Sarasota News Leader

02/14/2014

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The Sarasota City commissioners will take the day off Monday to celebrate President's Day, but they will return to work on Tuesday, Feb. 18, to face a demanding agenda. Topics range from an urban chicken-keeping update to designer drugs to a revision of the noise ordinance. Perhaps the most significant item on the agenda is the final one, concerning what has been described by many as the "most valu- able property on Florida's Gulf Coast." The 19 acres were once owned by Irish-American Management Services. When it declared bank- ruptcy, an Irish bank became the owner, but it also went belly-up. Then the Irish govern- ment owned the parcel. The go-bust smoke has cleared, and a com- pany called GreenPointe Communities LLC is under contract to develop the property. During the time allowed for "due diligence," lawyers for GreenPointe were quick to point out the development agreement approved by the city with Irish-American was signed almost exactly seven years ago, and it has three years left. That is not enough time, the new owners say, to finish what Irish-American started. GreenPointe wants to build virtually the same project that Irish-American had proposed, three 18-story towers on the property at the foot of Fruitville Road. The approved plans call for 695 condominium units, a hotel with The City Commission next week will address plans for the former Quay site in downtown Sarasota. Photo by Norman Schimmel THE CITY COMMISSION FACES A FEB. 18 AGENDA CHOCK-A-BLOCK FULL OF BUSINESS THE QUAY SITE, CHICKENS AND NOISE By Stan Zimmerman City Editor

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