- June 16, 2026
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Plans to create a new location for Shore Restaurant are moving forward, after a St. Armands landlord submitted a site plan to the city of Sarasota for a mixed-use project along North Boulevard of the Presidents.
Mindy Kauffman of Kauffman Shore Properties LLC is listed as the property owner of 24 and 28 N. Blvd. of the Presidents, according to the development application. There, she is proposing a three-story building that would contain retail, restaurant and residential space on 0.33 acre.
Kauffman Shore Properties purchased the two parcels on North Boulevard of the Presidents for $100 apiece from other entities linked to the Kauffman family on Jan. 6, according to Sarasota County property records. Dr. Mark Kauffman is a prolific Sarasota property owner and developer; Mindy Kauffman is his daughter.
The two addresses on North Boulevard of the Presidents have been vacant since the 2024 flooding, and Mindy Kauffman is proposing to revitalize this part of St. Armands with more than 17,000 square feet of redeveloped commercial space topped with a condo.
“The project includes the renovation of the existing Chase Bank building along with the removal and replacement of the adjacent former candy shop structure to create a unified mixed-use development,” Bill Waddill and Dominic Pardue, both of consulting firm Kimley-Horn, on behalf of Kauffman Shore Properties, write with the application. ”By replacing outdated and flood-affected structures with a coordinated three-story mixed-use building, the project will enhance the continuity of the streetscape while supporting a high-quality destination for residents and visitors.”
The proposal consists of:
Shore restaurant, with locations on Longboat Key and near Orlando, previously had a St. Armands Circle location, but it closed in December 2024 after suffering flooding damage from hurricanes. Shore co-founder Tom Leonard said at the time that infrastructure issues on the circle “forced us to re-evaluate our future here.”
The new building on North Boulevard of the Presidents would be constructed with resiliency in mind.
“The building design and site layout are intended to respond to the scale and character of St. Armands while incorporating resilient construction and flood-conscious improvements appropriate for the barrier island environment,” Waddill and Pardue write in the development application. It would incorporate “updated construction measures and flood-conscious design measures such as flood panels on the first story, which will improve the long-term resilience of the property.”
During a December preapplication meeting with Sarasota’s Development Review Committee, officials brought up that the project would need to comply with a FEMA rule that states if repairs or improvements to a building in a flood zone cost 50% or more of its pre-damage or pre-improvement market value, then the entire structure must be elevated and brought up to current flood-resistant construction standards. That was not addressed in the development application recently submitted to the city, which says the estimated construction value is “TBD.”
Eleven parking spaces behind the property would be used for the project, and “coordination has been conducted with the city of Sarasota staff regarding the potential to purchase” eight additional spots, required per zoning code, from the St. Armands public parking garage. Access is proposed via a private roadway connected to Madison Drive.
The buildout date for the project is the fourth quarter of 2027, according to the development application.
Next, the case is scheduled to appear before the Sarasota Development Review Committee July 15.
