In a 3-2 vote Wednesday, Feb. 12, the Sarasota
county commissioners approved an agree-
ment for an 115,000-square-foot, 150-room
hotel project on a prime acre of county-owned
land. The deal clears the way for a nine- to
10 story Kimpton Hotel at the northeast cor-
ner of U.S. 301 and Main Street in downtown
Sarasota.
B u t t h e c o m p l e x
agreement sparked
a lively discussion at
Wednesday's meet-
ing, and at one point,
the project's approval
seemed improbable.
Sarasota-based developer Rod Connelly's
firm, SHD Partners LLC, plans to construct
the hotel 18 months after closing on the prop-
erty. Under the agreement, the developer will
pay the county $958,862, $2.6 million lower
than the county's most recent appraised value
of the land.
I n e x c h a n g e , S D H
w i l l c o n s t r u c t 8 6
parking spaces two
blocks east, at 2051
Main St., to replace
lost parking at the
hotel site. The parcel
An aerial view shows the site in downtown Sarasota where a Kimpton Hotel is planned. Image
courtesy Sarasota County
THE COUNTY COMMISSION APPROVES A DOWNTOWN HOTEL DEAL
ON A SPLIT VOTE, BUT THREE COMMISSIONERS VOICE CONCERNS
ABOUT THE INABILITY TO ENSURE COMPLETION OF THE PROJECT
NARROWLY APPROVED
We will have a property on the
tax rolls.
Joe Barbetta
Commissioner
Sarasota County
By Roger Drouin
County Editor
