Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/175080
'N'AWLINS' DESIGN TAKES A TACK Plans call for the 18-story tower at Gulfstream Avenue and U.S. 41 to be a Westin hotel and condos. Photo by Norman Schimmel PLAN FOR GULFSTREAM AVENUE TOWER INCHES FORWARD By Stan Zimmerman City Editor Plans for another 18-story tower went before the City of Sarasota's Development Review Committee on Wednesday morning, Sept. 18. While there were snags and literal bumps mentioned by city staffers, the initiative will continue moving forward. The $100 million project is called the "Sarasota Gulfstream," and it will sit adjacent to the Ritz-Carlton at the northwest corner of U.S. 41 and Gulfstream Avenue. ing the entrance to the Ritz-Carlton while removing other trees from the lot. Old-timers will recall the property used to be home to a Denny's restaurant and a Holiday Inn. Those prior uses help the current owner meet traffic concurrency regulations, because those uses "grandfather" the current plans. One transportation headache remains, however, and that is how the development will permit The developer plans a 250-room Westin hotel continuation of the multi-use recreational trail and 144 condominiums on the higher floors. that passes by the property. On Wednesday, the developer's staff respond- Because the land use goes well back in Saraed to 12 pages of comments by city staffers. sota history, the site is a maze of underground The discussion of tree removal and replanting utilities. Some of them are now considered took some time, as the developer proposed environmentally unfriendly, while others need continuing the line of royal palm trees flank- to be rerouted to make way for the new tower.