walking distance of restaurants, shopping and galleries in downtown Sarasota in an area that Kaltsas says "will always be a quiet neighborhood." Quiet, he said, was the No. 1 concern of buyers (he is adding extra soundproofing), followed by the healthy aspect.

"Green" and "healthy" homes aren't entirely new. Builders at Lakewood Ranch, the huge master-planned community on the Manatee- Sarasota county line, have agreed to build all green homes there in the future, and all the areas the ranch plans to develop in the next three years have won a green designation from the Florida Green Building Coalition.

WCI Communities of Bonita Springs, which ranks 37th on the respected Builder magazine list of the nation's top 100 builders, opened a model in Venice earlier this year loaded with energy- saving devices and building materials that make it the "greenest" house in Florida.

Will buyers care about the feng shui aspect, or is that no more meaningful than any other marketing program? Developers of other residential properties around Tampa Bay suggest to buyers that they're living in an "urban oasis" or a "secluded oasis"; that they are "on vacation every day" or are embracing the "relaxing Florida lifestyle." Don't most people buy based on location and the prospect of increasing values?

Kaltsas acknowledged that 10 of the first 27 buyers were primarily interested in buying as an investment. The remaining 17, he said, "were more health-oriented."

The building will offer residents an infrared sauna, he said, and after a recent phone interview Kaltsas was about to head off to spend some time in a similar sauna to overcome a cold.

The building's architecture incorporates "as many curves and arches as possible, a more feminine influence," to counteract the "masculine, very angular, neo-Stalinist architecture" of nearby buildings, Kaltsas said.

The name Kanaya was created by feng shui master Katrine Karley of Sarasota. "Each letter represents a number and how you form them together resonates the energy of harmony and peace," said Karley, who developed the name Amberwynd for a development on Sneads Island in Manatee County. "The letters are all balanced, and it represents harmony for the residents, who would have a good time living there and be healthy and happy."

Not until later did Karley learn that Kanaya is a city in Japan that was frequently visited by a Japanese painter who influenced the French impressionists, she said.

"Everything is designed in harmony, and synchronicity just follows," Karley said. She worked with architect Don Foster and with the contractor "so each condo is properly aligned, the eating area is in the proper area so it's healthy," and so the building is appropriately positioned on the lot. Feng shui suggests that the positioning of buildings, rooms and objects can enhance or inhibit the flow of positive energy, or chi.

She will embed bamboo flutes in the walls of the upper floors "to take away the poison arrows" and ensure that those living on high floors still feel grounded. Wood and metal will be strategically positioned "for continuous energetic flow." A dragon will be set in pebbles in the pool area "to encompass the energy of protection."

Kaltsas says he has been hired as a consultant by a developer who wants to build a similar healthy building in Tampa and another in Manatee County. Besides his work in alternative medicine he is founder and president of Triton Quest Inc., a shipwreck exploration firm.

"The Chinese believe you maximize your luck by paying attention to the forces of nature," Kaltsas said. He spent $51,000 on a wind- tunnel study "so you don't get blown off the roof" while enjoying the Zen garden or growing tomatoes. "A lot of feng shui is about paying attention to those forces. If you do that, it's easier to be lucky."

TO LEARN MORE

For information about Kanaya, visit the Web site at www.kanayacondos.com. The phone number at the sales center is (941) 376-6969.
http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/772887901.html?MAC=5cb1f38be57de6f6e978177cb3dbb74b&did=772887901&FMT=FT&FMTS=FT&date=Jan+1%2C+2005&author=JUDY+STARK&printformat=&desc=Peace.+Harmony.+Condo.

Article published Jan 4, 2005
New luxury condo wins Sarasota's approval
Despite objections from residents and business owners, the city OKs the 16-story tower.

By Lisa Rab

SARASOTA -- A proposed 16-story luxury condominium tower at the western end of Main Street won approval from the City Commission on Monday, despite protests from neighboring residents and business owners.

The tower, facing Sarasota Bay at the corner of Main and Gulf Stream Avenue, is to include 15 condos -- most with prices of more than $2.7 million -- and parking space for 30 cars.

But unlike many other developments going up downtown, developer Sam Hamad's project will not include retail shops on the ground floor.

That absence, along with concerns about traffic and the small number of units in the tower, prompted objections from nearby residents and shop owners.

"I think it's not a good project for that location," said Kenny Barr, owner of the Sports Page Bar & Grille next door to the project on Main. "We need the retail."

The condominium tower will replace Pinto's Primi Piatti restaurant and Robinson Spry Interiors at the end of Main. Both have found new homes elsewhere.

Under the new downtown code the city adopted last May, those stores should be replaced with more retail space. The code requires that new developments on Main have ground-floor retail establishments.

But because Hamad filed his plans for the condo tower last April, city officials say he doesn't have to follow the new rules.

Hamad's project also prompted criticism because it takes advantage of the city's new downtown overlay district, which is designed to attract more residential buildings in the core downtown area.

The policy gives developers permission to build extra condo units as long as they contribute to affordable housing and transit trust funds.

For example, the 17-story 1350 Main St. condominium complex will use the "density bonus" to build 134 condos one block east of Hamad's project.

In Hamad's case, the bonus lets him build 15 condos instead of seven. But a dozen of those condos are three-bedroom units that will occupy one floor of the tower and are to sell for more than $2.7 million.

Vice Mayor Mary Anne Servian echoed the concerns of some residents when she said those luxury units were not the kind of residences the commission was trying to attract with the density bonus.

"My intention ... was to try to get additional smaller units," said Servian, the only commissioner to vote against the project.

Andrew Foley, who lives across the street from the proposed development, also objected to the high prices of the condos, saying density should be used to build more moderately priced homes.

"The added density in this particular case is being used to create larger units," Foley said.

But most of the commissioners said they were glad to have a project bring more residences downtown.

"On balance, although I'm not happy with everything this project is going to do, I think it's appropriate to approve it," Commission Lou Ann Palmer said.

In exchange for the extra units, Hamad and his business partner will have to contribute $20,000 to the a city-wide affordable housing trust fund and $8,000 to the transit fund.

They have also offered to redesign the median on Gulf Stream Avenue and build about 23 more public parking spaces.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050104/NEWS/501040486/1270/NEWS0101

Article published Jan 6, 2005
Whatever happened to the Metropolitan tower?

By Kevin McQuaid

SARASOTA -- The year ahead will be a decisive one for Richard Zipes and the $100 million Metropolitan condominium tower planned for U.S. 41 and Gulf Stream Avenue.

By the end of 2005, the Fort Lauderdale-based Zipes will probably know whether his plan to build "Sarasota's most-talked-about address" will reach fruition or will become a high-profile boondoggle.

It's hard to gauge what he is thinking: Zipes is not talking. After repeated attempts, neither the developer nor his marketing chief could be reached for comment.

But if the past few months are any indication, the Metropolitan site could remain a barren slice of earth through 2006, the project's original date for completion.

In the eight months since Zipes kicked off the Metropolitan's marketing with a lavish party featuring pro football legend Dan Marino, he has admitted that unit sales in the 16-story luxury tower have been slower than expected.

And these days, the Metropolitan's elegant sales center, a refurbished Denny's restaurant, is mostly empty.

Even more visibly, the past summer's hurricanes tore a colorful advertising banner off the fence that rings the property. Though storm season ended Nov. 30, it has yet to be replaced, and Zipes' representatives said they didn't know when, or if, it will be.

More ominously, Tarragon Corp., a New York real estate firm and Zipes' partner, removed the Metropolitan from listings on its Web site.

Robert P. Rothenberg, Tarragon's president, said the company is "revising plans for the project." He added that he didn't know why the Metropolitan is no longer featured.

But the Metropolitan's biggest impediment has been competition and upper-end market saturation.

"While we're finding there's still a strong demand for residences downtown, it's a fact that the higher the price, the more rarified the atmosphere," said Michael Saunders, chief executive of Michael Saunders & Co., the region's premier residential real estate brokerage firm. The Metropolitan has suffered, too, from perceptions that its perch at the intersection of two highly traveled roads is a detriment, and that its units -- averaging about 4,000 square feet -- are too large.

To counter that notion, Zipes is seeking permission to divide certain units and increase the total number within the tower to 144.

If the City Commission approves Zipes' request to add 16 units when it considers the proposal Jan. 17, the change will also allow the developer to lower the Metropolitan's entry price.

Under Zipes' plan, some fully furnished Metropolitan units would sell for $1 million, rather than the $1.8 million pitched last spring. Penthouses and upper-floor units will continue to carry a $5 million price tag.

"It would create a healthier offering if they carried a lower price," said Saunders, whose firm Zipes passed over in favor of marketing the Metropolitan in-house.

The change in price could give the Metropolitan a decided push forward, especially since sales of homes listed above $3 million in Sarasota County have remained sluggish in the past year.

Of the 71 condos listed for sale above $3 million in November, only nine had sold a year later, according to Saunders.

In all, 116 residences above $3 million were on the market in November 2003. By November 2004, 43 had sold.

"There's no question that when you get up over $3 million, it becomes tougher to sell," Saunders said.

Other Sarasota luxury developers agree.

"One million dollars is a lot less than it used to be, but it's still a lot of money," said Tom Brown, a principal of U.S. Assets Group, the firm that developed the 44-unit Beau Ciel condos adjacent to the Hyatt Sarasota hotel.

"Every million dollars in price a residence goes up the market goes down significantly," added Brown, whose firm is developing the 54-unit Orchid Beach Club on Lido Key and the Founders Club, a golf course community with 262 home sites in Sarasota County.

And while the Metropolitan promised to "provide an unparalleled lifestyle in the heart of downtown," it has faced stiff competition from other luxury offerings.

In addition to U.S. Assets' projects, many luxury condos have been proposed, or are being developed, on Golden Gate Point, Lido Beach and Longboat Key.

Meanwhile, existing upscale projects such as the condos atop the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, also provide competition when those units are re-sold.

As a result, the Metropolitan's stance is much different today than it was a year ago.

In January 2004, by comparison, the Metropolitan was among a handful of planned downtown towers generating sizeable interest.

Its proximity to the Quay, which was purchased with plans for a $1 billion redevelopment, only heightened enthusiasm.

Zipes sought to capture the mood with a marketing onslaught unseen in Sarasota.

He spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to convert the Denny's, and even more to advertise the project.

As part of a promotional film he developed, he paid $130,000 for the exclusive rights to use the Bobby Darin song "Beyond the Sea."

For the April party, Zipes spent more than $100,000 for the catered food alone.

Subsequent advertising was ubiquitous, with some estimates putting the total bill to promote the Metropolitan at more than $1 million.

But the ads apparently weren't enough to convince luxury buyers, who opted to purchase residences in projects like the Founders Club, Beau Ciel or Taylor Woodrow's Ritz-Carlton Beach Club condos.

Since March, the Founders Club has sold 36 home sites -- about one a week -- at prices around $1.2 million, Brown said.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050106/BUSINESS/501060430/1200

Article published Jan 7, 2005
Fruitville poised for a makeover
A land shortage downtown is altering the fringes

By Kevin McQuaid

SARASOTA -- Not so long ago, the stretch of Fruitville Road through downtown Sarasota was little more than a four-lane ribbon of black asphalt on the way to someplace else.

Aside from the knot of thrift, antique and consignment stores that crammed into concrete-block boxes and Wayne Hibbs' plant center, Fruitville provided few reasons to stop.

Like much of downtown, though, it is now on the cusp of unprecedented redevelopment, a building wave that will reshape one of the city's main traffic arteries for decades to come.

"I would tell you that in three to five years, you won't recognize Fruitville Road," said Barbara Baseman, a Michael Saunders & Co. Inc. commercial real estate agent.

Developer Sam Hamad's Marquee en Ville is a prime example.

Where unpainted, wilted single-family homes had been, Hamad is building 29 tony town houses that are slated to sell for $850,000 apiece. Each four-story residence will have a fireplace, a private elevator and an outdoor kitchen. Two-thirds are sold, Hamad said.

"It doesn't take a genius to see that Fruitville Road is going to change," Hamad said. "It's only a matter of time before it, too, becomes high-end, because land in downtown Sarasota is so valuable."

Hamad's $20 million town house project is one of a handful expected to transform lower Fruitville Road, from Orange Avenue to U.S. 41, by 2008.

Just east of Hamad's project, a two-story office project totaling 30,000 square feet also is under construction and nearing completion.

Land shortage

Although the types of Fruitville Road projects differ, all are being driven by a single factor: a land shortage downtown.

As major projects at Five Points, upper Main Street, Main Street and Palm Avenue and elsewhere have gobbled up available tracts, developers are being pushed outside the traditional downtown envelope to Fruitville Road and other nontraditional sites.

"There's just no more room in downtown," said Mark Miller, owner of Westwater Construction Inc., whose company plans to build offices at 1515-1551 Fruitville Road, site of a Churchill's Furniture store.

"You can only go north, south, east or west," Miller added. "For proximity to downtown, the Fruitville Road corridor is one of the only places to go."

In all, projects valued in excess of $80 million have either begun or are planned within the stretch, developments that will add roughly 75 residences and about 150,000 square feet of office space.

Property prices have risen along with the level of interest.

Two years ago, Baseman said property along Fruitville fetched between $42 and $49 per square foot. The same land now sells for a minimum of $65 per square foot.

Many of the projects are still in various design stages, meaning construction won't begin until later this year or 2006.

Sandcastles Of Sarasota Inc., a construction concern now on Morrill Street in Towles Court, is scheduled in February to buy property adjacent to Clark Advertising & Public Relations Inc., at 333 N. Orange Ave.

There, Sandcastles intends to build a three-story, 15,600-square-foot building on a roughly half-acre tract of vacant land.

Sandcastles is buying the property from Clarke Advertising Chairman Tim Clarke, who purchased it for $950,000 in early 2004.

Previously, the property contained four structures dating to the 1920s and 1940s. One of the buildings -- which were razed last year -- housed the popular Alley Cat Cafe. It closed in June 2003.

Sandcastles' $4 million project is expected to become the company's corporate headquarters for its 15 employees, said Jeff Birnbach, Sandcastles' vice president of business development.

"It's a great location and we're very excited about it," Birnbach said. "Initially, it'll give us some space to lease and hopefully, longer term, move into."

Birnbach said Sandcastles intends to occupy one floor of the building and lease the balance of the space to others.

The firm hopes to begin construction late this year and complete the building in early 2007.

Just west of the Sandcastles tract, Westwater is planning an even larger office building on the site of the Churchill's Furniture Store.

Churchill's, which is scheduled to close around the end of this month, will make way for a $19 million, five-story structure.

Space in the 100,000-square-foot project, which will include the last bank drive-through allowed downtown under Sarasota's new zoning code, will lease for about $32 per square foot.

Miller said he expects to begin construction in one year. Like the Sandcastles project, Miller's building will probably be completed in 2007.

In addition to the office space, Miller said the building is being designed to include a ground-floor restaurant and a 455-space parking garage.

Big neighbors

Perhaps the biggest construction project to affect the Fruitville Road corridor in coming years will be the $1 billion redevelopment of the Sarasota Quay, at the nexus of Fruitville Road and U.S. 41.

At the Quay, a Dublin-based development team led by Patrick Kelly envisions a trio of 18-story condominium towers and town houses containing 540 units.

A fourth building would contain 78,000 square feet of office space. Designs for the project's initial phases also call for the Quay to include 32,420 square feet of retail space -- less than one-tenth the amount in the Westfield Shoppingtown Southgate center -- and nearly 1,600 parking spaces.

The existing nine-story Quay building and nearby Splash beach store will both be razed as part of the redevelopment. Kelly representatives said demolition work will begin around March 2006.

As part of the Quay revamp, city officials intend to convert the existing intersection into a roundabout in an effort to improve traffic flow and cut vehicle backups.

"We have a strange thing happening here," Miller said of Sarasota's supersonic real estate market. "I don't see it stopping anytime soon."
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050107/BUSINESS/501070395/1200

Article published Jan 8, 2005
High time, and high prices, for downtown Sarasota condos
The lure of the city is drawing some buyers out of their subdivisions. But can they find a place in the evolving condominium market?

By Harold Bubil

SARASOTA -- A diamond-shaped marker on Pineapple Avenue advises motorists: CONSTRUCTION AHEAD.

Wouldn't you like to own the company that makes those signs? They're needed on just about every street, as new condominiums go up faster than most would-be buyers can keep up with them.

But in small print, those signs should include this phrase: "At $225 a square foot, not including land, architect and engineering fees, financing costs, developer's overhead and profit ... and whatever granite and marble and German-made cabinets you might want."

That illuminates why high-rise condominium units have gotten so expensive in the past year.

"When you add all those together, you come to the conclusion that you have to be (priced at) $450 to $500 a square foot, minimum, in order for the numbers to work" in Sarasota's downtown, says Fred Pezeshkan, CEO of Kraft Construction, a leading builder of high-rises on the Gulf Coast.

Land costs in Sarasota are notoriously high, but "it's not just the land," says Pezeshkan, whose company broke ground Thursday on Alinari at Rosemary Place on the North Trail. "It's mostly construction. Steel, concrete, aluminum, copper. ... Steel went from $450 to $950 a ton. With the price of materials going up, we saw the labor costs going up, and when you add it all, we've seen a 20 percent increase in construction costs in 2004."

At this point, the phrase "coming late to the table" might come to mind to buyers who wish they'd acted sooner. When Kraft started building the Plaza at Five Points, he said, construction costs were $150 a square foot.

If only you had bought then.

As recently as October, you could buy a 1,440-square-foot apartment in the Rivo at Ringling tower, conveniently located a half-block off Main Street's midsection, for $372,500. But when ground was broken in November, the price went to $430,000 -- if you can get a unit. Virtually everything in the building is sold, with the exception of the million-dollar penthouses.

Hard to grasp

The downtown condo market may be hard to afford, but it's almost as hard to understand. Like the proverbial 500-pound gorilla, it's difficult to get your arms around it, especially if you're what's known in the real estate business as an "end user."

Investors -- buyers who sign a purchase contract for a unit (or units) with hopes of flipping it before or at closing for a considerable profit -- have the advantage. The successful ones are in the market almost full time, and they are buying enough condos to drive up prices by restricting supply.

Weekend shoppers, who maybe would like to sell their houses, maybe not, often don't have the knowledge to competently shop for a condo. Or they might not be ready to make a reservation, and, by the time they are, the building is under way and the low, pre-construction prices have inflated.

For them, getting a handle on the rapidly changing Sarasota condominium market is akin to "nailing Jell-O to a wall."

So says Realtor Cheryl Loeffler of Prudential Palms Realty, who specializes in selling those spaces that are in ever-increasing demand.

Loeffler keeps a spreadsheet of unit availability in 40 condo buildings both on and off the water in downtown Sarasota, and runs a Web site dedicated to the market. But even for her, the numbers are constantly changing. Well-priced buildings quickly sell out, and the flipped units come and go at a rapid pace.

So while it's hard to keep up with exactly what is available where and for how much, suffice it to say that the market is ... there's got to be a better word than hot ... let's say, torrid.

The high-end market is easier to navigate. Plenty of units are available -- there's an 18-month supply of unsold inventory from $1 million to $2 million -- and timing often isn't an issue for those buyers, who can pay cash without selling another property first.

But from $250,000 to $500,000, the market is tight and competitive -- with just a 2.8-month supply of new and resale inventory in the entire Sarasota Multiple Listing Service, which covers an area far beyond the borders of the city center. Below $250,000 downtown, new product simply does not exist -- yet. Atlanta developer Wayne Morehead wants to supply it at CityPointe, on the northern fringe of downtown at Boulevard of the Arts and Cocoanut Avenue, where he has pledged to sell 20 percent of his units from $175,000 to $250,000. He's still working out the details as to how big those apartments will be, and it could be three weeks or more before he starts taking reservations.

Otherwise in downtown Sarasota, which is basically non-waterfront "product," you can pay $409,000 for a 1,300-square-foot unit in the amenity-rich Alinari immediately west of CityPointe. Other projects, such as 1350 Main, 100 Central and the Broadway Promenade, are virtually sold out. But there are always those investor resales.

Get assistance

Sound complicated? End users are advised to get help.

"In the real estate profession," says Loeffler, "we have two things to sell ... service and knowledge. I can't imagine a really educated buyer not wanting to avail themselves of the use of a knowledgable Realtor who knows what has sold in the past, knows the current market and has a feel on the pulse of what could be coming down the pike."

In other words, if you have missed out so far, stay tuned and be ready to act. You might just find what you want and can afford. Plenty of new projects are on the books.

Even the well-known real estate broker Michael Saunders is getting into the development business, somewhat reluctantly, with a plan for a 200,000- square-foot project that would include corporate headquarters and condominiums on land she owns on Orange Avenue south of Ringling Boulevard.

She said she wants to build something "fabulous," with town houses facing Laurel Park and a residential tower featuring a sky terrace four or five floors up as a gathering place for residents and employees, complete with landscaping and sculpture.

But the affordability issue is just as baffling to her as it is to the would-be buyers downtown.

"It's active and desirable," said Saunders. "If you're a landowner, you're confused. I still think Sarasota is the most wonderful place in the world to live. I still want to be part of continuing to refine it and make it better. But we are at a crossroads, and I join the confused.

"We all would like to live downtown, but we need things under $500,000, and until they start thinking about square footage, as opposed to units, in the code, developers aren't going to be able to give us what we want.

"Let a developer build for unit demand. The success of the Renaissance tower, in terms of market, was that they were small units. People were prepared to sacrifice some square footage in return for fabulous amenities."

The main amenity, of course, is proximity to a revitalized downtown. Buyers who like the concept of walking to the bank, the dry cleaner, the restaurant and the office, and spending Saturday mornings sipping tea at a sidewalk cafe, are feeling the pull.

"The appeal of projects that are away from the waterfront is the walkability to the business district," says developer Jay Tallman of U.S. Assets Group. "But high-rise construction, they're not cheap buildings to build, and that limits how far down developers can go. They are trying to get units smaller so the absolute price is less to serve a broader market. The downtown market is a broader market.

"Ideally, you want to be able to serve the people who work downtown," Tallman adds, "and that's one of the challenges of our industry, is to deliver product that can meet that consumer, the person who's working there and not just the seasonal buyer who wants the cachet of Sarasota and can afford to pay much higher prices."

So where will a Realtor take you on your shopping tour?

"Under $500,000, you have the Alinari, some in the Broadway Promenade ... 100 Central, there are three left in that price range," says Loeffler.

"There are a lot of projects that have been announced. They are not all coming on in the next year or even the next two years. It's confusing to some end users and some investors, but the product will be spaced nicely."

For those who are tempted but still hesitant, she advises this strategy:

"You define what you consider to be your entry level," says Loeffler. "It's a whole lot less painful to flip it into something else and move on.

"You get the greatest amount of appreciation if you get into a good building pre-construction. Then you have to be careful about the improvements you do. You want it to be livable and to your taste, but at the same time you want it to be salable. You don't want to overimprove it, and you don't want it to be totally vanilla. You want it to appeal to more than a small percentage of the market."
http://www.newscoast.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050108/REALESTATE/501080694/-1/ARCHIVES30

Freeze will help some projects, hinder others

By KEVIN MCQUAID



kevin.mcquaid@heraldtribune.com

SARASOTA -- The city Planning Board's decision Wednesday to freeze land-use changes related to Sarasota's new zoning code until later in 2005 will impact scores of planned downtown developments.

For some, the anticipated months-long delay will provide additional, and much-appreciated, time to improve designs and concepts.

"For me, it's going to give me time to continue to refine my building and do a better project," said Michael Saunders, of a planned $60 million headquarters on Orange Avenue for her Michael Saunders & Co. Inc. real estate firm.

"I like to be thoughtful, and having additional time will allow us to develop the best building we possibly can," Saunders said of her 200,000-square-foot project. "We're glad to have the extra time."

But for others holding parcels downtown or just outside the city's center, the decision to postpone the rezonings to avoid possible legal challenges will drastically slow progress and could increase costs, including the amount of property taxes.

Corvus International, which spent $3.6 million to acquire the former Hibbs Farm & Garden property on Fruitville Road last year, had planned to build 29 upscale condominiums on its 1.3-acre tract.

But the Michigan firm's plans could be curtailed, or at least put on hold, by the board's decision.

That's because the Farm & Garden land is zoned for commercial use, and the condos Corvus is proposing would be prohibited.


Last modified: January 14. 2005 5:18A
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050114/BUSINESS/501140399/1200

Posted on Sun, Jan. 16, 2005

From pristine shores... ...condos soar.

Condominiums are dramatically changing

Manatee County's landscape. But at what cost?

DUANE MARSTELLER

Herald Staff Writer

MANATEE - A luxury condominium-building boom is beginning to wash over Manatee County's inland shores, a wave that will transform - to the point of ruin, some say - the county's waterfront landscape.

Developers are planning upward of 3,000 condo units in a dozen complexes along Anna Maria Sound, the Braden River, the Manatee River, Palma Sola Bay, Perico Bayou, Sarasota Bay and Wares Creek in the coming years. Some of these buildings will rise up to 15 stories, easily ranking among the county's tallest structures and dwarfing what's already on the waterfront.

With them will come an influx of affluent retirees, baby boomers and seasonal residents willing to pay up to $2 million for living quarters with a bird's-eye view and amenities such as spas, marinas and personal boat slips. Some are buying condo units before construction even begins, often in anticipation of selling them for a hefty profit after they're built.

"When these get built and people move in, it'll change the dynamics of the community," said Ray Alexander, vice president of Emercor Holdings LLC, which plans to build a condo complex along the Manatee River in Ellenton. "It will enhance it."

But while many agree all those condos will cause changes, not all agree whether those changes will be good for Manatee County.

Supporters tout the economic and environmental benefits of condos: hundreds of millions of dollars in economic impact, reduction of urban sprawl and more tax money for local governments and schools without a comparable increase in demand for services.

Critics contend Manatee County's existing residents don't want high-rise condos outside of Bradenton and Palmetto's downtown areas. Allowing them outside the urban core, they argue, will ruin the county's character by leading to "condo walls" along many Manatee waterfronts similar to Sarasota's bayfront. They also cite evacuation and traffic concerns.

As the debate continues, condo developers keep building and planning, believing the local market will remain hot. That belief is well-founded, a local land economist says.

"I don't see any end in sight, at least not until we run out of land," said Robert Watts, president of RealtyRates.com, a Bradenton-based real estate consulting firm. "The whole west coast (of Florida) is growing, and we're right in the path of that growth. There's no stopping it."

Up to 3,000 units

Condo projects range from a 42-unit complex along the Manatee River in Ellenton to Perico Island, where The St. Joe Co. plans 686 units overlooking Anna Maria Sound and Perico Bayou. In all, developers are planning 79 buildings containing at least 2,774 waterfront condo units - and possibly more than 3,000 - in the next seven years.

The county has 25,303 condo units now, according to the Manatee County Property Appraiser's Office. They range from small beachfront complexes on Anna Maria Island built in the 1960s, to the Watercrest luxury-condo complex now under construction in Lakewood Ranch.

The epicenter of the latest condo boom is Palmetto, with three complexes planned in the Riviera Dunes development on the Manatee River.

Workers are putting the final touches on Laguna at Riviera Dunes' first eight-story building, with the first residents moving in later this month. Just north of it, developers of Bel Mare at Riviera Dunes plan to start building the first of three planned 15-story towers soon. Nearby, The Palms at Riviera Dunes' developer hopes to start the first of twin 12-story towers in April.

Across the river in Bradenton, vertical construction of Promenade at Riverwalk's first condo building - called River Dance - is slated to begin soon. Farther upstream, groundbreaking for Mangrove Point's first condo building is expected next year and developers are seeking county approval for The Montecino, in Ellenton.

The Manatee River is not the only inland body of water that condo developers are eyeing:

• Seven five-story condo buildings are planned in the Long Bar Pointe development on Sarasota Bay.

• Preliminary redevelopment plans for the old Bradenton City Hall site on Wares Creek include two 10-story condo towers.

• Work on the first of Palma Sola Bay Club's 23 proposed condo buildings is slated to start in mid-2005.

• Developers broke ground Thursday on Bay Pointe, the first of three condo buildings planned in Terra Ceia Bay Club.

• Developers have won city approval for River Preserve, a 48-unit complex on the Braden River in Bradenton.

And more could follow. Other sites mentioned for possible condo development include the riverfront area east of Manatee Memorial Hospital; a vacant 211-acre riverfront parcel that Palmetto annexed last year; and El Conquistador Country Club's clubhouse site along Sarasota Bay.

Boomer-driven boom

The surge in condo development is being driven by a mix of demographics and economics.

Millions of baby boomers - those born between 1946 and 1964 - are rapidly approaching retirement, with the U.S. Census Bureau predicting the number of Americans in the 50-69 age group will nearly double to 77 million in the next decade.

Many of them want vacation or retirement homes in Florida: The state was the top choice of boomers who plan to move for retirement, according to a 2003 survey conducted for Pulte Homes, developer of the Del Webb retirement communities.

But boomers don't want the hassles of maintaining a single-family house, and they want to enjoy the perks of Florida waterfront living, the study found. As Bradenton Mayor Wayne Poston, a boomer who has purchased an eighth-floor unit in River Dance, put it: "A lot of boomers have cut all the lawns they want to cut."

That creates a perfect market for waterfront condo developers in Florida, who are racing to meet demand.

"We're responding to the market; we didn't create it," said Evelyn Treworgy, president of Coastal Construction Southwest Inc., developer of Palma Sola Bay Club. "We're just catching up with the changes in our area. For the last 10 years, it's been all single-family homes on a third of an acre. Not everybody wants that. It's not one size fits all."

Condo developers are descending on Manatee because it has more available waterfront land and costs less to build on, compared with surrounding counties.

"What they can get in Tampa or Sarasota for $1 million, they can get here for as little as $400,000," said Samuel Asfur, Bel Mare's sales and marketing director.

The rising cost of construction is also fueling the condo boom. As land becomes more scarce and expensive, many developers say it's becoming more profitable to build condo buildings instead of single-family houses in spread-out subdivisions.

"By going vertical, it allows us to obtain some density that allows us to afford to buy the land," said Rob King, vice president and senior project manager for WCI Communities Inc., which developed Waterlefe Golf & Country Club in East Manatee and is developing Mangrove Point on farmland it intends to buy.

"Condo is no longer a swear word like it was in some states back in the 1980s," King said. "It's an alternate lifestyle that's becoming more popular. This is not a passing trend."

Pricey views

Nearly all of the new waterfront condo complexes offer pricey views, with pre-construction prices ranging from $300,000 to $2 million. The lone exception is River Preserve, whose prices are in the mid-$100,000 range.

Despite the higher price tag - the median price of a single-family home in the Sarasota-Bradenton area was $256,700 in November, the latest month for which figures were available - buyers are snapping condo units up, developers and real estate agents said.

"They're selling as quickly as they come on the market," said Beth Barnett, an agent with Lakewood Ranch Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate. "Hot doesn't even begin to describe it. It's crazy."

At The Palms, 50 of the first tower's 58 units were reserved within two months, sales manager John Taylor said. About 20 percent of Bel Mare's second building is reserved, although construction of the first one has not begun, Asfur said.

Developers of The Montecino and Palma Sola Bay Club, who have not started taking reservations, each have waiting lists of more than 100 interested buyers. And several developers say they've raised prices several times without seeing a noticeable drop in buyer interest.

Buyers have been a mix of locals and non-locals, primarily from the Midwest and Northeast but also from other countries, including the United Kingdom, developers said. In general, buyers are about evenly split among those who plan to live in their units full-time, use them as a vacation or seasonal home, or buy them as an investment.

"Most of them are couples, empty nesters, people in their late 40s and early 50s on up to the 60s," Asfur said of Bel Mare's buyers. "Most enjoy an active lifestyle."

The impact

Planners say the influx of condo-dwellers will have impacts beyond the waterline: more sales at local businesses, more boats on Manatee's waterways, more traffic on local roads and more tax revenue for area schools and governments, among others.

But there's disagreement on how broad those impacts will be and how they'll affect Manatee's character, image and quality of life. The key issue separating the opposing viewpoints is building height.

Critics say some proposed high-rise condos, especially Perico Island and Mangrove Point, are simply too tall for the areas in which they'll be built.

"Manatee County has always been a low-rise community and it's long been our goal to keep it that way," said Manatee County Commissioner Joe McClash, one of the leading critics of high-rise development. "Some of the cities' decisions go against the will of the people."

But supporters of high-rise condo development see it differently.

"It's smarter to have a mix of low-density and high-density development," said Poston, whose city approved the Mangrove Point and Perico Island projects. "Manatee County usually refuses to embrace high-density development, but everyone else in the country is doing it."

The height dispute also colors debate over the condo boom's potential long-term impact on Manatee.

Those who favor high-rise condo development tout the economic benefits, and predict that roads, schools and public services will be less affected than many think.

The more than 2,700 condo units planned to be built is just a fraction of the 24,500 residential building permits the county issued last year, Poston pointed out. And because condo owners tend to be seasonal or occasional residents ineligible for homestead exemption, they generally pay more in property taxes but place less demand on governmental services than single-family homeowners.

"Generally, condo-dwellers don't have kids, so they don't impact the school system, but the school system still gets tax revenue from them," Poston said.

He cites an economic analysis, paid for by the developer, that concluded Perico Island condo owners will generate $1.2 million in tax revenue for Bradenton and nearly $1.8 million for Manatee County annually above the cost of providing services to them.

High-rise critics contend supporters are understating the true cost of condo development.

McClash said the Perico Island analysis was flawed because it included the developer's $100,000 pledge to build a fire and emergency medical services station, but not the potential $1 million annual cost to staff and operate it. Another economic analysis on Mangrove Pointe didn't account for a $2 million water tower that will be needed, McClash said.

"We still have to be able to meet peak demand, whether it's road capacity, water or fire protection," he said. "Development does not pay for itself."

Environmental impact

While officials debate potential long-term impacts, the condo boom is directly impacting some who already live on the water.

Roy and Shirley Martin's single-family home for the past 13 years is next door to the 6-acre site where The Montecino is slated to be built. Shirley Martin said she used to encounter a bobcat, red foxes, tortoises and other wildlife when she walked among the property's cabbage palms, elms and live oaks in search of wildflowers.

Since developers bought the land, it has been completely cleared except for a handful of live oak trees, and the animals have all but disappeared, she said.

"Naturally our place is for sale because we don't want to live next door to that," Shirley Martin said. "We didn't move here to live among condominiums. There's going to be no Florida left except pavement and condominiums."

Condo development likely will continue as long as there's land to build on and Florida remains a retiree haven, developers said.

"In the next 10 to 12 years, we're going to have an influx," Treworgy said. "Remember that sign by the (DeSoto) Bridge that said we were Florida's best-kept secret? Well, the secret's out. People are coming. We have to get ready for it." COMING MONDAY: Environmental effects of waterfront development.

HERALDTODAY.COM: Find more photos and our online poll (should there be condo-building restrictions?)
http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/10656950.htm

Posted on Mon, Jan. 17, 2005
Click here to find out more!

Manatee's high-rise environment

Demand for housing has brought condominium development to pristine land across Manatee County, and it pits two vocal sides in a battle over growth

Second in a two-day series

SCOTT RADWAY

Herald Staff Writer

The high-rise condominium boom has emerged as a divisive issue across Manatee County.

As massive single-family home developments sprout up, the first concerted push to build skyward along prized waterfront property has struck a nerve in a historically low-rise county.

But state and local planners say building high-rise condominiums can be better for the environment than single-family homes.

"The only difference is you build up instead of all over the place," Bradenton city planner Ruth Seewer said.

Seewer said each parcel sold in Manatee County has a zoned maximum density. For a hotly debated high-rise condo proposal on Perico Island, for example, The St. Joe Co. can build three homes per acre, she said. A series of high-rises - some that reach 10 stories - puts all those allowed houses in one central spot, requiring less land to be set aside for buildings or roads.

That does not mean each property has no site-specific environmental concerns, such as impact on critical habitat. But when a property owner has the legal right to develop, high-rises allow more room for Florida wildlife and allows more water to seep back into the open ground.

For St. Joe's 686-unit development, a June planning report found 79 percent of the total 353 acres would be preserved for open space. Though that number includes submerged lands, Bradenton planning laws require only 15 percent of open space.

The green-space exception is in urban centers, which are designated for high density on small parcels. The idea behind those developments is to attract enough people downtown to develop a lively city center, Palmetto city planner Jessica McCann said.

High-rise developments for city centers, such as the Promenade at Riverwalk in Bradenton, have not seen the kind of heavy opposition as the developments in suburban areas of Manatee County.

Theory vs. practice

Glenn Compton, chairman of the environmental group Manasota-88, isn't convinced the developments can live up to the green-space promises.

"The thought that cluster housing will preserve acreage just has not been true in the past," Compton said.

Compton, who also opposed the Perico project and the 519-unit Mangrove Point on the Manatee River because of the effect on the community's character, said open space eventually becomes high-rises, too.

Some compare the future of waterfront property in Manatee to the spread of high-rises in downtown Sarasota, Siesta Key and parts of Longboat Key. In Sarasota, the plan to maintain open space around high-rise developments has failed, Sarasota County Commissioner Jon Thaxton said.

"Watching 40 years of development, that is not the pattern that has emerged," Thaxton said.

Existing density limits would restrict that from happening in Bradenton outside the urban center, Seewer said. The bottom line: A high-rise cannot permit more units than zoning allows.

In Palmetto, McCann said, high-rise developments such as Riviera Dunes - which preserve open space by clustering - went through a lengthy approval process, and changes would be difficult to make down the road. Open space in these types of proposals is typically protected by a deed agreement, she said.

"Once you approve it, that's it," McCann said.

Winds and rains

In Manatee County, if a Category 1 hurricane struck, roughly 25,000 people would need shelter, according to county statistics. The county would be 1,500 beds short.

If a Category 5 hurricane struck, the county would require so many evacuations that shelters would be 17,500 beds short.

High-rise condominiums along waterfront property are most vulnerable to storms and would be evacuated in a Category 1 hurricane.

"They are are putting more and more people in harm's way," said Compton, who was part of Manasota-88's legal fight to stop the Perico development. "We have seen time and time again policy makers look more at tax revenue than impact on the community."

Manasota-88 wants a building moratorium in the Category 1 evacuation zone until safety issues can be resolved.

Comprehensive plans generally call for limiting density in those zones, and planners then study the impact of the development to determine if changes need to be made.

Studies also are done for each large development to determine the impact on the rate of evacuation, Seewer said. In the case of Perico - as in other proposals - engineers did not find that traffic would reach an unacceptable level.

Holmes Beach planning commissioner Susan Normand, however, said the traffic studies - which are based on evacuees leaving as soon as a warning is issued - are flawed.

"You will have only a matter of hours to get everyone evacuated, and it is not going to happen," said Normand, who opposed the Perico development as a private citizen. Normand said the traffic problems on West Manatee Avenue today underline the potential dangers.

For shelter space, Bradenton fire chief Mark Souders said the numbers are calculated based on 25 percent of residents seeking shelter in a public facility. But the number of people who show up is lower, he said. Many evacuees instead stay with friends or family.

"During the last several hurricanes, a very small number of shelters were used," Souders said.

Laurie Feagans, Manatee County chief of emergency management, said the county measures its shelter number by allotting each bed 20 square feet. But those spots could be reduced to 10 square feet, doubling the number of spaces.

"We could scrunch them up," Feagans said.

Matter of engineering

County officials and city leaders are contesting the standards on how high buildings should be in Manatee. But Bradenton building plan examiner Darin Cushing said that when he reviews a proposal from an engineering perspective, he is more concerned about a development being built right, not its height.

Making sure a building is set back far enough from the water, making sure it is built to safety standards, and making sure it is built above the 100-year flood plain are primary goals, Cushing said.

That's why parking lots are at the base of the Perico towers - if it floods, the homes will be safely above.

"As a building official, I want to make sure it is done to or above standards," Cushing said.

And planners say high-rises can be done right.

According to Todd Davison, Federal Emergency Management Agency mitigation division director, engineering know-how allows high-rises to withstand hurricane winds and to weather flooding, just like single-family homes.

Rob Brown, Manatee's senior environmental administrator, said high-rises do not necessarily create a greater burden on services, such as water or sewage. In fact, clustering negates the need for each individual to water his lawn and install more pipe. High-rises tie into sewer lines, which generally are less risky than septic tanks.

Large developments also are required to properly treat storm water before it's released, said Michael Molligan of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Even with docks, state officials said there can be a benefit in building them together rather than one outside every house.

In a proposal for Mangrove Point on the Manatee River near Interstate 75, a Bradenton planning report said the developer could improve drainage on portions of the property because the land already had been dramatically altered for agriculture.

Planners say the issue of height is an issue of aesthetics.

Eric Draper, policy director for Audubon of Florida in Tallahassee, said the thrust of conservation efforts traditionally has been in purchasing open space and cleaning water bodies. But in recent years, as the Florida housing boom soars, that approach is changing.

"Increasingly, I am working with developers on getting trade-offs for projects. That, I think, is the future of conservation in Florida," Draper said. "There are some givens we can't control."

Draper said the people who oppose high rises should get involved with the policy making process.

"People tend to oppose things when they are in their backyard. They are not down at the county commission demanding stronger policies," Draper said. "At that point, it is probably too late."

More coverage

• Read the entire two-day series at HeraldToday.com

Does anyone know anything about how condo conversions work? I live on Palmer Ranch in Sarasota, and three apartment communities have gone condo in the last 4 months. My apartment community may be next and judging from the prices of the other conversions, my apartment could be had for $220k. Unfortunately, I'm not in a position to pay that; especially for a unit that has walls and floors as thin as these. I like Sarasota, but I'm going to seriously consider moving to Tampa to get away from this crazy market.

Article published Jan 17, 2005
Long Bar Pointe developer stays flexible, seeks compromise

By Rich Shopes

It seems almost unimaginable. In this era of hot real estate with waterfront property topping the list, a small development company buys 21/2 miles on Sarasota Bay.

And the deal comes with little opposition from environmentalists, adjoining land owners and county officials.

What SBC Development LLP is trying to accomplish on the narrow strip between Tidy Island and the island of Long Bar Point could offer lessons to other waterfront developers: Be patient and be willing to make concessions.

Larry Lieberman, managing partner of SBC, knows the strategy by heart.

While Arvida feuded with Bradenton officials for four years about the height of its proposed condominium towers on Perico Island, Lieberman's company was winning the county's approval for seven five-story mid-rises overlooking the bay.

While developers in Bradenton tangled with state and federal environmental officials over docks and manatee protection zones, Lieberman was sidestepping the issue altogether by promising to preserve the mangroves and underwater sea grasses that rim the shoreline.

While developers and builders griped about impact fees, Lieberman was agreeing to the additional step of building a two-mile road connecting 75th Street West with El Conquistador Parkway, potentially saving taxpayers millions.

Taken together, these and other measures have placated county and state officials. SBC, which still has two other phases in the pipeline, won some needed points with elected officials.

"I think they've done a good job of trying to put together something compatible," said County Commissioner Joe McClash, known for championing environmental causes. "It wasn't just a wall of condos along the water."

SBC won preliminary approval from Manatee officials in November, and next month will begin selling condos for the first of three phases at Long Bar Pointe.

Through it all, the key word for Lieberman was "patience."

The genesis

More than five years after he met with Alex Berne, one of 15 property owners from three families that owned the bayside stretch, he's still talking about patience.

Back in the 1990s, Berne tried unsuccessfully to assemble enough property himself to produce a multifamily housing development. But the family members couldn't agree. Some didn't want to sell, and others didn't want to be bothered.

Then Lieberman, a friend of Berne's from an unrelated deal, stepped in, in the late 1990s. He started meeting with family members face to face. He and Berne formed SBC Development, and in 2001 the two submitted a plan to Manatee County planning officials for a condo project. The effort was the catalyst that united the parties.

"It was like a family tree. With each generation it got more and more fractionalized," said Berne, who lives in Bradenton and recalls his father's unsuccessful attempts in the '80s to develop the land. "There were too many people, and they all wanted different things."

Most of the land was purchased, but in some cases Lieberman and Berne swapped out parcels to nudge wary family members off the fence. Finally, in 2001, the two assembled enough parcels to close the deal.

But after that, and with the long government approval process just getting started, the project hit another roadblock.

The following year the county amended its codes to restrict high-rise development. Lieberman was given a choice: Lower the condos from 15 stories to five or brace for a "long, drawn-out legal fight" akin to the battle now being waged by Arvida.

The latter wasn't practical. Lieberman wanted to build while the market was hot, and any delay could push the project into a time of rising interest rates.

Also, SBC still had two other phases that required county and state approvals. Lieberman knew he would have face Manatee officials several more times.

"We wanted to be here. We were in it for the long haul," he said. "We could spend years and years in court or do something more in line with what the commissioners and people of Manatee County wanted. We didn't want to win the battle but lose the war."

The high-rises were lowered to five stories with first-floor parking, and the developers offered another make-a-difference concession: They agreed to preserve the acres of mangroves rooted along the coast -- even though they were chopped down at nearby El Conquistador and even if that meant restricting water views to only upper-floor condos.

He was risking losing sales but figured the project was attractive enough to lure buyers, regardless if mangroves obscured some views.

"The main thing was to be on the water," said Lieberman. "I don't care how much water you see."

Market still hot

One thing Lieberman isn't sweating is the possibility of slow sales. Long Bar Pointe's product mix will be diverse enough to cast a broad net across the condo market, he says.

In addition to seven mid-rises, the development will consist of 22 four-unit low-rises and 12 townhouses in two buildings. Also, it will be gated and feature five lakes, three tennis courts and a nature trail.

Penthouses will fetch just under $1 million, but most of condos will sell from the mid-$200,000 range for a townhouse to about $475,000 for a condo in one of the low-rises.

"It's well priced for empty-nesters and part-time owners," said Lieberman, who's worked in the multifamily housing industry for 30 years and developed Carolina Landings at University Place in southern Manatee County. "There is a backlog of demand especially at those price levels."

Unlike high-rise developments, Long Bar Pointe will target condo buyers across the market, and if sales at the upper end slow down, the company can shift focus to the entry and mid-levels.

"Not everybody wants to live in a high-rise," said Ronda Gallehue of Barrington Group Inc., which is overseeing the project's design and marketing. (Lieberman is the principal owner of Sarasota-based BGI.)

The first of three phases, consisting of 70 acres south of 75th Street West and 53rd Avenue, is scheduled to start at the end of this year. The next two phases will stretch south toward El Conquistador. Lieberman expects the entire project to last some eight to 10 years.

"It will be like Lakewood Ranch, but with a different look," he says, adding the look will be Key West, with metal plantation-style roofs and breezy pastel-colored walls.

"We wanted it to have a vacation, resort feel, and we wanted it to be a mix of options," said Gallehue.

Lynn Parker, vice president and general manager of Wagner Realty in Manatee County, said she expects the condos to sell quickly.

"Just based on the size of the community and the fact that they are offering something unique and different from what we're used to," she said. "Also because this is in west Manatee, and it's in proximity to the beaches. The only thing that's close to this is the Perico Island project."

Lieberman said Long Bar Pointe could eventually spur a wave of development nearby.

Whether that happens is doubtful, though. Whiting Preston, president of the Manatee Fruit Co., which grows gladiolas, lilies and snapdragons on property next to Long Bar Pointe, said his company has no plans to sell to developers.

But a deal wouldn't be unprecedented. The Preston family owns the land Arvida wants to build condos on.

Regardless, Lieberman is staying patient.

"I knew this was a tremendous undertaking to do this ... but there was going to be an unprecedented need for housing as the baby boom generation begins bailing out of the North and looking for second homes and places to retire.

"We'll be waiting for them."
http://www.newscoast.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050117/BUSINESS/501170668/-1/ARCHIVES30

Boy this is really troubling for Manatee Co. - can they stand how crowded it will be . .

http://www.bradenton.com/images/bradenton/bradentonherald/10648/113385610328.jpg
The Laguna at Riviera Dunes is seen from beneath the DeSoto Bridge on the Bradenton side.

http://www.bradenton.com/images/bradenton/bradentonherald/10648/113385642272.jpg
The Promenade at Riverwalk will be built along Rossi Park, as viewed looking east from the Green Bridge in Bradenton.

http://www.bradenton.com/images/bradenton/bradentonherald/10648/113385652920.jpg
The Manatee River flows under the Green Bridge in Bradenton past Rossi Park, where the Promenade at Riverwalk will be constructed.

Actually, looking at this project and its location - it should be bigger, but it is a great location that will add a lot to Bradenton - a place where, unfortunately - I have spent some time downtown = potential but nothing much beyond that yet

http://www.promenadeatriverwalk.com/

Here's another shockingly dense Manatee County development
http://www.terraceiabaycountryclub.com/grafx/baypointe_bui2.gif

^you realize that at least one public official will have a coronary.

I mean, that thing is SEVEN stories! They just took the floors and stacked them on top of one another, as if the people were cans of soup being put away in the pantry! It's so socialist Eek! Head for the hills!

And yes, I spend time in DT Bradenton now (pulling permits and such), and it definitely sucks. It's one place where levelling it all and starting from scratch might actually be better.

On another point, I found an opinion article in the Sarasota H/T where a 'NIMBY' is whining about the new development in DT Sarasota. I wish these people would move to Englewood and shut up!

http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050119/OPINION/501190632/1029

Oh, yes....

I have some new pic's of D/T Sarasota, where I'll put them on the thread I started last September. I took them during my 'honeymoon' at the Ritz-Carlton late last November. If I get time, I'll get some new pic's of what it looks now.

Finally Courthouse Centre is almost done and the Five Points Plaza is topping off. I was DT yesterday and the Sarasota skyline is growing everyday. Rivo at Ringling is going along with the HQ for the Herald-Tribune, and Alinari at the Renaissance is ready for vertical construction.

I was in downtown Sarasota today, Jan 24. They were unloading earthmoving equipment unto the corner were 1350 Main will be built. Could this be the beginning of construction on that site? There are still no barriers or fences in place, but the parking lot was definitely closed.

Posted on Tue, Jan. 25, 2005

Terra Ceia homes on tap

Pullen property in Palmetto would have new houses, condos TIM W. McCANN Herald Staff Writer

PALMETTO - High-rise condominiums overlooking Terra Ceia Bay and single-family homes on one-acre lots are in the works for property in northern Palmetto.

Engineers took the preliminary proposal to the City Commission workshop Monday, but cautioned that the plans are still in the drawing phase and formal request for approval is not expected to come before the city until mid-February.

What engineers described as a "very preliminary" site plan, presented to commissioners Monday, showed 51 single-family homes on about 61 acres of the 88 acres of the property, known as the Pullen property. Condominium buildings are proposed for the northernmost 27 acres.

Carlos Escalante, project manager, said the suggested layout achieves a scaling down in density to the south. Manatee Fruit's land abuts the 474-home Palma of Terra Ceia community to the north where the condos are proposed.

"Our main message is we're looking to take an area that is very unique . . . and find a way to transition it that makes sense," he said.

Escalante said preliminary plans call for 237 condo units in buildings ranging from three stories to nine. The condos would expand the Palms of Terra Ceia's community to the south and give the community another exit-only point.

Escalante added that more homes in the Terra Ceia Bay Community Development District means more revenue for that community.

Clyde Boltz, chairman of the Terra Ceia Bay Community Development District board, said he personally likes the sound of annexing more condominiums into Terra Ceia. For example, he said, the added revenue could help offset the cost of getting a manned guard gate - a $125,000 a year expense.

"The more people you have paying taxes to the district coffers, the less burden this becomes on each individual," he said.

Terra Ceia property owners pay taxes to the Terra Ceia CDD, which collects an annual revenue of around $200,000.

Boltz said the decision rests with the community. Escalante plans to discuss the plans with the Terra Ceia CDD board Feb. 1.
http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/local/10725550.htm

Article published Jan 25, 2005
Metropolitan property changing hands

By Kevin McQuaid

SARASOTA -- Developer Richard Zipes, whose plan to make the Metropolitan the city's most luxurious condominium tower stalled amid a saturated market, is negotiating to sell his downtown property to a Toronto-based firm.

If the $40 million sale to Kolter Property Co. is completed, the Toronto firm will likely follow through with Zipes' plan to construct lavish condominiums on the land at U.S. 41 and Gulf Stream Avenue.

"We've been attracted to Sarasota for some time," said Mary Kay Willson, a Kolter vice president. "It's a very intimate, cultural community and a nice fit for our company."

Although details remain preliminary, Willson said Kolter has no plans to seek a zoning change for the three- acre tract that had been slated for the Metropolitan.

Last week, the City Commission granted Zipes permission to add 16 units to the planned 16-story tower, bringing the allowable total to 144.

Zipes said Monday his $100 million project, unveiled last April during a spectacular party, was a victim of bad timing.

"It was late when we did our (kickoff) party and our opening," Zipes said. "Had we started in October or November or December, we'd be getting ready for construction now."

His decision to sell to Kolter came after being "besieged by people interested in buying the property," he said.

Although Zipes won't fulfill his pledge to develop "Sarasota's most talked-about address," or construct a structure with "an unparalleled lifestyle in the heart of downtown," he won't walk away empty-handed.

The $40 million that Kolter is expected to pay for the former Inn By the Bay land is about $12 million more than Zipes spent to buy the tract just two years ago.

"Sometimes it's not a bad thing to take a big pile of money off the table," Zipes said.

The property, which is under contract of sale, is slated to change hands by the end of March, Willson said.

Zipes brushed off any notion that his plans were ill-conceived.

In the months since he kicked off an estimated $2 million marketing blitz that featured the Bobby Darin song "Beyond the Sea," Zipes drew criticism for planning an upscale tower at one of the city's busiest intersections.

Real estate observers also contended that the Metropolitan's units, which ranged from $1.8 million to $5 million, were too pricey and, at an average 4,000 square feet, too expansive.

The condo tower also faced stiff competition for a limited number of upper-strata buyers. Between November 2003 and November 2004, for instance, only nine condos priced $3 million and above sold in Sarasota County, according to statistics compiled by brokerage firm Michael Saunders & Co. Inc.

"I still think our program was right," Zipes said. "The timing was off. Other than that, I wouldn't have done a thing differently."

And at roughly $13.3 million per acre, Saunders said the pending sale illustrates the strength of the Sarasota real estate market.

"It shows there's still a healthy and intense interest in Sarasota," said Saunders, the founder and chief executive of the firm that bears her name.

"It shows we still have considerable strength and there's considerable demand," Saunders added.

Willson said the property's per-acre sale price -- believed to be a record for nonbeachfront land in Sarasota -- demonstrates Kolter's confidence that the region's supersonic real estate market will remain strong.

"We think Sarasota has a tremendous amount to offer, and hopefully, we have a tremendous amount to offer Sarasota," Willson said.

While the majority of Kolter's $1.2 billion Florida portfolio is in Boca Raton, Port St. Lucie and West Palm Beach, the company is no stranger to Sarasota.

In June 2000, it sold the final condominium in the 86-unit Water Club II, on Longboat Key. Along with the residences, the 16-acre project contains a spa and fitness center.

But Kolter is best known for East Coast projects, such as the 830-acre Woodfield Country Club in Boca Raton; the 6,000-acre PGA Village in Port St. Lucie; and the 317-home Harbour Oaks in Palm Beach Gardens.

In West Palm Beach, the company is building both the 350-unit One City Plaza condominium tower and a 300-unit apartment complex known as San Michele Andros Isle.

As for Sarasota, Willson said Kolter will construct a "building of distinction."

"We're going to build a building that will work in concert with what works in Sarasota," she said. "We intend to do a project that will be embraced by the community."
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050125/BUSINESS/501250390/1060

And at roughly $13.3 million per acre, Saunders said the pending sale illustrates the strength of the Sarasota real estate market.



Actually, all it shows is that stringent restrictions placed on builders (such as Draconian hieght restrictions, and zoning densities WAY out of whack with the realities of land prices) are literally strangling all but the wealthiest residents out of Sarasota. When land prices are this out of whack, builders literally can't build anything but high-end product, otherwise they can't even recoup land costs, let alone construction costs and a profit...



Sorry, but obviously a city has trouble succeeding if there isn't anywhere affordable for the workforce to live. I think that Sarasota will learn this lesson firsthand in a few years.

Bradenton

That's the problem... I find it entirely unreasonable for a household making north of $75k a year to have to live in a sprawling, regressive dump like Bradenton and commute 40-50 miles a day round trip... My g/f took that great job in DT Sarasota 4 months ago, and has already realized that she will have to quit later this year (after she finds another job up in Tampa), because there is no way in hell that she/we can afford to live down there and be 'happy' about it.

You just can't live near downtown - not going to happen - you have to live farther south or farther east - unless you gentrify new town - which may well happen.

although, look at it this way - Bradenton will get better (actually if you drive just west od downtown, there are some pretty nice araes in Bradenton - especially near the river - old Florida style - me gusta mucho)

Article published Jan 26, 2005
Metropolitan buyer will be up against the odds

By Kevin McQuaid

SARASOTA -- One of the city's most ambitious condominium projects might be shedding an owner, but its buyer is going to have to keep at least one aspect of Richard Zipes' glitzy vision: upper-strata pricing.

The $40 million Canada's Kolter Property Co. is paying for the roughly three-acre Metropolitan site downtown -- it works out to $13.3 million per acre -- will mean lavish prices just to absorb the exorbitant land cost.

"It's a huge price," said John Harshman, president of commercial real estate brokerage firm Harshman & Co. Inc. "Huge. And, it'll be a huge challenge to make the numbers work with a $40 million purchase price, based on our present market conditions and a reasoned forecast."

And that's just one of the hurdles facing the effort to develop the land at the corner of U.S. 41 and Gulf Stream Avenue. The price tag could grow even larger because of Sarasota's zoning constraints, which cap development on the site to roughly 165 units.

With that limit, if Kolter completes its deal by the end of March as planned, its prices may have to top even the $1.8 million starting price Zipes proposed, local developers and real estate observers contend.

"At close to $300,000 per unit, based on what they can build, that equates to a purchase price of about $2 million per unit," said Tom Brown, a principal in U.S. Assets Group, the firm that developed the Beau Ciel luxury condominiums on Boulevard of the Arts.

"They might do a great job," added Brown, whose firm is constructing the upscale Orchid Beach Club on Lido Key. "But it's a lot of money going in. We're in a beautiful place, so maybe they can make it work."

Kolter will also face competition from developers with drastically lower land costs.

At the Quay, for instance, developer Irish American Partners spent $60 million for the 11-acre tract, roughly $6 million an acre, less than half what Kolter is slated to pay for the Metropolitan land.

At that figure, the investment team led by Dublin developer Patrick Kelly will have less up-front cost associated with its plan to build a trio of 18-story condominium towers.

In other words, Irish American's 530 condos, at roughly $1 million per unit, will probably be able to undercut Kolter's anticipated prices.

While new city zoning rules expected to take effect later this year will allow Kolter to develop an 18-story building -- two floors more than Zipes proposed -- the regulations will limit the Toronto concern to 50 units per acre.

That cap will probably eliminate any effort by Kolter to seek increased density from the city to spread its land costs over more units.

"The city does not want to go beyond 50 units per acre, except in certain areas where developers can average out the cost of units," said Jane Robinson, the city's planning and redevelopment director.

To that end, any attempts by Kolter to alter the city's comprehensive plan to add units on the Metropolitan site would probably meet opposition from Sarasota planners.

Moreover, the unit restriction may push Kolter to construct condos larger than 3,000 square feet -- bigger than current market demand.

After Zipes spent $28.5 million to acquire the Metropolitan property in 2003, his building units were designed to contain an expansive 4,000 square feet.

"Seventy percent of all our condo purchasers are second, third and fourth-home buyers," Harshman said. "As a result, most don't need more than 1,200 square feet and 1,400 square feet."

Despite the numerous obstacles, Kolter approaches the Metropolitan site with a solid track record for building quality projects in Toronto and Dallas, as well as in Boca Raton, West Palm Beach and Port St. Lucie.

Its Waterclub Condominiums, for instance, is an impressive triple-towered residential complex with 1,186 units along Toronto's waterfront.

Further south, Kolter's PGA Village in Port St. Lucie is a 6,000-acre community containing four golf courses and a Professional Golfers Association golfing education center. Plans call for 9,000 residences.

Kolter may have a sales weapon Zipes elected not to employ: Michael Saunders & Co. Inc.

Zipes decided not to tap Saunders for the Metropolitan and focus instead on internal marketing to sell units in the $100 million tower.

Conversely, the real estate brokerage firm that has been associated with dozens of successful Sarasota condos and other residential projects is already in Kolter's sights, and visa versa.

Michael Saunders, the firm's founder and chief executive, said she considered Kolter "a really impressive group."

"They certainly know what they're doing," Saunders said. "We hope to get to use our talents on their behalf."
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050126/BUSINESS/501260610/1200

Article published Jan 29, 2005
Herald-Tribune site pursued for residential, retail project

By Kevin McQuaid

SARASOTA -- A Fort Lauderdale firm is close to buying the Herald-Tribune building on South Tamiami Trail for possible redevelopment as a retail and residential project.

If Ram Development Co.'s negotiations reach fruition, it would mark the latest in a series of high-profile real estate conversions undertaken in Sarasota in the past year.

Along with the newspaper property, Ram also has also made overtures to the owners of the adjacent Howard Johnson Express, in the hope of including the land occupied by the 54-room inn in its future plans.

If successful in buying the properties, Ram will likely build a mixed-use project similar to the Broadway Promenade, a $60 million development featuring condominiums, restaurant and retail space it is building at U.S. 41 and 10th Street.

Ram Development and the Herald-Tribune's parent, The New York Times Co., recently signed a contract of sale agreement on the 3.66-acre Tamiami Trail property, which had been for sale for the past several months.

The Herald-Tribune is selling its property at 801 S. Tamiami Trail in anticipation of an October or November move to a $12 million, 72,000- square-foot headquarters under construction at 1741 Main St.

"We're very pleased to have this settled, and now we can focus on completing our new building and moving downtown," said Herald-Tribune Publisher Diane McFarlin.

Ram officials declined to discuss their pending purchase or plans for the property, which now contains a two-story, 60,370-square-foot building, and 185 parking spaces. The building was completed in 1954 and houses the newspaper, Heraldtribune.com and SNN-Channel 6, the Herald-Tribune's 24-hour, all-news television station.

"It's too early to discuss anything related to the various properties we're looking at in Sarasota at this time," said Uri Man, a Ram vice president of residential development.

McFarlin declined to reveal Ram's purchase price, but it is believed that the developer will pay significantly more than the $6.75 million asking price that was contained in an investment package the Times Co. circulated last year.

Nisha Patel, who with her husband recently bought the Howard Johnson Express, said Ram officials made a tentative offer of roughly $2 million for the hotel, which is connected to one of the newspaper's employee parking lots.

"I don't think I want to sell," said Patel, who finalized the hotel's purchase a little over a month ago. "It would have to be an offer that would blow my mind away.

"We bought here because we thought it was a great location and because there isn't a lot of (lodging) competition nearby," Patel added. "We're thinking we want to make some improvements to the property."

If Ram buys one or both properties, it would mark the latest in a series of mixed-use projects planned for and around downtown.

Notable projects include the $1 billion revamp of the Sarasota Quay slated to begin construction in March 2006; the $75 million Plaza at Five Points tower under construction downtown; and the $141 million Plaza Verdi being designed for city land on Palm Avenue.

Ram Development's Broadway Promenade will contain a 28,000-square-foot Publix supermarket, a three-story Broadway Bar and Grill, and 185 condominiums.

Although the concept of large, mixed-use developments is relatively new to Sarasota, Ram has been constructing projects blending commercial with residential space for much of its 30-year history.

In Florida, the company is developing projects in Palm Beach Gardens, North Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale.

In all, Ram has roughly $500 million worth of new projects in the pipeline, Man said.

At the Herald-Tribune site, Ram's plans might have to be somewhat less ambitious, though.

The property is zoned commercial intensive, which under city rules would limit height to 45 feet and residences to 13 units per acre.

But under the city's comprehensive plan, which governs all development, the property could be rezoned to commercial residential district zoning, said Tim Litchet, Sarasota's director of building, zoning and code enforcement.

Under that designation, Ram would still face midrise height caps, but it could construct up to 25 units per acre, plus commercial space, Litchet said.

At the Herald-Tribune property, then, it could build roughly 90 units. If Ram were to also buy the Howard Johnson site, that figure would increase to about 140 units.
http://www.newscoast.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050129/BUSINESS/501290321/1060

Corvus JV Plans Estimated $100M Residential-Retail Complex
By Alex Finkelstein
Last updated: January 28, 2005 12:42pm

PALMETTO, FL-This southwest Florida city of 13,000 permanent residents shortly will be home to one of the largest mixed-use undertakings on the state's west coast. Corvus International LLC of Bloomfield Hills, MI and Sarasota and Svenson Enterprises of Sarasota expect to break ground in the fourth quarter on an estimated $100-million, 211-acre project that will house 25 acres of retail and 1,190 residential units comprised of condominiums and single-family homes.

The retail price range of the project's residential component will be from the mid-$300,000s to $2 million-plus, according to C. Timothy Vining, a principal of Corvus International's Florida operations. "We have a number of other projects under way in southwest Florida and this project will be a perfect extension of our Bel Mare project," he says.

The joint venture acquired the 211 vacant acres, just east of the Bel Mare condominium project at Riviera Dunes, for $15 million, or $71,090 per acre ($1.63 per sf). Siemens formerly owned the property on the Manatee River. The retail component will be developed along the property's US 301 frontage. Palmetto faces the Gulf of Mexico between Sarasota and St. Petersburg.

The partnership hasn't set a groundbreaking date because the master plan for the site is nearing completion at the same time as the approval and permitting processes are being reviewed by city and state agencies, says Linda Svenson, a Svenson Enterprises principal.

Corvus International's custom home division, Lee Wetherington Homes, and John Cannon Homes are the exclusive builders in the project. About 270 single-family homes are planned with the balance in condo units.

Corvus International's other local projects include Bel Mare at Rivera Dunes, comprised of 186 condominium units in three 15-story towers with about 100,000 sf of retail and specialty shops in the 214-acre Rivera Dunes Resort and Yacht Club in Palmetto.

Positano on the Gulf, developed by Corvus with the Devlin Group and BSG Communities, has 29 estate-sized condominiums located directly on the Gulf of Mexico at the site of the former Holiday Inn on Longboat Key. In addition, at Tampa's Channelside District, Corvus and Morin Development of Tampa plan to break ground this fall on the O2 Towers, comprised of 380 condo units in two 41-story towers with 100,000 sf of retail and related specialty shops.

In nearby Pasco County, Corvus plans a 170-acre industrial park that will support up to 1.6 million sf of distribution and warehouse space at Interstate 75 and State Road 52. The park should come on line in the third quarter of this year, Vining says.
http://www.globest.com/news/211_211/orlando/130808-1.html

Article published Feb 1, 2005
Group pitches conference center
Sarasota business leaders want a bayfront conference center

By Lisa Rab

SARASOTA COUNTY -- Business leaders are proposing to raise the county's tourist tax to pay for a $55 million conference center on publicly owned bayfront land near the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.

The 180,000-square-foot, single-story center would be built west of U.S. 41 just north of Boulevard of the Arts -- on land where the Sarasota County History Center, Sarasota Garden Club and Art Center Sarasota now sit.

Under a Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce proposal, local governments would increase the county's "bed tax" -- paid by those who rent hotel rooms and short-term condos -- to pay for the project. The tax would rise from 3 cents per $1 to 5 cents per $1.

The chamber is also asking the city to use property taxes to build a parking garage just west of the center. The group didn't estimate how much the garage would cost.

The business group spent two years working on the proposal unveiled at a joint meeting of the city and county commissions Monday.

County Commissioner Shannon Staub called it the best plan she has seen in the two decades since the community began discussing a conference center.

But the proposal comes just weeks after a national study found that attendance is falling at trade shows held at convention centers across the country.

Both city and county leaders said they still had a lot of questions about the proposal. They asked their staffs to analyze the plan within two months.

"I have to be fully convinced that it will work financially the way you've laid it out," County Commissioner Nora Patterson said.

City Commissioner Fredd Atkins was reluctant to use city tax increment funds to pay for the parking garage, as the chamber suggested.

"I'm not sure I'm ready to redirect TIF funds in a parking garage or a conference center at the expense of the rest of the community," Atkins said.

Advocates say the county needs to attract high-end business travelers to even out the area's seasonal tourist economy. A conference center, they say, is the answer.

Paying for the conference center would mean that Sarasota County's bed tax would exceed that of neighboring Manatee and Charlotte counties, which charge 4 percent and 3 percent. The state tax is 6.5 percent, so tourists who visit Sarasota will pay an 11.5 percent tax on hotel rooms or short-term condo rentals.

At a forum last month, industry experts said the center would bring hundreds of jobs and pump millions into the county's economy.

It would also provide public meeting space and improve business at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, said Tim Clarke, chairman of Clarke Advertising & Public Relations who presented the chamber of commerce plan Monday.

"What we have today is a workable plan," Clarke said.

But experts warn that few conference centers are profitable. In fact, nine out of 10 conference centers lose money, according to a director of CS&L International, the consulting firm that conducted a conference center study for the county last year.

A study released earlier this month by the Washington, D.C.-based Brookings Institution found that new convention spaces built across the country in the last five years have contributed to a glut in the market.

CS&L estimates that a conference center in Sarasota would generate $44.6 million in new, annual spending and roughly 700 new jobs. But the consultants also thought the the center would require the public to pay about $650,000 a year to keep it running.

County Commissioner Jon Thaxton wondered why, if private developers refuse to build a conference center that loses money, the government should do it instead.

Last year, a private developer suggested building a conference center and hotel just north of the municipal auditorium, on land now occupied by the 10th Street boat ramps and a lawn bowling course.

But Clarke said private developers couldn't afford the high cost of bayfront land and would require public subsidies to operate it.

"We feel strongly the ownership has to be public," Clarke said.

City Commissioner Lou Ann Palmer, who has touted the conference center in the past, was concerned about moving the Sarasota County History Center, Garden Club and Art Center.

She also wondered how hotels in the southern part of the county would feel about increasing their bed tax for a conference center in Sarasota.

Some city and county leaders were enthusiastic and pushed for moving forward with a plan that has been talked about for years.

"It's now or never," Vice Mayor Mary Anne Servian said.

Still even Servian had concerns, particularly about the location on city-owned bayfront property. The idea of allowing private development in the area near the Van Wezel has already sparked public criticism.

"Why does it have to be on Bayfront or Downtown," city resident Elizabeth Jacoby wrote in an e-mail to the city commissioners last week. "Do we need to give away the (beauty) of our Bay for the profits of tourists, or can we preserve something for all the citizens of Sarasota?"
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050201/NEWS/502010312/1270/NEWS0101

^One does have to wonder just how worthwhile a business venture is when private enterprise won't build it, and instead want the taxpayers to foot the bill. If it's so great, then they should build it. If the numbers just won't work, then duh, don't build it.

Yes and no. Classic infrastructure/civic project never really break even per se: roads, train, stadiums, museums, etc. . . The real question is how close will it come and what will the real impact be. . . Such a facility would probably do quite well in Sarasota, actually, though I don't know if that is the location I would choose. I tend to like them off the water with room to grow - the water will always be used for something else . . .

Posted on Thu, Feb. 03, 2005

Proposal for Terra Ceia land unfolds

The owner wants to build a mixture of homes and condos

TIM W. McCANN

Herald Staff Writer

PALMETTO - The future is becoming clearer for 323 acres of waterfront property annexed into this city more than a year ago.

Whiting Preston, president of Manatee Fruit Co., landowner of the 323 acres north and east of the Terra Ceia Bay Golf & Country Club, said a presentation Monday before the Palmetto City Commission will shed some light on potential building plans.

Preston declined to reveal much to The Herald on Wednesday, instead saying he wants to finalize the details and bring them before commissioners Monday. But he did say plans call for a housing development offering a variety of lifestyles, such as single-family houses and condominiums.

"The reason for a mixed development is you try to meet different markets for whatever you're trying to achieve," Preston said. "We're trying to achieve an 'amenitized community' that would fit well into the city of Palmetto's plans."

Preston said amenities a community like this should offer include a clubhouse with a swimming pool, walking and biking trails, a boardwalk and other features.

The plans for the land appear similar to Manatee Fruit's intentions for the Pullen property, about 88 waterfront acres on Terra Ceia Bay. Last month Preston and project manager Carlos Escalante showed city officials a preliminary site plan with 51 single-family homes on about 61 acres and 237 units in several condo buildings ranging from three to nine stories on the property's northernmost 27 acres.

Escalante said the layout matches its surrounding community because the higher density condos would be built in the Palms of Terra Ceia district while the single-family homes, built on lots greater than 15,000 square feet, would go on the property's southern portion where nearby land is largely undeveloped.

Clyde Boltz, the Terra Ceia Bay CDD board chairman, said no one from alms of Terra Ceia seriously objected to the plan at a board meeting Tuesday, although he said someone raised traffic-related concerns. Boltz said more details would become clear when Manatee Fruit makes a formal proposal to build.

Tim W. McCann, Bradenton and Palmetto city government reporter, can be reached at 745-7080, ext. 2620, or at twmccann@HeraldToday.com.
http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/business/10801842.htm

Article published Feb 11, 2005
Developer pitches St. Armands hotel plan
The proposed 80-room hotel and town houses faces numerous obstacles.

By Kevin McQuaid

SARASOTA -- John Ringling's dream of building a Ritz-Carlton hotel to complement St. Armands Circle washed away like a Lido Beach sand castle when the circus magnate hit a rough financial patch in the 1920s.

Eight decades later, the plan to develop lodging near the shopping mecca is being resurrected by the group behind downtown Sarasota's Beau Ciel luxury condominium and the Orchid Beach Club resort.

U.S. Assets Group Inc. describes its plan to develop an 80-room boutique hotel and town houses on a two-acre, city-owned lot at Fillmore Drive, Adams Drive and Monroe Drive just off the circle as "very preliminary."

But the concept, outlined in a series of recent meetings with residents, merchants and landowners, appears to be gathering widespread support.

"Conceptually, it's a great idea," said Martin Rappaport, a St. Armands landlord and one of three members of an area business improvement district board. "It would bring the type of clientele we're looking to attract, to bring vitality to the circle."

"Conceptually, I'm very excited about the idea of something going in that parking lot," said Maureen Hoyt, president of the St. Armands Association, a merchant group, and owner of Optional Art Fine Jewelry, at 16 S. Boulevard Of Presidents.

If U.S. Assets' plan for its five-story hotel and parking garage is approved, it would become the latest in a trio of proposed lodging properties that would significantly boost tourism marketing money.

A 100-room Homewood Suites extended stay hotel is slated to open on Fruitville Road later this month, and by March 2006, a 95-room Hotel Indigo is slated to open at Boulevard of the Arts and U.S. 41.

Combined, the three hotels would contain 275 new rooms and generate roughly $294,000 a year in local bed tax revenues, along with additional sales tax.

The new projects also would reverse losses of tax- producing hotel rooms to condominium conversions, a trend that visitor officials have lamented as potentially devastating to future marketing efforts.

In the past three years, Sarasota and Manatee counties have lost more than 600 hotel rooms to condos, as hotels like the Half Moon Beach Club and Inn By the Bay have shuttered to make way for condos.

"This year will be the first year in three years to reverse our hotel inventory numbers," said Virginia Haley, executive director of the Sarasota Convention and Visitors Bureau.

And still more hotels may be in the offing.

Irish American Partners, the Dublin-based development team planning $1 billion worth of redevelopment at the Sarasota Quay, remains interested in constructing a hotel on or around the 11-acre property.

At the same time, hotel developers continue to eye the Sarasota Fairgrounds as a site for future rooms, fairgrounds officials said.

"Because we are losing hotel rooms, we're exploring an opportunity that could serve that clientele," said Tom Brown, a U.S. Assets' partner.

He declined to make further comment on the company's plans for St. Armands until after U.S. Assets is able to meet with the city commissioners on the issue.

Brown knows firsthand about the loss of hotel rooms: U.S. Assets razed the 84-room Half Moon Beach Club to build the $105 million, 11-story Orchid Beach Club.

But U.S. Assets' plans to build a hotel at St. Armands face numerous stumbling blocks.

Most notably, the developer will have to convince nearby residents and merchants that the replacement of the parking lot won't cause increased traffic congestion or neighborhood access problems.

Under a preliminary plan, the hotel would be accessed from St. Armands and not the surrounding neighborhood, said Bruce Franklin, the president of the ADP Group Inc., the architectural firm designing the project.

U.S. Assets also will have to persuade merchants that in the long run the project will be worth the temporary loss of the 225 public parking spaces.

"Parking would be our main issue," Hoyt said.

The parking lot cost $750,000 to build. It was opened in 1995, after Sarasota sold 20-year bonds and agreed to a special landowner assessment to finance the project, said city spokesman Jan Thornburg.

The closest hotel to St. Armands Circle now is the Holiday Inn at Lido Beach, a 135-room hotel completed in 1973.

"I wouldn't be opposed to the redevelopment of that lot if the parking were replaced and as long as the developer is sensitive to the surrounding neighborhood," said Commissioner Mary Anne Servian.

Because the property is city-owned, Sarasota would have to seek proposals from other developers before entering into any agreement with U.S. Assets, which is also developing the 700-acre Founders Club golf course community in Sarasota County.

To help persuade city officials and others the hotel is a sound idea, U.S. Assets is offering an amenity St. Armands merchants have clamored for for more than a decade: public restrooms.

Hoyt said the addition of restrooms, along with the proposed town houses, could help boost support for the project.

"It seems like it would enhance what is already here," Hoyt said. "And when you consider the caliber of the developer and the type of projects they've historically produced, for me that adds to the merits of looking into this proposal further."
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050211/BUSINESS/502110509/1200

Posted on Sun, Feb. 13, 2005

Waterfront home proposal to go before county

TIM W. McCANN

Herald Staff Writer

PALMETTO - Houses situated on large lots and upscale condominiums in buildings facing Terra Ceia Bay make up the latest plan for a high-end, residential development bound for Palmetto.

The conceptual site plan, which goes before the Palmetto Planning and Zoning Board for a first look Monday, shows single-family homes west of 20th Avenue West, north of 21st Street West and on each side of 27th Avenue Boulevard West. The condos, 234 units in 15 buildings, are targeted for the northern portion of the land just south of 23rd Street West.

Developers explained that the design of the 88.5-acre tract puts the higher density condominium buildings near Terra Ceia Bay Golf & Country Club and its condo buildings. As the design moves south, the density tapers off into single-family homes on lots no smaller than 15,000 square feet.

The proposed condo buildings include 12 two-story buildings, one seven-story building with 42 units, one eight-story building with 48 units and one nine-story building with 54 units.

During a recent meeting, project manager Carlos Escalante said the condos would expand the Palms of Terra Ceia's community to the south, give the community another exit-only point and increase the community development district's revenue.

"Our main message is we're looking to take an area that is very unique . . . and find a way to transition it that makes sense," he said.

Manatee Fruit Co. owns the land, described as the South Pullen properties. Whiting Preston, president of Manatee Fruit, and Escalante brought the proposal to the city commission for a first review earlier this month.

But the plan still needs official approval from the commission. City commissioners are expected to consider the plan in a public hearing sometime after the planning board's Monday meeting.

Tim W. McCann, Bradenton and Palmetto city government reporter, can be reached at 745-7080, ext. 2620, or at twmccann@HeraldToday.com.

Developmental

If you go

WHAT:

Palmetto Planning and Zoning Board

WHEN: 7 p.m. Monday

WHERE: Palmetto City Hall, 516 Eighth Ave. W.
http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/local/10888054.htm

Posted on Wed, Feb. 16, 2005

Terra Ceia may see a new tower

KURT D. SCHULTHEIS

Herald Staff Writer

TERRA CEIA - Bay Club, another high-profile condominium complex touting sweeping waterfront views, is planned for Terra Ceia Bay Golf & Country Club in Palmetto.

The eight-story residential tower, which would rise above one level of parking, is viewed as a 40-unit project in the Terra Ceia Bay community. Bay Club Condominiums residents would have views of the bay and Gulf of Mexico.

Bay Club would sit just a little more than 200 feet north from its sister building, Bay Pointe Condominiums.

Rampant condo growth in Manatee County, including the addition of Bay Club, show that developers are building or planning to build more than 3,000 condo units in at least a dozen complexes along inland waterways.

The core of the condo explosion is situated in Palmetto, with three complexes rising in the Riviera Dunes development on the Manatee River.

The new Bay Club and Bay Pointe are being built by TBR Development, or Terra Bay Residences, a limited liability corporation and subsidiary of Palmetto's Manatee Fruit Co.

"Bay Club will offer its own unique features that is appealing to many future residents," said Carlos Escalante, vice president and project manager of TBR. "It will offer expansive views, private garages for five penthouse units, and have some units that are 40 feet wider than the Bay Pointe project."

Penthouse floor units on the end of the building will offer three balconies.

Five units per floor will range in size from 2,000 to 2,600 square feet and be priced from the low $500,000s to the low $900,000s.

"We will begin taking reservations no later than Feb. 28," Escalante said.

About 20 of the project's 40 units need to be reserved before construction can begin.

TBR Development has already begun marketing for Bay Club locally and around the country.

Escalante said people who did not get a unit at neighboring Bay Pointe are the ones willing to sign on the dotted line.

"People want condos on the water and they realize those views are filling up fast in this area," Escalante said.

Bay Pointe, a seven-story, 36-unit project currently under construction, has sold 32 of 36 units. Remaining condos are priced in the low $500,000s to the low $600,000s for upper floor units. Escalante said Bay Pointe is on target to be finished in March 2006.

The addition of Bay Club is a good thing, said Clyde Boltz, chairman of the board of supervisors for the Palms of Terra Ceia community development district, which oversees the community.

"For years, we have known it would be coming," said Boltz, a 10-year resident of the Terra Ceia community. "It's good to see this community finally building out."

Terra Ceia currently consists of 474 units that are a combination of villas, two- and three-story condos and other high-rise buildings. If these new Terra Ceia projects get the green light, the community would end up with around 820 residential units.

Tanya Lukowiak, director of Palmetto's Community Redevelopment Agency, said Terra Ceia is a community that is well under its density limits.

"I have been impressed with Terra Ceia's ability to keep wide open space throughout its development," Lukowiak said. "By grouping new residents together on one space, you have more room to breathe throughout the area."

Bay Club is not Manatee Fruit Co.'s first or last stab at building condo and housing projects. The third and last permitted parcel in Terra Ceia Golf and Country Club will be developed by Manatee Fruit just north of Bay Club.

That project will be another eight-story condo. Plans are also in the works for a mixed-use development on 323 annexed waterfront acres to the north and east of the Terra Ceia Bay community.

"Manatee Fruit Co. has a little more than 2,400 acres total, most of which is still being farmed," Escalante said. "But we would rather create new uses for some of the land ourselves than sell it to another developer."

On Monday, Palmetto Planning and Zoning Board members sent plans for another Manatee Fruit development called Pullen for the city commission's review March 21. The 88.5-acre project south of the Terra Ceia community would include 51 single family residences on 61 acres.

On 27 acres just south of the Terra Ceia Golf and Country Club, Manatee Fruit has pending plans for about 230 multi-family units, which include 15 condo buildings.

Manatee Fruit, a Palmetto agricultural company that began in 1892, will ask the Terra Ceia Golf and Country Club and its community development district to annex the 27-acre portion of the project into its current development.

"It's up to Terra Ceia to decide if this interests them," Escalante said. "If they pass on the project, we would probably redesign that portion."

That future influx of new growth to the south, if approved by the city and Terra Ceia community, would mean an additional exit-only roadway would have to be built. That road would give future and present Terra Ceia residents another way out of a community that will house hundreds of new residents in the coming years.

Terra Ceia Bay Country Club has one entrance and exit at 23rd Street West, which leads to U.S. 41. The additional southern exit point would be built on 24th Avenue West, which residents and county workers could both use.

Escalante said preliminary traffic studies have been done that show the community can handle additional traffic.

"Terra Ceia can handle the new residents just fine at their current four-lane entrance," Escalante said. "The new exit would just be an added bonus."

Boltz with Terra Ceia's community development district said he is not concerned with the growth his community will experience in the coming years.

"We have known for years that we were going to get larger, that's a fact of life," Boltz said. "It's up to the district to decide if we want to get even bigger."

Kurt D. Schultheis, Herald business reporter, can be reached at 748-0411, ext. 2120 or at kschultheis@HeraldToday.com.

People interested in future residences at Bay Pointe or Bay Club can find more information by going online to terrabay.info or by calling 721-6280.
http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/business/10909526.htm

Article published Feb 17, 2005
Developer offers more parking
For $3 million in city money, Ersa Grae will add 150 public spaces.

By Lisa Rab

SARASOTA -- As complaints about downtown parking mount, one developer is asking city leaders to decide how much new parking spaces are worth.

The developer of a planned condominium, hotel and retail complex on a city-owned Palm Avenue lot is offering to add 150 public parking spaces to his $141.5 million project.

But the city would have to pay $3 million for the spaces. The developer of the Plaza Verdi project, Ersa Grae Corp., has already asked the city for $4 million to build 300 parking spaces and redesign Five Points Park.

At a meeting of the Community Redevelopment Agency on Wednesday, the city commissioners questioned the cost of $20,000 per space and whether 450 parking spaces are needed in one spot.

They were also concerned that changing the plan now might not be legal.

When city officials solicited development proposals for the Palm Avenue site in late 2003, they asked for 300 public parking spaces. Changing the project now might not be fair to the other original bidders.

The city attorney and planners said they will investigate the questions and report back to the commission in April.

"There are definitely pros and cons," city redevelopment specialist Karin Murphy said. "We would like to take a step back and look at this."

Plaza Verdi project manager Andrew Dorr said his company didn't "really care one way or the other" if the extra spaces were added. He just thought the city might want more.

"It would be very useful," Ersa Grae President Ali Ebrahimi said. "The more parking the better."

But City Commissioner Lou Ann Palmer questioned whether the city needs 450 spaces in that spot. A previous development proposal for the Palm Avenue site included 450 public parking spaces, but that plan fell apart.

Vice Mayor Mary Anne Servian said the extra 150 spaces shouldn't cost so much, because the developers would simply add a floor to an existing garage.

Plaza Verdi is the third project proposed for the 2.25-acre site located behind the Golden Apple Dinner Theatre and the Sarasota Opera, and the commissioners are eager to see it succeed. But the project has moved slowly.

One member of the board that advises the CRA told the commissioners he is concerned they are ignoring problems with the project because they are so eager for it to work.

He also questioned the developer's promise of more parking spaces, saying some of the "public" spaces would be taken up by the opera and Golden Apple.

"I'm given the impression (again) that there is no way that the CRA is not going to approve this project regardless of the price, time delays, or size, because of the time already invested," CRA advisory board member Dale Parks wrote in an e-mail to the commissioners.

"Why does it seem like the review process -- again -- looks as if it is being circumvented?"

Since July, Ersa Grae has been negotiating with the Golden Apple and the opera. The developers want to demolish the theater and one of the opera's buildings and rebuild them into the Plaza Verdi complex.

Ersa Grae was supposed to sign agreements with both arts organizations last November. The Golden Apple signed, but the opera did not, citing a need to address its own expansion needs. City officials gave the two sides a few more months to negotiate.

Representatives from the opera and Ersa Grae said Wednesday they are making progress, but still need more time to strike a deal. The City Commission gave them until mid-April to decide whether the project will work.

"We just want a commitment," Palmer said.

But even if they have a deal by April, the paperwork would not be finalized until August, Ebrahimi said. He estimated construction would not start until late 2006.
http://www.newscoast.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050217/NEWS/502170474/1060

Article published Mar 3, 2005
Sarasota seeks proposals for downtown parking lot

By Kevin McQuaid

SARASOTA -- As part of a push to add desperately needed parking downtown, Sarasota will seek proposals for the redevelopment of a city-owned parking lot on State Street.

The plan to add a minimum of 350 public parking spaces on the one-acre tract is expected to be part of a larger, mixed-use development valued at tens of millions of dollars when construction is completed sometime in 2008 or 2009.

In addition to the parking, the city is advocating for developers to include "housing units at the low end of market-rate housing that are designed to attract downtown professionals."

The maximum height of any proposed building, including the required parking, will be 10 stories.

"There's a perceived need for municipal parking, and that location is one of the top-ranked sites in the Downtown Master Plan for additional parking," said John Burg, the city's chief planner. "And, it's an important element in implementing the plan."

Although developer proposals for the State Street project won't be submitted until late August, they are expected to contain a mix of components, similar to the planned $141 million Plaza Verdi.

That project, planned for 2.2 acres of city-owned land on Palm Avenue, is slated to contain 111 condominiums, an 840-space parking garage, a 96-room hotel, offices and retail space in two towers.

As they did for the Palm Avenue property, city officials anticipate providing tax increment financing for the construction of the State Street public spaces, according to a draft of the request for proposals being prepared by the city's Planning and Redevelopment department.

The cost of the 350 public spaces at State Street is expected to total $5.25 million, based on industry cost estimates.

City officials intend to limit any tax increment contribution to "the construction of public parking spaces," says the request, which is scheduled for a March 21 vote by the city commissioners, sitting as the Community Redevelopment Agency.

However, proposals with "less demand" for tax increment funding "are preferred," the draft request states.

City officials agreed last summer to provide Plaza Verdi developer Ersa Grae Corp. with $4 million in tax dollars to help cover construction of 300 public spaces there.

Ersa Grae hopes to complete a development agreement with the city this summer and start construction next year, said Bruce Franklin, president of the ADP Group Inc., the architectural firm designing Plaza Verdi. Public parking there will be completed in either late 2007 or early 2008.

At the Whole Foods Market Centre, the city provided developer Casto Southeast Inc. with city-owned land and $3.3 million to build 300 public spaces.

Any development on the State Street lot will temporarily remove 137 public parking spaces.

Although proposed residential units will be limited by the building's 10-story height cap, the State Street site is part of the city's downtown residential overlay district.

The district allows developers to build up to 200 units per acre, rather than the 50 units per acre limit throughout downtown, in exchange for a fractional contribution to city affordable housing and transportation funds.

By the time work on State Street begins, though, the city is expected to have increased the contribution to 3 percent of units' sales prices, up from $3,500 per unit.

Developers' proposals will be ranked by experience; ability to complete their projects and obtain financing; and ability to meet architectural criteria. Points will also be awarded for including minority businesses.

Projects' designs also must meet design standards and conform to the city's new downtown zoning code.

Each proposal will be evaluated by five city leaders and the CRA Advisory Board before going before the commission, Burg said.

The city plans to select a developer for the State Street lot next March, the draft request says.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050303/BUSINESS/503030753/1200

I am beginning to wonder if there is something wrong with the Kanaya project in DT Sarasota. They cleared the lot in January and as of last week, 2 months later, the lot was still a big pile of sand and drawings of the building with no construction progress. As for the new Whole Foods store, very nice!!!

That's wierd about Kanaya... They have found some soil contaminants or something, and are treating them.

Or, perhaps the subsurface is in worse shape than previously thought, so now the foundation is being redesigned.

Article published Mar 11, 2005
Quay owner finalizing condo purchase

By Kevin McQuaid

SARASOTA -- The Dublin-based owner of the Sarasota Quay is expected this month to finalize the purchase of the El Vernona condominiums, a move that will dramatically increase the size -- and potential scope -- of the planned $1 billion redevelopment.

Irish American Partners' roughly $16 million acquisition of the 48-unit, two-story condos adjacent to the 11-acre Quay property will add nearly four acres to the project.

It will also provide Irish American, a group led by developer Patrick Kelly, with the ability to add elements, add density and improve traffic flow within the Quay. The El Vernona condos are between Fourth Street and Boulevard of the Arts, with access from the latter street.

"We're excited to see what we can do on the property as it relates to the cultural district," Kelly said in a telephone interview. "We hope to be proactive and relate well to the whole area."

The El Vernona price brings to about $75 million the amount Irish American has spent to acquire land for the Quay's redevelopment.

In January 2004, Kelly and partners completed a $60 million deal to buy the nine-story Quay building and surrounding land.

At that price, the Quay and El Vernona sales rank among the largest collective real estate acquisitions, by price, in Sarasota history.

In a reflection of the city's supersonic real estate market, the El Vernona units, which a year ago were expected to fetch about $200,000 each, are being sold for about $330,000 each.

El Vernona owners and residents said they were satisfied with both the negotiations and the prices they obtained.

"They've taken care of the whole business," said Jack Douse, who owns three El Vernona units. "I'm satisfied."

"Everybody that I've talked to is pretty happy," said Roy Worth, co-owner of three other El Vernona condos. "I'm interested to see what finally goes in there."

Douse and Worth are scheduled to sell their units March 18. Previous closings occurred in January and February, leaving a smattering of residents. Kelly said a very few sales may not be final until April or May.

Worth intends to move in April to a condominium nearby, in Golden Gate Point.

Although Kelly has yet to complete plans for the site, he is considering constructing either retail space or a hotel on the El Vernona property.

Development of the hotel would likely be contingent, though, on whether Sarasota County and city leaders decide to build a $55 million conference center nearby.

Business leaders have proposed the conference center be built on the northeast corner of Boulevard of the Arts and U.S. 41, across from the El Vernona condos.

Interstate Hotels & Resorts, one of the nation's largest independent hospitality management companies, is evaluating hotel possibilities on the site, Kelly said.

Interstate, a Virginia-based firm that operates more than 300 hotels, recently agreed to become a Kelly partner to develop hotels in Ireland.

When Irish American first bought the Quay in January 2004, plans included the construction of a conference center and connected hotel on the El Vernona land.

The Dublin development team is also contemplating building an open-air retail mall on the Quay land, with shops and restaurants that would extend along the length of the property. Kelly has retained Jim Duffy, a London architect famous for integrated retail design, to study the concept.

Irish American hopes to raze the existing Quay building in March 2006 and begin construction of a traffic roundabout and the first of three 18-story condominium towers soon afterward.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050311/BUSINESS/503110686/1200

I just hope the Quay plans hold up, especially with a new city commision. Sarasota should have let Kelly build his three towers up to 30 stories like he wanted to instead of giving in the pressure of the snowbird retirees who live in our town half of the year, but yet feel they can complain about everything new that happens here.

W Penhouses:
http://www.wwonline.biz/images/wpenthouses_r1_c1.png

No idea what is up with this, but I kind of like it.

HEre's some bid info:

New construction and site work for a new residential complex in Palmetto. Working plans are calling for three, 15-story buildings to house 189 two- and three-bedroom condominiums. The project will also include a fitness and business center, a community room, a lap pool, and a handyman workshop.

Construction is expected to begin in April 2005. The general contractor is currently accepting subcontractor bids for select trades.
http://www.bidclerk.com/projects/projectDetail.jsp?projectID=dd88c922-e5de-4777-99a4-fd1a76d16560

Site work and new construction for a residential complex in Palmetto. Working plans are calling for an eight-story building to house 40 condominiums ranging from 2,000 to 2,600 square feet. The project will also include one floor of parking and a swimming pool.

Construction is expected to commence summer 2005. Interested parties should contact the general contractor. http://www.bidclerk.com/projects/projectDetail.jsp?projectID=1b2c01cb-1233-43d6-aa28-f702e5e031c4

And WHOA - what the?!!

New construction and site work for a large-scale mixed-use town center in Bradenton. Preliminary plans are calling for 1,100,000 square feet of commercial retail including 10 restaurants, two department stores, and one big box national retailer, 325,000 square feet of light industrial space, a 750-room hotel, a 21-screen movie theater complex, and 220 multifamily units on 250 acres

Construction is expected to commence in fall 2005. Interested parties should direct inquiries to the developer.
http://www.bidclerk.com/projects/projectDetail.jsp?projectID=c5068570-8fd0-41ff-aff7-57c1a4b39e9c

Is this a mall, lakewood ranch or something downtown?

The new mega mall is actually in Sarasota county, on the south side of University Parkway across the interstate from Lakewood Ranch. I believe tonight the Sarasota County planning board was reviewing the DRI plan for approval. Its about time this thing got started, the plans have been around for 10 years.

Well bad news for the new mega mall. Sarasota County voted to delay approving the project until at least April because of an apparent lack of detail and organization in the DRI plan. But, most likely it was because the Benderson Development people didn't even show up.

Plans for Quay retail space come into focus

By KEVIN MCQUAID

Last modified: March 19. 2005 12:00AM

kevin.mcquaid@heraldtribune.com

SARASOTA -- Irish developer Patrick Kelly's latest vision for the $1 billion Quay project is one tinged with a "Main Street" atmosphere and the hope of signing retailers such as Crate & Barrel.

Tentative plans call for retail shops on either side of a Main Street-type swath in the middle of the Quay property opening on to an Italian-style piazza.

The retail would abut a trio of 18-story condo towers containing some 500 units.

Coordinating the Quay's retail development would be Casto Lifestyle Properties, the local firm building the Whole Foods Market Centre.

President Brett Hutchens said Casto is in "very preliminary discussions" with retailers who have "expressed a great deal of interest."

"We're hoping to attract some upscale tenants who would be new to the market," Hutchens said.

He declined to identify potential tenants, but Kelly and his Dublin, Ireland-based Irish American Partners are aiming for players such as contemporary furniture and housewares retailer Crate & Barrel and other similar tenants.

The partners plan to construct as much as 175,000 square feet of pedestrian-focused retail space on the waterfront property. At that size, the Quay retail space would be roughly half as large as the Westfield Shoppingtown Southgate.

If the plan for the outdoor mall is approved by the city, stores could open for shopping in late 2007.

"It's always been in my mind to have mixed-use at the Quay," Kelly said in a telephone interview on Friday. "And this is the type of thing people want in a downtown."

To accomplish the mix that developers are seeking, the group has retained a London architect and a local firm, both of which specialize in retail development.

London architect Jim Duffy intends to model his designs after an outdoor shopping and dining district in Santa Monica, Calif.

Hutchens said the retail component will likely contain two small anchor stores and as many as four restaurants, which may offer outdoor dining.

Casto intends to present the Quay plans to retailers during the upcoming International Council of Shopping Centers convention in Las Vegas in May.

"They have the access to retailers in America that would take us a lot of time to build up," Kelly said of Casto. "So we want the professionals to handle this."

Casto will work from designs from Duffy, whose work has revitalized several London streets by introducing stores and increasing . . . ing vitality.

The condos are being designed by Nichols Brosch Wurst Wolfe & Associates of Coral Gables.

Duffy plans to model the Quay mall after the Third Street Promenade, a pedestrian-only, three-block collection of more than 200 stores and restaurants in Santa Monica, Calif.

"The idea would be to open the waterfront more to everybody, and not just the project's condominium owners," said Duffy, a principal in the London office of Horan Keogan Ryan Chartered Architects.

"Eventually, we'd hope to be a link in a greater chain that would link to the city's cultural district and downtown," said Duffy, adding that the Quay will be the firm's first U.S. project.

HKR's previous designs include Kelly's Smithfield Market mixed-use complex in Dublin and software giant Microsoft Corp.'s European headquarters.

The potential for greater links with the Quay are likely to increase next week, when Irish American finalizes a $16 million purchase of the 48-unit El Vernona condos. El Vernona occupies a four-acre tract between the Quay and Sarasota's cultural district. Closings are scheduled for March 21.

The El Vernona deal will expand the total Quay site to just under 15 acres.

The outdoor mall represents the latest in a series of Quay retail plans considered over the past year.

Initially, Kelly architects proposed 324,000 square feet of shops. But last summer, that figure was trimmed to just 32,000 square feet amid objections from WCI Communities Inc., which had been negotiating to develop the Quay condos.

Kelly said talks with WCI have stalled, and he intends to move forward with a more intense retail component.

Hutchens said the Quay plan won't compete with similar proposals to add retail space to Westfield Shoppingtown, Sarasota's Main Street and St. Armands Circle.

"They represent a whole section, a retail district," Hutchens said. "They're synergistic."

He also dismissed the idea that the Quay would compete against other Casto projects, including the 170,000-square-foot Main Street at Lakewood Ranch retail center under construction in the Manatee County planned community.

Irish American hopes to raze the existing nine-story Quay building next March and begin construction of the first condo tower there late in 2006.


http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050319/BUSINESS/503190575/1200

Light rail option rejected for new county trail
By DALE WHITE

http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050324/NEWS/503240307/1270/tbo01

dale.white@heraldtribune.com
SARASOTA COUNTY — Recreation and mass transit are favorite topics of politicians, planners, environmentalists and, often, voters. They all say it’s in the public’s best interest to get more parks and to find more efficient ways to commute.

Yet those two worthy goals collided this week.

Recreation walked away from the clash unscathed. Mass transit, however, took a crippling hit.

The county commissioners decided that a 12.5-mile railroad corridor between Sarasota and Venice, which the county bought to create a scenic trail for pedestrians and bicyclists, should not be designated by the state as the route for a possible light rail system a decade from now.

Their decision cost the county $11.75 million.

The Florida Department of Transportation was willing to buy the linear property for what the county paid to acquire it in December and still allow the county to build a trail there.

But the commissioners disliked a condition that the FDOT attached to the sale. The FDOT wanted the option to replace the trail with a mass transit system, most likely light rail, as soon as 10 years from now.

County officials decided they couldn’t justify the expense for a trail that might have a life span of just 10 years.

They tried to talk the FDOT into pushing that time frame back to 20 or 25 years, but the agency refused.

“This is just a case where their objectives and our objectives were not the same,” County Administrator Jim Ley said.

FDOT spokeswoman Cindy Clemmons-Adente said that, from her agency’s perspective, the breakdown in negotiations “really wasn’t so much over the years as it was the placement of the actual path.”

Clemmons-Adente said that, instead of building the trail on top of the rail bed, the county could have opted to build a more narrow trail along one side of the 100-foot-wide property. That way, rail service could operate later without disturbing the trail.

For safety and other reasons, county officials have been uncomfortable with the notion of fast trains being so close to a pathway used by hikers and bicyclists.

Gayle Reynolds, Sarasota County conservation chairwoman for the Sierra Club, agreed with the commissioners’ decision. She noted that a stretch of the future trail would go through Oscar Scherer State Park.

“The Sierra Club is very much in favor of light rail. But Oscar Scherer State Park is not the right place for it. We don’t want any road beds ad beds or light rail going through the park.”

Reynolds said she didn’t think county taxpayers should be upset that the FDOT won’t be reimbursing the county for the land.

“The state wasn’t originally part of the equation anyway,” Reynolds said.

Whether light rail remains a viable option for Sarasota’s future is now a matter of speculation. It’s questionable whether the county or the state can acquire or afford enough right of way elsewhere.

In 2003, the county partnered with the Trust for Public Land to buy the abandoned tracks from CSX Transportation for $11.75 million. The trust bought the land and the county reimbursed the nonprofit organization and took possession of the property last year.

Transportation officials said the rail corridor is a key link in a master plan calling for a future network of 271 miles of trails crisscrossing the county.

The corridor extends from about a mile south of State Road 72 to Center Road in Venice. It runs west of Honore Avenue, through Palmer Ranch and the state park and south to the historic Venice Train Depot (now a bus depot) and the Venetian Waterway Park.

The county commissioners see the trail as both a community asset and a possible tourist attraction.

The county intends to spend another $13 million to $18 million to design and build a trail atop the existing rail bed. The amenities would include benches, bathrooms and picnic shelters.

What were they thinking!!!!! Its just a stupid bike trail. The state would have made it free for Sarasota and they still could have built it. Here's to traffic jams in Sarasota for many years to come. (Head banging on desk)

Great, so instead of alleviating Sarasota County's already congested roads, we'll just build an soon-to-be-unterutilized bike path, ripe for record setting pedestrian death tolls.

I think the county commission of Hillsborough is exceeded in absurdity only by those of Pinellas and Sarasota . . . Wouldn't want to plan ahead - of course this is the same body that imposed a complete building moratorium at one point . . .

This same problem is occurring with the new proposed conference center in dt Sarasota. While the plan does need work, the same people with the bike trail are pressuring our city leaders into believing that the center would be a horrible addition to our growing city, and because it would require the destruction of a small arts building and butterfly garden. And apparently the traffic from the conference center would cause a giant gridlock all over the city. (which is where the light rail plan would have been a great solution to alleviate any new traffic problems.)

Article published Mar 30, 2005
Metropolitan site sells for $40 million
The new owners plan luxury condos similar to those proposed by developer Richard Zipes.

By Kevin McQuaid

SARASOTA -- Kolter Property Co. has completed its record-shattering, $40 million acquisition of the Metropolitan condominium site.

At about $13 million per acre, Kolter's purchase of the downtown Sarasota land at U.S. 41 and Gulf Stream Avenue is believed to be a record price for property without beach frontage in Sarasota County.

While Kolter's plans and designs aren't expected to differ dramatically from the Metropolitan concept Fort Lauderdale developer Richard Zipes proposed two years ago, some changes will occur.

Most notably, Toronto-based Kolter intends to elevate the building's lobby to create additional parking spaces underneath.

It also plans to ditch the Metropolitan name and create a new identity.

"It's going to be a spectacular building," said Mary Kay Willson, a Kolter vice president. "Our design will bear some similarities and contain some distinct differences."

Kolter also intends to revamp the project's sales prices. Zipes planned to sell units from $1.8 million to $5.5 million, fully furnished.

Kolter expects its condos to be marketed around $1.5 million.

"It'll still be a very, very high-end building, but we're going to be careful about price," Willson said. "Right now, we're spending a lot of time focusing on what the Sarasota buyer wants to buy."

Sales are expected to begin in early 2006, with the goal of completing construction in late 2007.

Zipes planned to construct a 17-story tower with 144 condos.

Willson said various details aren't firm, but it is likely that Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts won't be involved.

Before the March 18 sale, speculation had arisen that the luxury hospitality company would manage Kolter's property as a Four Seasons Residence.

The chain currently manages condos in Jackson Hole, Wyo., Miami and Houston, offering luxury amenities.

"Our development team is actively looking for opportunities in many parts of the world," said Nicola Blazier, a Four Seasons Hotel & Resorts spokeswoman, adding that the company's current plans do not include Sarasota.

For Zipes' part, despite his inability to develop the $100 million project he pledged would "blow the doors off," he reaped an estimated $5 million profit.

"I still think it would have been fun to be involved there," Zipes said. "Sarasota is a nice community."

Willson said that in addition to the land, Kolter gained "tremendous benefit" from Zipes' experience, designs and records.

And Kolter hopes that the former Met site will be the first of several projects it undertakes in Sarasota. Five years ago, it completed the 86-unit Water Club II, on Longboat Key.

"We're looking at a longer-term perspective," Willson said. "We like the city."

Kolter also has the cash to think longer-term, thanks to the $800 million sale last year of commercial properties it owned throughout Canada.

Elsewhere in Florida, Kolter also developed the 6,000-acre PGA Village, in Port St. Lucie, and the 830-acre Woodfield Country Club, in Boca Raton.

In West Palm Beach, it is building a 350-unit condo tower called One City Plaza.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050330/BUSINESS/503300519/1200

I am surprised that Richard Zipes plan did not work considering that it was located on the most prized piece of land in dt Sarasota, along with bayfront, and Gulf views in the distance. The new developers from Toronto should have no problem correcting Zipes's mistakes.

Article published Apr 2, 2005
Costello plans 15-story tower
The proposed mixed-used building would be one of Main Street's tallest.

By Kevin McQuaid

SARASOTA -- Continuing a development frenzy that is transforming downtown, a local firm is considering constructing a 15-story, mixed- use building that would become one of the tallest on Main Street.

Joseph A. Costello Sr.'s plans for 1740 Main St. include offices, ground-floor retail space, 50 condominiums and more than 400 parking spaces, a plan filed with city government shows.

Costello's estimated $60 million project, if approved, would rise 180 feet.

"The city has told us they're interested in mixed-use, and we're doing that," Costello said. "They've told us they're interested in additional retail space, and we're going to do that, too."

Costello hopes to begin construction on the new building late next year, and complete it sometime in 2008.

Costello would raze a single-story office building at 1736 Main St. and a three-story structure occupied primarily by BB&T Bank, at 1718 Main St. The bank's lease expires in about 18 months, Costello said.

The new building would be bounded by Main Street, Indian Place and Bamboo Place, records show.

"We want to design a building that will take advantage of that corner at Indian Place," said Daniel Sagan, the project's architect. "We expect there will be a fair amount of pedestrian traffic, and we want that to flow. We want to make it very appealing to the pedestrian."

Of the total, 17,300 square feet would be devoted to retail, Costello's plans show.

The 50 condominiums would be housed in floors nine through 15, providing views of much of downtown.

Although Costello has yet to determine prices for the units, they would probably generate sales in excess of $50 million, based on historical data.

Costello's building would also add 85,500 square feet of new, high-end office space to a market with low vacancy rates but equally stagnant rents.

He intends to sell the office space as condominiums, in an approach similar to that used by developer Ersa Grae Corp. at Plaza at Five Points.

There, two of three floors of office space have been sold, and the developer is considering offers for the third, said Ian Black, whose real estate firm is leasing the Five Points space.

"If there is any depth or strength to our office market downtown, it's in the condominium format," Black said. "The downtown market appeals primarily to smaller users, up to 10,000 square feet. And right now, those people want to own their own space."

Costello's office space would probably generate about $23 million in sales, based on market conditions.

By comparison, new high- end, downtown office space would require rental rates between $30 and $35 per square foot, said Lee DeLieto, a commercial broker with Michael Saunders & Co. Inc.

"There's a lack of quality office space in Sarasota," Costello said. "So I think there'll be a big demand for this."

John Harshman, president of commercial brokerage firm Harshman & Co. Inc., said downtown vacancy rates hover between 6 percent and 8 percent, largely unchanged from 1989.

"There are not many tenants in the market today willing to pay the rental rates new construction demands, aside from banks and financial institutions," Harshman said.

Costello's current plan differs considerably from a proposal conceived two years ago.

At that time, he was considering a nine-story commercial and office building for his 1-acre site. His plans then didn't include condos.

Costello's current plan represents the latest in a series of multimillion-dollar developments that are changing downtown.

Across Main Street from Costello's site, the Herald-Tribune is building a three-story headquarters that will be completed in October.

Nearby, at Ringling Boulevard and Osprey Avenue, developer Piero Rivolta is building a 13-story condominium tower.

And farther down Main Street, work on Ersa Grae's Plaza at Five Points continues, as does the 11-story condo tower associated with the Whole Foods Market Centre, and a 17-story condo building at 1350 Main St.

Combined, those five projects have a total market value of more than $200 million.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050402/BUSINESS/504020411/1200

Good - this place is a bit silly, but I like it . . .

Article published Apr 2, 2005
Gator Club snapped up

By Kevin McQuaid

SARASOTA -- The Gator Club, one of downtown Sarasota's most recognizable nightspots, housed in a landmark building dating to the 1920s, will change hands next week in a roughly $3 million deal.

New owner Larry Siegel, who in October sold his Oasis Cafe on South Osprey Avenue, said few immediate changes will occur following the Tuesday sale of the business at 1490 Main St.

"Downtown is the place to be," Siegel said Friday. "There's a lot of growth there, and there's no place like the Gator Club. My intention is not to change it, at least not right away."

Siegel, 47, said for the long term he is considering revamping the club's second floor and introducing an upscale martini bar.

While no changes are contemplated at the Gator Club, the area surrounding the nightspot is poised for a profound revitalization.

Isaac Property Co., which bought the vacant Ovo Cafe for $2.4 million in January 2004, is attempting to assemble properties around the Gator Club to introduce high-end national retailers like Pottery Barn and Banana Republic.

Even if the Isaac plan doesn't reach fruition, though, the Gator Club is in the midst of a renaissance. Across Main Street, Mattison's City Grille operates a successful restaurant and, one block away, the Whole Foods Market is drawing additional shoppers downtown.

Siegel said he has no intention of selling the two-story, 5,000-square-foot building that houses the club, at least for several years.

Prior to 1987, when the club became its tenant, the 84-year-old, bleached brick building was occupied by a grocery store and other commercial businesses. Local legend has it that a bordello once operated out of the top floor.

"Right now, I have no intention of doing anything," Siegel said. "The Gator Club is the Gator Club. I don't want it to go away."

Siegel added, however, that his sales contract with current Gator Club co-owner Ernie Ritz doesn't prohibit him from selling the property.

Ritz said Siegel's offer interested him because it meant the Gator Club would remain open at the corner of Main Street and Lemon Avenue.

"I wouldn't consider selling it to anyone who planned on tearing it down," said Ritz, 64, who with his wife has owned the club for the past 13 years. "He's an operator, and he has experience in the business. I'm comfortable with him."

Ironically, Ritz plans to do project management work for Isaac Property. He will also remain president of the Main Street Merchants Association, a group he helped form three years ago.

Siegel, a Sarasota native, returned to the city about six years ago after selling a chain of restaurants he owned in Tennessee and Mississippi.

Back in Sarasota, he opened the Oasis Cafe at Siesta Drive and Osprey Avenue. He began focusing on the Gator Club purchase five months ago, after he sold the restaurant.

"The Gator Club has a lot of history," Siegel said. "I want to capitalize on what Ernie did here and take it to the next level."
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050402/BUSINESS/504020392/1200

Has anyone seen the new Sarasota Herald Tribune office? It is one of the coolest building designs I have ever seen, and it will get even better when completed.

Hey there fellow Urbanites:
As another Sarasota/Bradenton resident who can recently attest to the development boom (being an estimator for a construction company) I wanted to say hello, and must say it definately is great to have so much to talk about, as well as find others who feel the same way.
To reply to SD4k, yes I agree the new Tribune building is great - are you referring the to brand new one on 70 just west of LWR Blvd? FYI - that current empty field to the east is slated for more commercial development. Hopefully the design will complement the new Tribune building, not detract from it.

Anyone know what is happening on these jobs, pics or their status:
Kanaya also known as Ringling Court Condominium
Rivo at Ringling (Ringling Osprey Condominiums)
ALINARI At The Renaissance of Sarasota
Casa de Mayo
broadway promenade
San Marco
The Boulevard
anybody???

To reply to SD4k, yes I agree the new Tribune building is great - are you referring the to brand new one on 70 just west of LWR Blvd? FYI - that current empty field to the east is slated for more commercial development. Hopefully the design will complement the new Tribune building, not detract from it.
Although that will be a nice building too, I was refering to the new main downtown Sarasota offices. As far as other dt development, Kanaya has cleared its land and should be going vertical soon. Rivo and Alinari as far as I have heard have started vertical construction and are on schedule. The rest I haven't seen updates on.

Gotcha SDK4, yeah the downtown Sarasota area is definately going through their own renaissance with construction. Do you know who the main designer was that did the new plaza directly north of the Gator Club?

Which plaza are you talking about, the Five Points Plaza, or the area around Lemon Ave. ? Five Points Plaza was run by Ersa Grae, a developer out of Houston. Sarasota County and the Whole Foods company worked on the new Lemon Ave. landscape and Whole Foods store.

Article published Apr 8, 2005
Developer proposes condo village
The $350 million project along Stickney Point Road would include 6 condo towers and dozens of stores.

By Kevin McQuaid

SARASOTA -- A Maitland- based developer is planning to raze one of Sarasota County's oldest mobile home parks and replace it with a $350 million village containing as many as six condominium towers and dozens of stores.

Promenade Partners II L.L.C.'s massive development along Stickney Point Road would dodge downtown Sarasota, the mainland bastion for multimillion-dollar condominium projects these days, and instead seek to establish its own urban foundation.

"Our vision for this is that it will be downtown Sarasota County," said Christopher Cogan, Cogan Development's founder. "It's a central location and in close proximity to so much."

The plans for the Pine Shores Trailer Park and surrounding properties, along South Tamiami Trail and Stickney Point, include 500 residences, most of which would be in 10-story towers over parking.

The project also is being designed to contain up to 200,000 square feet of "high-end" retail space -- with stores like Crate & Barrel and national chain restaurants such as Outback Steakhouse -- in the 25-acre development.

Promenade Partners, an entity that includes Maitland- based Cogan Development Co. and local, longtime financiers Neil Malamud and Ron Shenkin, hopes to begin construction in mid-2006.

The project, bounded by U.S. 41, Stickney Point Road and Glencoe and Crestwood avenues, also would become among the largest village-like, pedestrian-friendly projects built in Sarasota County outside of downtown Sarasota.

"The concept is a mini-city center," said Bruce Franklin, president of The ADP Group Inc., a local land planning firm that Cogan and his partners have retained. "It will be the first project to use (Sarasota) county's mixed-use, urban infill zoning district."

In an effort to make the Siesta Point project accessible to both residents and drivers, Promenade Partners hopes to attract a gourmet grocery store to the project.

"We've learned so much, just in the past 10 years or so, about developing pedestrian-friendly, New Urbanist concepts," Cogan said. "So we're looking to make the retail aesthetically pleasing and a complement to the community."

Before construction can begin, however, the plan would require zoning changes and other approvals from the county.

Cogan and partners have already bought the former South Key Shell station, 6494 S. Tamiami Trail, and a building housing A&A Baby and Toddler Rentals, also on U.S. 41, for the project. Combined, those two deals cost about $3 million.

The partnership is slated to complete a $17.5 million purchase of the Pine Shores Trailer Park, one of the county's oldest, in late July, from Tollyn and Robina Twitchell. Neither the Twitchells nor their attorney could be reached.

Pine Shores residents, some of whom have lived in the park's aging mobile homes -- some placed within a few feet of one another -- for three decades, will probably be asked to leave by April 2006.

"We're from up North, so we have someplace to go," said Conrad von Gehr, president of the Pine Shores' residents association, who splits his time between Sarasota and Montreal.

"But there have been some people who've been here 30 years or more, some are of an advanced age, and widows," von Gehr added. "Where they will go is anyone's guess."

Several Pine Shores' mobile home owners already have begun looking for new homes. To most, the pending sale comes as little surprise: The Twitchells told residents several years ago they intended someday to sell the complex, von Gehr said.

Under state law, displaced residents will be eligible for $1,375 for single-wide trailers, and those living in double-wide mobile homes will get $2,700.

Pine Shores has 102 owners, von Gehr said.

"We're trying to be thoughtful toward the residents," Cogan said. "We want to give them as much time as possible to make other plans."

Von Gehr bought his Pine Shores home a decade ago for $1,000, and invested another $7,000 to fix it up and extend it.

Promenade Partners, by contrast, expects its condo units to start at $300,000, with some units selling for as much as $800,000. The partnership also plans to include amenities such as swimming pools, tennis courts, and possibly a spa, on the property.

"The obvious benefits with this property is that from the fourth floor and up of each building, residents will enjoy water views," Cogan said.

"We're still in the early planning stages, but we're thinking this will become a real live/work environment."
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050408/BUSINESS/504080389/1007

Sounds like a great plan, except knowing Sarasota's track history, those condo's won't be 10 stories when approved.

I hope they're approved, and they might because I've been reading many articles about Sarasota County commisioners are turning to new urbanism instead of the sprawltastic crap that spews out of Manatee. Apparently they've designated about 26 intersections where the county wants pedestrian oriented developments built plus when Lakewood Ranch begins its expansion into Sarasota, I think they want to build it in urban "villages." I think this is a step in the right direction. Now if only we could figure out this whole mass transport thing in Florida...

The Govt of Sarasota is like Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde - they make all these demands of urbanism then flip and decide everything is too dense and crowded. They need to get a grip.

Your very right. The city of Sarasota will begin to loose potential development if they say they want more buildings, but continue to cap them at 18 stories or below. People's fears of us becoming another Ft. Lauderdale shouldn't be scared. We aren't even close to the population that metro area has so the demand for very tall skyscrapers will be very few.

uh oh

Article published Apr 13, 2005
Plaza Verdi development hits setback

By Kevin McQuaid

SARASOTA -- The fate of one of Sarasota's most ambitious downtown redevelopment efforts might be in jeopardy, because a key participant has dropped out of the $141 million project.

At the city's request, the Golden Apple Dinner Theatre has for months been a part of Houston developer Ersa Grae Corp.'s plans to convert a city-owned parking lot on Palm Avenue into a towering mixed-use project.

A revamped dinner theater, along with the Sarasota Opera House, would help link the proposed Plaza Verdi with Ersa Grae's $75 million Plaza at Five Points high-rise under construction at Main Street and Pineapple Avenue.

But the Golden Apple abruptly ended negotiations with Ersa Grae last week, citing the "developer's failure to meet the time line" contained in a confidential agreement between them, an April 5 letter to the city says.

Now, Golden Apple's sudden termination raises doubts about the city's ability to proceed with Plaza Verdi, a project intended to provide additional public and Opera House parking.

On Thursday, the City Commission, sitting as Sarasota's Community Redevelopment Agency, is expected to decide whether to continue with Ersa Grae, turn to another developer or abandon plans for Plaza Verdi and issue a new request for proposals for the property.

If the agency chooses the latter, it would mark the third time in the past five years that a project destined for the 2.25-acre Palm Avenue lot has failed to reach fruition.

"As far as I can tell, the project as conceived is dead," said Commissioner Mary Anne Servian. "I don't see how, at this point, they can revive it."

But at least one of Servian's colleagues -- together with opera officials and Ersa Grae's top executive -- believe a modified Plaza Verdi plan can move forward.

"Could I give them a little more time? Yeah, under the right circumstances," Commissioner Danny Bilyeu said. "I'll have to see how the whole picture develops Thursday and go from there."

Bilyeu added, though, he feels "pretty comfortable" that Plaza Verdi won't die without Golden Apple. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2009.

"To have to consider not going forward, it's definitely troubling," said Susan Danis, the opera's executive director. "I'm hopeful that we'll be able to move forward and fulfill the city's goal for parking and our vision that we have as an organization for the next two decades."

To date, the opera has spent $200,000 on Plaza Verdi, Danis said.
Ersa Grae President Ali Ebrahimi, who said he has spent $600,000 on the project, maintains that Golden Apple's withdrawal doesn't signal the death knell for Plaza Verdi, which is expected to include hundreds of condominiums, hotel rooms, offices and stores in two towers, one 10 stories and the other 18 floors.

Plaza Verdi also is slated to contain 840 parking spaces, 300 of which would be controlled by the city. A portion of the public spaces would be devoted to the opera.

"The two city objectives can still be met: provide parking for downtown and serve the opera's long-term needs," Ebrahimi said. "We're in a good position to do that."

Ersa Grae estimates that Plaza Verdi will generate a minimum of $16 million in profit, though city officials contend that figure could rise significantly.

Golden Apple representatives also said they are willing to renew negotiations.

"We'll react to anything," said John Harshman, president of Harshman & Co. Inc., the commercial brokerage firm representing the theater.

"We're supporters of the city, this project and the redevelopment of the Palm Avenue site," Harshman said. "We hustled to meet Ersa Grae's deadlines. A time line that's established and agreed to needs to be adhered to."

Harshman said that since the "term sheet," or letter of intent, between Golden Apple and Ersa Grae was signed Nov. 24, he's had very little contact with Ebrahimi or Plaza Verdi representatives.

"We were very surprised at the lack of communication," Harshman said.
For his part, Ebrahimi said his dealings with the Golden Apple are over.
"Once I do a deal with someone and it's broken, then I'm done with them," Ebrahimi said.

Even if the city commissioners decide to proceed with Ersa Grae, numerous details -- including how the Opera House will fit into Plaza Verdi -- remain to be ironed out.

"We were pretty much dotting the i's and crossing the t's," Danis said. "This threw a cog in the wheel for us, because it made our negotiations (with Ersa Grae) moot."

Meanwhile, another potential developer for the Palm Avenue lot has recently re-emerged.

On March 31, a week before Golden Apple pulled out, developer Christopher Brown wrote the city affirming his group's interest in the site.

"If, for whatever reason, you are unable to go forward with the Ersa Grae team, we wanted to remind the (Commission) of our willingness and ability to step forward quickly as the second ranked team in the (request for proposals) and build the development we proposed back in December 2003," wrote Brown, Sarasota Main Street Group LLC's managing partner.

"Thank you for your hard work on behalf of the citizens of Sarasota," added Brown, whose partnership is developing a 17-story condominium tower at 1350 Main St. and last year sought $2 million in tax breaks in conjunction with it.

City Attorney Bob Fournier said he doesn't believe that Golden Apple's exit nor Brown's continued interest compels the city to act.

"This does not necessarily mean this thing is over," Fournier said. "The (Community Redevelopment Agency) could put something together that deals only with the opera, or they could also, if so inclined, decide to pull the plug."
http://www.newscoast.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050413/BUSINESS/504130375/1060

If this version of the plan does not go through, it might be another 10 to 15 years before it comes up again. As it is, Plaza Verdi was not to start construction for another 1 to 2 years. Isn't that enough time to work out a comprise with the theatre or make a new model without them?

This would be very fitting for the site - so they will probably not allow it . . .

Article published Apr 15, 2005
Big complex planned at 'gateway' site

By Kevin McQuaid

SARASOTA -- The owner of the Main Plaza and Hollywood 20 movie theater is considering adding three new buildings to the complex and eliminating hundreds of surface parking spaces.

The capstone of Theatre Associates Ltd.'s plan for the downtown property would be a 15-story office and condominium tower rising 180 feet at the corner of Fruitville Road and U.S. 301.

If approved, the estimated $85 million development also would include a five-story office building and a 375-space, five-level parking garage, preliminary plans filed with the city show.

In all, the project by Theatre Associates -- a partnership between attorney David Band and investors Stanley and Daniel Kane -- would add 30 new residences and more than 170,000 square feet of office space.

Condominiums in the new tower would be limited to floors 11 through 15, the plans show.

"It's a fluid situation right now," said Wayne Ruben, a former Benderson Development Co. Inc. executive whose Ruben-Holland Development firm may be involved with the new project.

"We're entertaining development concepts now," Ruben added. "The property has great visibility and potential. It's truly the gateway to downtown."

At least during construction, the 1900 Fruitville Road project could also create havoc for moviegoers, Main Plaza office tenants such as Sarasota Memorial Hospital, and patrons of the YMCA health club and Applebee's and Crispers restaurants there.

"I'm sure it would be disruptive, at least for a while," said Lyn Cassan, the hospital's manager of marketing and communications, who works in Sarasota Memorial's 60,000-square-foot quarters in Main Plaza.

The hospital, which has leased space in the two-story building since September 1996, spends about $800,000 annually renting offices and for parking, taxes and insurance.

Its lease, which provides Theatre Associates the right to "construct other improvements adjacent to the Building," expires April 30, 2011. By then, its annual rent and expenses will be roughly $925,000, according to the hospital's lease. Roughly 200 hospital employees work at Main Plaza.

Officials from Regal Entertainment Group, whose Hollywood 20 complex serves roughly 1.7 million patrons a year and whose lease runs through May 2017, did not return calls for comment.

Ruben insisted that any development would be "parking neutral." The existing five-level garage contains 842 spaces, the surface lot 450.

"There would be no net loss of parking," Ruben said. "We're very aware that parking is important there."

City rules require 1,128 parking spaces for the site; with the new garage and 50 reconfigured surface parking spaces, the complex would contain 1,267, according to Theatre Associates' plans filed with the city.

Sam Freija, the city's traffic engineer, said because the project would likely generate hundreds of so-called "peak hour" vehicle trips into and around the property, Theatre Associates will be required to conduct a traffic study.

"Many things are up in the air," said Hytham Bakr, a Theatre Associates project manager, adding that he is "not at liberty to give any information at this time."

Among the details that remain unresolved is the extent to which Band and the Kanes will be involved in the new development.

Band is believed to be considering selling the 11-acre property to a New York investor for $43 million, though Theatre Associates would retain an equity stake in the trio of new buildings.

Stanley Kane referred questions to Band, who did not return calls for comment. Ruben acknowledged an ownership shift is being "contemplated," but he declined to elaborate.

If the plans reach fruition, it would mark the second time in the past decade that Main Plaza has undergone tremendous redevelopment.

In July 1996, Theatre Associates bought the complex from a St. Petersburg investor for $8 million, according to Sarasota County property records.

The partnership, which at the time included Dr. Mark Kauffman and Randall Brodsky, then spent another roughly $8 million to construct the 3,850-seat movie theater on the site of a shuttered Maas Brothers department store and refurbish the nearly derelict 200,000-square-foot plaza.

"This is going to rejuvenate that area of town," Band pledged in March 1997, shortly before the movie theater opened.

The complex not only rejuvenated Main Street, but also sparked a renaissance downtown. Today, downtown development is exploding, with more than $1 billion worth of new residences, offices and shops either planned or under construction.

Across Main Street from the plaza and theater, for instance, Kauffman is putting the finishing touches on the nine-story Courthouse Centre, a mix of residences, offices and retail.

County appraisers in 2004 valued Main Plaza and Hollywood 20 at $28.5 million, according to property records.

For Kauffman, who sold his stake to the Kanes three years ago, the prospect of additional development on the Main Plaza parking lot comes as no surprise.

"It was always planned, from the beginning, to put something there," Kauffman said. "The time is right for them. It'll do well there."
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050415/BUSINESS/504150323/1007

Article published Apr 15, 2005
Scaled-back plan OK'd
The Sarasota city commissioners approve a much smaller project, despite one dissenter's strong reservations.

By Michael Braga

SARASOTA -- After a lengthy and sometimes contentious discussion, the Sarasota City Commission voted 3-to-1 in favor of allowing a developer to proceed with a vastly scaled-down version of a project that was to have enveloped both the Sarasota Opera House and the Golden Apple Dinner Theatre.

The Plaza Verdi project, which originally entailed the construction of two towers between Palm and Pineapple avenues -- one 18 stories and the other 10 -- now includes only the smaller tower.

The project's developer, Ersa Grae Corp., said the change was needed because of the Golden Apple's recent withdrawal.

But the Golden Apple owners countered that Ersa Grae President Ali Ebrahimi never wanted them in the project to begin with.

"As far as I'm concerned he planned to screw us from the beginning," said Roberta MacDonald Turoff, who has run the Golden Apple with her husband for 34 years. "I feel he only wanted us in order to get the project, and he always intended to proceed with a scaled-down version."

The commissioners spent two hours Thursday afternoon listening to developers, the public and the city attorney before concluding that the proposed changes did not represent a material breach of the city's request for proposals issued to developers 18 months ago.

In the end, the decision to proceed came down to parking.

The Plaza Verdi project includes the construction of 300 parking spaces the city desperately needs.

"I've been very frustrated with the length of time this has taken," said Commissioner Lou Ann Palmer. "We wanted parking and we wanted it yesterday. We're now on our third batter and I don't want to see this go into extra innings."

Palmer was referring to the fact that two previous business groups have attempted to develop the site and build the public parking, but have failed for various reasons.

Commissioners Danny Bilyeu and Richard Martin agreed with Palmer that further delays would not be in the public interest.

"I think what's good for the public is to move forward," Martin said.

But Mary Anne Servian, the one dissenter on the commission, expressed concern that moving ahead with a substantially revamped project was not fair to the other development groups that submitted requests for proposals.

"The fact that there was a lack of communication between Ersa Grae and the Golden Apple is very disturbing to me," Servian said. "I'm concerned that the larger proposal wasn't really their intention in the beginning."

Other developers who submitted proposals 18 months ago should have the right to resubmit in lieu of Ersa Grae's proposed changes, Servian added.

"We are desperately in need of parking," Servian said. "But I don't see a plan here. I don't really know what's going to happen. It seems like we're putting ourselves in a legal trap."

Susan Danis, Sarasota Opera's executive director, acknowledged that changes stemming from the Golden Apple's withdrawal took her completely by surprise. She said she wasn't sure how the opera will proceed.

All she knew was that the opera would now be in charge of refurbishing or reconstructing its own building, a process that would mean spending upwards of $10 million.

"We're going to have to start all over again," Danis said.

Meanwhile, representatives from Sarasota Main Street LLC, the development group that came in second in the city's request for proposals, argued that Ersa Grae's failure to deliver on its original plan meant that its development rights should be turned over to their group.

City Attorney Robert Fournier, however, disagreed. He concluded that Ersa Grae's modified proposal was not materially different from its original plan.

"I feel comfortable that Plaza Verdi is not finished and can consider going forward," he said.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050415/BUSINESS/504150631/1007

Sarasota had better have some new parking set up near Hollywood 20 to take over for those lost parking spaces if the new tower is built. That place is always packed on the weekends and during the week.

Garage, garage, garage . . .

Article published Apr 21, 2005
Developer has plan to bolster downtown Sarasota's retail

By Kevin McQuaid

SARASOTA -- Isaac Holding Corp. is finalizing plans to overhaul a core section of downtown Sarasota and convert it into a shopping mecca mixing national retailers with local merchants.

Isaac officials maintain that their plan to beef up downtown's retail offerings and introduce fashion-oriented, high-end shops is an "evolving" one.

But it will likely involve multiple properties, including the shuttered Ovo Café, a vacant building at 1500 Main St. most recently the home of Burger King, and perhaps even the First United Methodist Church at Pineapple Avenue and State Street.

In addition to Ovo, the 35 S. Lemon Ave. building Isaac bought for $2.4 million in early 2004, the developer may also decide to include 22 N. Lemon Ave., occupied by Earthspa, which it bought in April 2004 for $1.06 million, according to Sarasota County property records.

"We're proposing a major retail, mixed-use project, and one that will be dynamic for downtown," said John L. Simon, 58, a former top executive of The Taubman Cos. who joined Isaac as a partner and the holding corporation's chief executive in January.

"Our plan will add to, and not supplant or replace, the existing retail along Main Street," he added.

Taubman, a Michigan-based mall developer, is best known locally for building the 1.2 million-square-foot International Plaza in Tampa. That $200 million mall opened three years ago, featuring Neiman Marcus, Nordstom, Lord & Taylor and Tiffany & Co.

At Taubman, Simon retired in December as the company's senior vice president of development, capping a 27-year career there.

Simon declined to identify either merchants or specific properties that the Isaac firm is acquiring downtown for its project, which will likely comprise ground-level retail with parking and residences above.

He said Isaac hopes to unveil further details regarding its plans in the next two or three weeks.

Hurdles

Isaac's development program faces some tall hurdles.

Most notably, the Ohio-based company has proposed swapping land with the city to secure a one-acre tract at State Street. That land is currently a 137-space public parking lot.

In exchange, the city would receive property now used as a First United Methodist church parking lot, also on State Street. Isaac Holding signed a lease for the 80-space lot with the church in January 2004 that gives the developer control of the property through at least 2045.

The city is intending to issue requests for proposals for its State Street lot in August, and select a developer next March. Any development there wouldn't be completed until 2008 or 2009, city officials said early last month.

Jane Robinson, director of Sarasota's Planning and Redevelopment Department, said the City Commission, sitting as the Community Redevelopment Agency board, is expected to consider Isaac's land-swap request May 2.

"Their proposal would help us fulfill the goals of the city's downtown master plan and turn downtown into a vibrant residential, retail and parking area," Robinson said.

"It could really make downtown a destination," Robinson added. "But it's all concept now. We need to receive something in writing."

But Simon said Isaac's plans would be hurt if the city waits until next year to select a developer for the site.

"Their timetable is inconsistent with retail pressures we're facing and the competitive environment," said Simon, until last year Taubman's senior vice president of development.

"If Sarasota wants retail downtown then they're going to have to recognize that we're competing directly with suburban and other locations," he added.

Isaac hopes to begin construction downtown in Spring 2006, and complete its project in Fall 2007 or Spring 2008, Simon said.

The competition

Among the many competing developers with sites seeking to lure upscale merchants are Irish American Partners, owners of the 15-acre Sarasota Quay; property owners on St. Armands Circle; and Westfield Group, which is working to expand its Westfield Shoppingtown Southgate mall.

Outside of Sarasota, Benderson Development Co. intends to build a town center retail project at University Parkway and Interstate 75; Casto Lifestyle Properties is building a 170,000-square-foot "Main Street" project in Lakewood Ranch; and Lennar Corp. wants to include a 500,000-square-foot lifestyle center in its massive Heritage Harbour residential development in Manatee County.

"We may not be the first out of the gate, but we'll be the best out of the gate," Simon said. "We have hands down the best location."

Each of the planned retail centers is hoping to attract upscale tenants such as Crate & Barrel and The Cheesecake Factory.

Simon and the other developers acknowledge, though, that high-end retailers will likely open only a single store or restaurant in this market.

Isaac and others expect to solidify at least some deals with retailers next month, during the annual International Conference of Shopping Centers meeting, in Las Vegas.

The conference, Simon said, is "important, but not overly significant" to Isaac's plans.

Assembling property could become a significant obstacle, however.

First United Methodist parishioners were scheduled to vote next Monday on whether to accept a roughly $18 million Isaac offer to buy their aging church at 104 S. Pineapple Ave. and adjacent parking.

But after the second of two churchwide meetings held April 18, First United parishioners decided to postpone any vote. A new date has not been set.

David Johnson, chairman of the church's board of trustees, described the Isaac proposal as a "challenging opportunity."

"We have a 50-year-old building that is starting to show its age," Johnson said. "The challenge to maintain it is a growing one."

In all, the church buildings contain 55,000 square feet of space. Its sanctuary, capable of seating 1,200, is typically filled by only 350.

Meanwhile, the church is also struggling with how to accommodate both older members seeking traditional services and younger ones who often want more contemporary observances.

To satisfy both groups of parishioners, First United Methodist is considering accepting Isaac's offer and moving to a 10-acre tract on University Parkway. There, it could essentially develop two sanctuaries within one church.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050421/BUSINESS/504210369/1060

I BELIEVE THIS IS PLAZA VERDI
Est. Start Date:
January 2006

Description:
New construction and site work for a large-scale mixed-use complex in Sarasota. Early design plans are calling for a million-square-foot building to house 111 two- and three -bedroom condominiums and townhomes, a 96-room hotel, 24,000 square feet of office space, 64,000 square feet of retail shops, and 900 parking spaces.

Construction is expected to commence in early 2006. Interested subcontractors should direct inquiries to the bid

Any kind of new development on the south side of Main St. would be a real shot in the arm for Sarasota, considering that side hasn't seen the development the Five Points Park area has.

Article published May 8, 2005
Venice is developer's work in progress

By Will Rothschild

VENICE -- In the fight over the future of not only this city's landscape but perhaps its heart as well, a man with a bull's-eye on his back is visiting a site where concrete and steel are rising to heights that may never be seen here again.

While developers in Venice increasingly are seen as villains, the most influential developer of them all is escalating his presence with an expanding portfolio of projects ranging from homes to movie theaters. He has managed to do so because even the people who are critical of what he builds say he is an honest and charitable man who has built an enormous amount of goodwill in Venice.

Mike Miller's projects include nine-story waterfront condos along Venice's Intracoastal Waterway. He has plans to build 500 houses in northeast Venice.

With residents lamenting the September closing of southern Sarasota County's only movie theater, Miller, 49, unveiled plans for not one, but two new multiscreen theaters in Venice. When one of the area's largest employers, PGT Industries, considered moving, Miller brokered a deal that moved the company to his industrial park on annexed land at Interstate 75 and Laurel Road. Even in defeat, Miller was praised. His plan to develop 125 acres of public land along the Intracoastal was rejected by the City Council, but he was praised for seeking community input.

Yet this is no case of choosing love over money. Miller rejects the notion that he is a visionary and calls himself an opportunist. When you ask him who benefits from his company, the first people he mentions are the Waterford Companies' directors and employees.

That he receives even tepid praise from critics of growth is evidence of both his power and his reputation for honesty in a city whose future is being debated in a series of comprehensive planning meetings and on at least two community Weblogs, not to mention at nearly every City Council meeting.

"I think he's doing things on the up and up," says Don O'Connell, the former city judge in Venice who is often critical of the city's growth policies. "I have a favorable impression of him, but that doesn't mean I approve of all the things he's doing."

To be certain, Miller is doing a lot.

Since 1987, his company has built more than 2,000 houses in the Venice area and recently has expanded his home building territory into Manatee and Charlotte counties.

But Miller, who started his professional career as a supervisor on construction sites in Texas after graduating from the University of South Florida in 1977, continues to focus on the Venice area, where he has four residential developments either approved or under construction. His PGT-anchored industrial park continues to expand, his planned movie theaters in South Venice and just off I-75 on Laurel Road represent his most ambitious commercial projects to date, and he still has designs on the airport property, where he would like to develop a resort and spa, a marina, and, in a tip of the hat to the city's history, a circus museum.

Intracoastal development

The Waterfront on Venice Island is the project that has garnered the most attention and sparked the most controversy.

The second of three nine-story condos just to the southeast of the Hatchett Creek Bridge is nearing completion. The project's 98 units start at $400,000.

Many Venice residents opposed the special exception the city granted Miller for the condos, which tower over the bridge as drivers enter the city from the north on Tamiami Trail. Usually, the city limits building heights to four stories.

"As far as height is concerned, I think there is an appropriate place for tall buildings, but that's not where these people want to put them," says Dick Wingassen, 72, a 10-year Venice resident. "The Laurel Road/I-75 interchange is a great place for tall buildings. But I don't think you should allow tall buildings in downtown."

The city is still debating height limits. Just a few weeks ago, the Venice Neighborhoods Coalition presented a petition with 2,100 signatures asking the City Council to end height exceptions.

The council is considering an ordinance that would strip the city's Planning Commission, whose members are appointed rather than elected, of the power to approve height exceptions, and give that power to the council. Another ordinance being considered would cap buildings in a specially drawn downtown district at 35 feet. Both could be approved this month.

Many people point to the fight over Miller's condos as the genesis of such changes.

As O'Connell said, "I don't think you'll see anything that tall again."

Their impact doesn't stop there.

The condos are the first step in the redevelopment of the Intracoastal Waterway, which was carved out in the late 1960s by the Army Corps of Engineers. For most of its history, the Venice stretch of the Intracoastal has been a working shoreline, bordered by concrete plants, a railroad yard, auto repair shops and taverns.

The city hopes to transform the area into something along the lines of Sarasota's St. Armands Circle and, in so doing, connect Venice's commercial and tourist core from the west to the east side of Tamiami Trail.

In addition to the condos, Miller is planning a hotel, two restaurants and retail space on the western side of the Intracoastal. Once he relocates a pair of concrete plants, Miller will take aim at the eastern side of the Intracoastal with more commercial, retail and possibly residential space.

"I know a lot of naysayers say he ruined that area, but, I'm sorry, that was a pretty dumpy area," City Councilman Rick Tacy said.

O'Connell gives Miller points for being honest about his plans for the area.

"Mike was forthright and had a meeting with the landowners and told them up front what he was going to do, which of course doubled the land values," O'Connell said. "That is very unusual if you know how developers usually work."

Miller arranged land swaps with the two concrete plants, a funeral home, the American Legion, an Elks lodge and a Moose lodge so they would move from the area and relocate in other parts of the city. In exchange for their property, Miller is building facilities for the three service organizations himself, at a cost of about $800,000 apiece.

Miller admits that putting the new buildings on large tracts that are being further developed helped mitigate the cost while also buying goodwill from the community.

It's not the first time Miller has negotiated land swaps. He made a deal a couple of years ago to move several businesses from the island of Venice to land he had annexed into the city east of I-75 on Laurel Road. Among those businesses was PGT, the city's largest property taxpayer, according to Tacy.

"They were going to move out of Venice, but he worked to keep those jobs here," Tacy said.

Facing opposition

Miller's building boom comes at a time when sentiment is growing to stop or limit development in Venice. The Venice Taxpayers League, a grassroots anti-growth organization, has grown from 35 members five years ago to close to 550, according to President Herb Levine.

Rather than merely controlling or planning for growth, strict anti-growth measures are needed in Venice, Levine says.

"The only way to control growth is to stop it," Levine said. "A myth the developers say is you can't stop growth. That's bull. It's stopped in many, many places."

While Levine's no-growth philosophy brands him as a radical to some, his warnings about roads, schools and other infrastructure creaking under the weight of development resonates with many.

Miller answers by saying his efforts to relocate industries to the east side of Venice have helped ease traffic on the island. And he says because the state's Save Our Homes Act limits property tax increases on existing homeowners, newcomers often pay a higher percentage of taxes.

"The new people are paying more and the older people aren't paying their fare share, if you really want to call a spade a spade and an ace an ace," Miller said.

Listening to the public

Last year, Miller was proactive in seeking guidance on a project.

When the city asked for ideas to develop a 125-acre tract at Venice Airport, Miller was the only one of three potential developers to seek ideas from residents. Miller brought more than 100 community leaders together for lunch at the Venice Yacht Club, asking how they thought the property should be developed.

Among the ideas from the community were a circus museum, a resort and spa, and a movie theater, all of which made it into Miller's plan.

Miller's deal also would have involved a land swap with Marine Max that could have enabled Miller to gain control of another portion of property along the Intracoastal Waterway, in effect giving him control of both ends of the Intracoastal in Venice.

An advisory committee that included City Manager Marty Black recommended another developer, WCI Communities, citing the company's technical competence, financial capability and legal expertise in marina operations as decisive factors.

In June, the City Council rejected all three proposals because they included residential development, which the council said is not appropriate for the site. Armed with more information about what the city wants, Miller is hopeful he will be selected as the developer when the city revisits the idea.

Aggressive projections

Whether Miller ultimately lands the airport deal, homebuilding remains the foundation of his company.

The Waterford Companies plans to increase its yearly sales from somewhere between $110 million and $150 million this year to more than $400 million by 2010. Miller said until just a few years ago, his company built 50 to 120 houses a year. That figure is 350 to 500 today.

The company is privately held, and Miller declined to reveal profit margins and other financial details.

"I've told our people that we can slow down, that we don't have to do as much next year as we've done or suffered through this year," Miller said. "But I do want to give the employees in the company the chance to continue to grow and better their lives."

To do so, Miller has grown beyond home building.

A 12-screen movie theater will be the centerpiece of the redevelopment of Galleria Plaza in South Venice.

In northeastern Venice, on land he had annexed into the city next to his industrial park at I-75 and Laurel Road, Miller is planning a 73-acre mixed-use development that will include more than 500 single-family houses, condominiums, town houses and apartments, a 20-screen movie theater and other retail, restaurant and office space.

Miller wants to target the housing there for younger, working people. Plans call for walking trails, playgrounds and even a waterway big enough to handle canoes within the development.

"Our next goal is to do something for the non-retirees," Miller said. "We need it to be in an affordable manner. When you build compact, it costs less."

The project will have as profound an effect on the city's eastern edges as the Intracoastal redevelopment will have on its center. The area today is mostly pastureland, but it will develop rapidly as retailers look to take advantage of 500 new households. That, in turn, likely will lead to more residential development.

The cycle of annexation and development angers people like Levine.

"You can't go out there and find one out of 10 people who are pro-growth," Levine said. "It's overwhelming that people say 'This is not what I came here for.' They came here because this was a small quaint town, and they'd like to see it stay that way."

Roots in the community

If there is one thing Miller's supporters and the city's anti-growth factions agree about, it's that Miller is deeply invested in Venice and has contributed generously to charitable causes in the city.

Miller, who moved to Venice from Michigan with his parents after he graduated from high school, is building a new YMCA facility in the city and has given generously to the Venice Little Theatre and the local chapters of Special Olympics and Big Brothers/Big Sisters, among others. His wife, Georgia, 34, serves on a number of boards, roles that dovetail with her job as Waterford's director of community development.

The registered Republican also gives money to local politicians, although the figures from the most recent elections hardly set him apart from other developers, contractors and real estate agents in the area: $200 apiece to County Commissioner Jon Thaxton, County Commissioner David Mills and Venice City Councilman Bill Willson. (His wife gave another $200 to Mills.)

Miller also is a contributor to the Citizens for Quality Government, a political action committee that was formed to counter the work of Levine's Venice Taxpayers League. Every current Venice council member except for Fred Hammett and Tacy reported receiving contributions from CQG during the most recent elections.

Miller insists he is not close to any local politicians or governmental officials and never sees them outside of running into them at social functions. He says he doesn't have time for such networking and instead spends most of his time outside of work with his wife and two small children, Mariah, 9, and Michael, 7. He also has three older children whom he adopted during his first marriage: Miguel, 23, Tammy, 21, and Vicki, 19.

"Business-wise," Boone said, "he's one of the hardest-working guys I know in town and he spends huge hours at work. Therefore, when he's not working, he's doing stuff with his wife and kids."

On a recent afternoon, driving through Casa di Amici and late for a 3:30 meeting, Miller turned his attention to another appointment later that day.

"They can handle that meeting without me," he said. "The only thing I really can't miss is Little League."

The man with the power to move a city answers to a group of 7- and 8-year-olds.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050508/NEWS/505080794/1270/NEWS0101

Venice should let up a little on its height restrictions, but at the same time I agree that it shouldn't allow so many mid rises on its dwindling waterfront. Build up the DT core a little more.

Odd little drawing, this:

http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=SH&Date=20050518&Category=BUSINESS&ArtNo=505180336&Ref=AR&MaxW=700&title=1

Decent project but a little high falutin'

Article published May 18, 2005
Developer unveils plans for retail, residential mix
But Isaac Group's Pineapple Square faces obstacles

By Kevin McQuaid

SARASOTA -- Isaac Group Holdings LLC unveiled long-awaited plans to reinvigorate the city's downtown core Tuesday with an estimated $150 million mix of residences, high-end stores and parking.

The Ohio-based company's Pineapple Square would transform Sarasota's shopping district with as many as 40 high-end, mainly fashion-oriented, stores.

Isaac Group hopes 60 percent of its retail tenants will be national merchants.

The centerpiece of the project, bounded by State Street and Pineapple Avenue, is a planned 11-story structure that would contain two levels of shops, a 600-space public parking garage and five floors of condominiums on what is now a parking lot for First United Methodist Church.

Isaac also wants to build a pedestrian-only breezeway where customers could shop, dine and stroll, requiring the city to vacate a portion of State Street, from Lemon to Pineapple avenues.

"Our goal is to create a project downtown that is complementary to existing offerings and retailing," said John Simon, Isaac Group's chief executive.

Pineapple Square would be roughly equivalent in size to the Westfield Sarasota mall.

Another 10-story building -- planned for a city-owned, 137-space parking lot nearby on State Street -- would contain condos and private parking for residential owners.

Several other retail-dominated structures, rising two and three stories, would complete Pineapple Square, designs by Sarasota's Hoyt Architects and JPRA Architects, of Michigan show.

In all, 210 condos, town houses and lofts priced from roughly $300,000 to more than $1 million are planned on land Isaac Group has spent the past two years and millions of dollars acquiring. More than 1,000 parking spaces also are planned.

Isaac Group officials said their proposal would ensure parking for both customers and retailers downtown.

"This would enable the potential user coming downtown to have a destination in mind," Simon said.

"The key to retailing is convenient parking and a certainty of parking," added Simon, who retired last year after a 27-year career with mall developer The Taubman Cos.

In keeping with the city's downtown master plan, adopted in January 2001, Pineapple Square's designs include architectural elements such as screened parking and sidewalk arcades.

But the Isaac Group proposal faces considerable competition from retail projects proposed at the Sarasota Quay and elsewhere.

It also faces a number of potential stumbling blocks from City Hall.

Most notably, Isaac Group is asking that the city forgo a planned request to developers in August and award their company the rights to the city-owned State Street lot.

In exchange, Isaac Group would "swap" the land that is now the church parking lot. Under an agreement with First United, Isaac Group now has rights to the property for the next 80 years.

Isaac Group also is asking the city to contribute an estimated $9 million to build municipal parking that would be included in Pineapple Square.

The vacating of a portion of State Street also could be a tough sell to city officials.

Simon said the breezeway would be the only one of its kind in the country connected to a downtown retail project.

The last major Sarasota street vacation occurred a decade ago, when the city closed a portion of Links Avenue, between the Silver Cricket restaurant and the Club Envy nightclub.

The city will conduct a financial analysis of the Isaac Group plan when it receives a formal proposal from the developer, said Karin Murphy, a city downtown redevelopment specialist in Sarasota's Planning and Redevelopment Department.

"We're going to want to do a thorough analysis to determine the public interest in adding parking in that location and contributing (tax increment financing) or other public funds," Murphy said.

The cost-benefit analysis probably could be completed within 60 days of the submission of Isaac Group's plans, she added.

"We have a lot of work to do with them."

Without the city's cooperation -- both financially and in regards to timing -- Isaac Group officials said they would have to "reassess everything."

Timing might prove to be even more important than the city money.

If the city doesn't back away from its August timetable for its State Street lot, for instance, Isaac Group may abandon the project or drastically alter it.

"If the city moves forward with its (request for proposals), then we're out of it," Simon said. "Their timing would be inconsistent with delivering major retail to downtown. The window will have opened and closed."

Isaac Group also will battle the clock.

Under its admittedly "very ambitious schedule," the company would begin construction a year from now, and complete Pineapple Square's first phase in time for the 2007/2008 tourist season.

To accommodate that timetable, Isaac intends to proceed without First United church. Parishioners there have postponed a vote on a roughly $18 million Isaac Group offer for the aging church, at 104 S. Pineapple Ave.

Isaac Group also has yet to cement tenants or lease rates it intends to charge. Retail rental rates are expected to be in excess of $40 per square foot.

"Downtown Sarasota is an event," said Charles "Butch" Isaac, the holding company's president. "For this to be successful, this has to be an event, too."

Staff Writer Lauren Mayk contributed to this article.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050518/BUSINESS/505180336/1060

Soon, Sarasota will price its own workforce right out of the county... Not a very good way to go about creating a good quality of life, especially for families.

City leaders sweet on mega-project
By MICHAEL POLLICK

http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050519/BUSINESS/505190708/1270/tbo01

michael.pollick@heraldtribune.com
SARASOTA -- City leaders already seem pretty sweet on Pineapple Square, the Isaac Group's ambitious plan to develop a high-end shopping, dining and residential district along Lemon Avenue with considerable help and money from City Hall.

A day after the Ohio-based developer unveiled its plans, the main question seems to be whether Isaac will win enough support to give the company the first-strike advantage it seeks with major national retailers.

The centerpiece of the project, bounded by Lemon and Pineapple avenues, is an 11-story building with two levels of shops, a 600-space public parking garage and five floors of condominiums on what is now a parking lot for the First United Methodist Church.

That building would end up as the southern anchor for a series of lower-rise shops and residences on Lemon, from State Street all the way north to the new Whole Foods store on First Street.

But to get there, Isaac is asking the city for concessions.

The company wants the city to vacate a short stretch of State Street, between Pineapple and Lemon, to turn it into a pedestrian plaza with shops.

Isaac also wants the city to donate a one-acre site on State Street that was supposed to be opened up to development proposals in August that would include parking.

The company is leaning heavily on a precedent set by Sarasota city government last year, when commissioners gave the developer of a nearby project, the Whole Foods Market Centre, $3.3 million plus land worth millions more in return for 300 public parking spaces in the developer's parking garage.

In similar fashion, Isaac wants the city to kick in roughly $9 million toward a larger, 600-space parking garage within the main building west of Lemon.

Mayor Mary Anne Servian, who says she and other commissioners have been in on the project for months, was wildly enthusiastic, and even spoke in favor of it at Pineapple Square's coming-out party, a Tuesday evening, invitation-only affair with shrimp, wine and a slide show.

"It is going to take political will and community support, but I believe it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the city of Sarasota," Servian said Wednesday. "I don't think you're going to find too many people with the kind of resources this group has, to assemble that kind of property and assemble a cohesive plan for the downtown core."

Servian said she considers the $9 million in city money as more of an investment in ent in tax dollar generation than as a contribution.

"I think it is very innovative," said Tony Souza, executive director of The Downtown Partnership of Sarasota Inc. "We are trying to make Sarasota a destination, something special. I think these kinds of projects will do that."

Others focused on the potential parking the project would bring.

"The big fear we have always had is the development of downtown without true public parking," said Kerry Kirschner, executive director of Argus Foundation, a policy foundation made up of presidents and chief executives of Sarasota companies. "That is one thing that is embedded in this project, to the tune of 600 parking spaces."

At this point, what commentators are reacting to are flashy renderings and general plans. The nuts and bolts of what is a really complicated project have not yet been made apparent.

So, while Save Our Sarasota chairwoman Janice Green liked what she saw, she said: "We want to learn more."

The grassroots group, with roughly 200 members, was formed out of concern that the city of Sarasota's frenetic growth will ruin the very qualities that make it what Green called "an authentic town."

SOS tends to frown on vacating streets, and also on the city practice of allowing apartments to be built that actually overhang the sidewalks.

Green and fellow SOS member Dick Clapp said they've already requested a more informative private meeting with Isaac officials.