Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/170820
Sarasota News Leader September 13, 2013 Page 34 handle the additional use and also pay any A public process will allow all developers who costs of reinforcing the structure to handle submit a proposal to see why the eventual the extra floors. "winner" is chosen. The third option is to sell a smaller parcel CRITICAL OF THE PROCESS fronting Lemon Avenue. A developer could then build condos or a hotel on the so-called Downtown advocate Diana Hamilton said she thought some creative proposals had been "pad parcel." submitted to the city. However, she was critiA CLEAR PROCEDURE cal of the selection process. Whichever option it chooses, the city has to "Had they just did that in the Sunshine, it set a clear procedure for accepting develop- would have been a good thing," Hamilton said. ment plans, Fournier pointed out. Hamilton believes the entire process lacked The larger challenge is for the city commis- clarity, and she wants to see more City Hall sioners to specify what kind of project they focus on creating development on the citywould like to see. Once the parameters are owned land. set, the city can call for proposals that meet those guidelines, Fournier added. "It's the biggest project going on in the city," That was not how the procedure was handled Hamilton said. "It's huge. Where was the city previously. In June, the city commissioners manager?" said they were open to all three concepts pre- Hamilton added that she hopes "everybody sented to them. who brought ideas to the table" stays in and Fournier said he believes flaws in that process resubmits their plans. were inadvertent, but he does not want to see "A lot of work went into those proposals, and a repeat of what transpired then. a lot of that work is still viable," Hamilton The lack of project expectations and guide- said. "That is the most important thing. I don't lines could have left some potential develop- want to lose any ground we made. I don't want these people's hard work and creative ideas to ers in the dark. be tainted because the process was flawed." "People who are interested should know what is expected by commissioners so people don't Bridges said he was "in a holding pattern." waste their time," Fournier said. "We worked very hard to get our proposal toFor instance, it was unclear that the city gether," Bridges said. "We still have a desire would have allowed a project as high as 10 to do something nice within the city." stories — which is what Jebco Ventures proBridges said he thinks there is a market for a posed. hotel on the site. And he had proposed keepThe other problem was that the selection pro- ing the costs of the condo units at around cess did not take place during public meet- $250,000. ings, a fact that could have been challenged as a violation of the Sunshine law, Fournier "We believe a lot of people would have interest in moving into the building," Bridges added. % pointed out.