- October 6, 2026
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Business owners and customers of the colorful cottages that populate the 1800 block of Fruitville Road in downtown Sarasota can breathe a sigh of relief with the news the planned sale of the 3.44-acre site to Bristol Development Group of Franklin, Tennessee, has been terminated.
At least, for the time being.
In an email dated Saturday, property owners Alex and Marlene Lancaster informed tenants the property is no longer under contract even as Bristol was closing in on final approval to build a 324-unit apartment building on the block separating Fruitville Road from the Gillespie Park neighborhood.
The news com,es as Wendy Goldberg, owner of The Breakfast House at 1817 Fruitville Road, is leading an effort for some of the businesses to relocate to property she purchased 1 mile to the east at the corner of Fruitville Road and North Briggs Avenue with the vision of creating Sarasota Bungalow Village.
Those plans are still underway, and she and Discovery Sarasota Tours owner Tammy Hauser remain committed to the move.
The email from the Lancasters reads, “We wanted to let you know that the contract is no longer in effect and the property is no longer under contract. Most importantly, we are not listing the property, marketing the property or seeking a buyer. The property is not being offered for sale.”
The property was also not listed for sale, though, when it went under contract with Bristol, as the email explained the owners were approached by the developer to acquire the 22 parcels that comprise the block between Gillespie and North Osprey avenues, bounded by Fourth Street to the north.
Bristol Development did not immediately respond to an inquiry regarding the termination of the deal, which may not be off permanently. Philip DiMaria of project consultant Kimley-Horn told the Sarasota Observer, sister paper of the Business Observer, "We have not withdrawn any applications, but we have been asked to pause our efforts."
Goldberg, who isn’t taking any chances, has already begun renovations of her new location and had her first appearance for a rezoning application before the Development Review Committee on Wednesday.
“Our vision has always been about more than simply moving a restaurant," Goldberg told the Sarasota Observer. "We want to create a little village of small businesses — a place where friends and family can come together to eat, shop, visit, laugh and enjoy each other's company. We believe there is still something really special ahead for us and we are excited to continue working toward it.”
She will be joined at least by Discover Sarasota Tours. Owner Tammy Hauser says a cottage was donated to her by Scott Stevenson, who is developing Sarasota Motor Club at 1060 Goodrich Ave. The cottage is currently on the property and she received an anonymous donation to move the building to the new property, which she says costs about $100,000.
Hauser will have more space in her new cottage, going from 750 to 1,025 square feet. That will provide space for what she calls a “circus emporium,” a mini museum of artifacts highlighting the city’s circus heritage.
“We are committed to the Sarasota Bungalow Village vision and dream,” says Hauser, who plans to move the donated cottage to the site next summer and open for business there in October 2027.
Although the vision included moving several of the cottages now in use, with the sale off, that scenario is now moot as the Lancasters retain ownership.
“What we do not know is where other cottages will come from,” Hauser says. “Wendy received a text about one available in Laurel Park, so our message is please, if you're considering developing and you've got any of these historic cottages, let us know.”
Whether other businesses can come alongside as originally planned has yet to be determined, largely because of the cost of moving a cottage.
“A lot of it is going to depend on whether they will have a home,” Hauser says. “None of them can afford to pay for the costs of moving a cottage over there.”
A version of this article originally appeared on sister site YourObserver.com.
