Former Quay owner moves forward with development

The developer that purchased the 14-acre site of the former Sarasota Quay is inching forward with plans that could include nearly 700 condominiums, 175 hotel rooms and retail and office space.

Though GreenPointe Communities may not develop the Bayfront site to that intensity, representatives of the firm in a Nov. 20 letter to the city have asked for a community workshop to consider right-of-way vacations for the project. GreenPointe aims to use El Verona Avenue and an alley as part of the potential development.

The company purchased the mostly-vacant property for $27 million in December 2014. At the time, GreenPointe CEO Ed Burr said in a statement that it will move forward with planning and design on a project that can link downtown with the Arts District and will include residential, commercial, retail and hospitality elements.

“Our company is poised to bring this important parcel to life for Sarasota residents and visitors alike,” Burr said in the statement. “We have been pleased at the warm response we have received in Sarasota and look forward to being a part of the fabric of one of Florida’s fastest growing, culturally rich and vibrant regions.”

Currently, GreenPointe is still working under a site plan approved in 2007 that allows hundreds of condominiums and hotel rooms, 189,50 square feet of retail space, 38,972 square feet of office space and up to 18-story structures.

"Pedestrian circulation will be enhanced with well landscaped sidewalks incorporated into the project to create an inviting walkable environment," said Stance Consulting Service Principal Millard Yoder in the letter to the city.

Irish developer Patrick Kelly bought the site in 2004 and demolished the buildings. Kelly’s plans called for a $1 billion condominium, retail, office and hotel development. But those plans fell through following the recession.