Appointment-only liquor store proposed in downtown Sarasota

The city of Sarasota is currently reviewing plans for a proposed liquor store that would be available by appointment only. Called The Wine Concierge, the business would be in a vacant ground-floor commercial space in the Boulevard condominium building at 1224 Boulevard of the Arts, at the intersection with North Tamiami Trail.

The Wine Concierge will specialize in fine wines and liquors, according to plans filed with the city. Spanning 484 square feet, the shop will not store inventory; instead, customers will be able to come in and both place and pick up special orders.

One employee is projected to work at the shop, which would not require any exterior construction but would require interior renovation. Projected buildout is December 2027, according to the development application.

The lessee for the property is Kevin Daves, manager of Core Azure LLC doing business as The Wine Concierge, according to the application filed with the city. Daves is the president and CEO of Core Development Inc., the Kansas-based company that built Blvd, the Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota and The Concession Golf Club — and is also creating 1000 North, a two-story members-only dining club under development in the Blvd building.

A community meeting about The Wine Concierge was held Feb. 9 at The Modern Hotel, where attendees asked about the clientele and parking, among other items, according to the minutes. While The Wine Concierge would be open to anyone who makes an appointment, project officials say they expect the majority of customers will be members of private dining club 1000 North.

Hours for The Wine Concierge would be Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. And 1000 North would be open evenings, after the liquor store has closed, so there would be no overlap, say project officials.

Parking would be on the ground floor of the Blvd building, where there are 29 valet parking spots. According to the application, 27 valet spaces will be allocated for members of 1000 North, while one spot will be required for The Wine Concierge store.

The property at 1224 Boulevard of the Arts is zoned downtown bayfront district, which permits mixed-use development. However, alcoholic beverage stores are permitted by minor conditional use, which requires a planning board decision, according to documents filed with the city.

Now that an administrative site plan and minor conditional use application have been received and deemed complete, the city can begin its technical review, according to a June 3 letter from Development Services Director Lucia Panica.

The city has until Nov. 30 to approve, deny or approve the application with conditions. The Wine Concierge is tentatively scheduled to appear at the July 1 Development Review Committee meeting in Sarasota.