Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/107047
NOT QUITE READY The new Floridays hotel will be built on a parcel at the intersection of Cocoanut and Palm avenues in downtown Sarasota. Photo by Norman Schimmel CITY OF SARASOTA STAFF AND FLORIDAYS DEVELOPMENT ARE STILL AT WORK ON FINAL AGREEMENTS FOR THE NEW HOTEL PLANNED FOR DOWNTOWN By Stan Zimmerman City Editor A little more hammering is needed to finish off the agreements between the City of Sarasota and the developers of the Floridays hotel proposed for downtown at the intersection of Cocoanut and Palm avenues. He blamed the holidays and subsequent influenza season for the delays. "It is just a matter of getting people together," he said. "There's not sticking points so far." The land is zoned for a 10-story building. Floridays principal and founder Angus Rogers of Sarasota says it will be a $40 million project with retail space on the ground floor and 180 rooms. The issue came up Thursday, Jan. 31, during the Community Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board meeting, when Sarasota Senior Planner Steve Stancel said the deals were not quite ready for primetime. Rogers told the advisory board last July, "My The city sold the property to Floridays in Oc- vision is to design something authentic and tober 2012 for $2.5 million. At that time, staff specific to Sarasota. Let's play to our strengths — the arts. This will be a boutique hotel that was told to wrap up two additional agreeplays to the arts theme." ments in 60 days. Stancel says the parking agreement is nearly done, but the redevelop- The hotel will utilize parking in the adjacent Palm Avenue garage. The number of spacment document "is not quite ready."