- April 15, 2024
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Chatter continues to percolate regarding the possibility of a conference center in downtown Sarasota.
The latest speculation comes after another proposed hotel for the city, in what's been a mini-boom period for lodging facilities. This one is from Boston-based developer Jason Cincotta, who bought a 10,500-square-foot vacant parcel on Fifth Street, fronting Cocoanut Avenue. Cincotta paid $900,000 in early December for the land.
The proposed project for the site, according to the Sarasota Observer, sister paper of the Business Observer, is a 76-room hotel. The project, currently called 599 Cocoanut Redevelopment, also includes a restaurant, valet parking and two loading zones, for which the owner has applied for an adjustment to the city's zoning code. “The vision for the hotel is to create a resort-like atmosphere in an upscale facility with a high level of on-site amenities,” wrote planning consultant Joel Freedman in a letter to city officials, according to the Observer.
This project is a few blocks from two other hotel developments that will add more than 450 rooms to the area. And at least two more large hotel projects are in the pre-application phase.
While some officials and business leaders worry about filling up rooms, it also brings talk back to a conference center. “This should stimulate conversation about some type of conference facility so that these hotel rooms are occupied throughout the year and throughout season,” Downtown Economic Development Coordinator Norm Gollub tells the Observer.
