Longboat booming with residential construction

It’s almost impossible to drive down Gulf of Mexico Drive without passing a construction site. Check the progress of five residential and one resort construction sites on Longboat and Lido keys.

Park Residences

129 Taft Drive, Lido Key

Number of units: 18

Units under contract: 10

Price range: $1,325,000 to $1,599,000

Square footage: 2,452

The construction of Park Residences, which includes 18 three-bedroom, three-bath units, is on schedule and will be completed in January.

Currently, cabinets are being flown from Italy and installed in the units. Of the 18 residences, eight remain for sale.

“We plan to have four completely finished models, where people can come in and buy it as-is,” said contractor Patrick DiPinto, of Seaward Development LLC. “They won’t have to worry about what it will look like. The other four, people will be able to custom finish.”

Although the units are the same size, two penthouses have 2,200 square feet of private rooftop terrace.

“We’re the only new product on Lido Key,” DiPinto said. “Our owners can walk across the street to the Gulf of Mexico, and 50 feet west is a kayak park. They’re steps to the Gulf and steps to the bay.”

Triton Bend

Triton Bend and Neptune Avenue

Number of units: 13

Units sold: Five

Square footage: 2,500 to 3,363

Average price: $1,211,000

The first five units of the residential site are completed and moved in. The other eight will be completed periodically throughout the next two and a half years. Each unit will be four bedrooms and three and a half baths.

“We should be putting in stakes as we speak on the next lot,” said Walter Hackett, of Michael Saunders & Co.. “The permit has been issued, and we have another plan that has the architect stamp and the engineer stamp, and we’ll be submitting that permit next week.”

The homes are designed with both West Indie and low country influences, along with a casual, coastal feel. Every residence includes a pool and beach access.

“Our major feature is that they’re all directly across the street from the Gulf of Mexico,” Hackett said. “It’s a tremendous draw. The new home inventory on Longboat is really nonexistent, so there’s such an under-supply for the demand out there. We’re helping provide that.”

Bonaire

5005 Gulf of Mexico Drive

Number of units: Nine homes

Square footage: 2,800 to 5,000

Price range: $3 million to $7 million for completed homes

Sandwiched between Positano and Club Longboat, each Bonaire home will include private swimming pools, driveways and garages. Three of the homes are on the Gulf, and the remaining homes have Gulf views and access.

The subdivision is on 3.48 acres of land and will be gated. The project began in January 2014 and is expected to be completed in a total of two and a half years.

Aria

2251 Gulf of Mexico Drive

Number of units: 16

Units sold: 16

Square footage: 3,804 to 3,940

Price range: $3.5 million to $4.2 million

Although Aria will not finish its construction until December or January, all units have been sold.

“It confirms that we built the right product at the right time, and we met the market,” said spokeswoman Amy Drake, of Ascentia Development Group. “It feels great.”

The units will feature three bedrooms with a den and three and a half to four and a half baths.

The five-acre, Gulf-front site will include a beachside spa and pool, poolside cabanas and a residents' club in the restored Villa am Meer, an estate built in 1935.

“We’re so excited about that historical villa, and that’s a huge selling point,” Drake said. “We have a great location, contemporary architecture with beautiful floor plans and a reputable, successful developer in Jay Tallmann. We’ve created a beautiful new community with wonderful new homeowners.”

Infinity

4765 Gulf of Mexico Drive

Number of units: 11

Units sold: 10

Square footage: 3,300 to 5,500

Price range: $3.3 million to $5.5 million

Infinity’s construction won’t be finished until March, but only one unit remains for sale.

“We had an amazing spring,” said developer Randy Moore, of Crossgate Partners LLC. “We’re progressing well, and we’re supposed to be topped off this month. We’re on schedule for an early spring delivery next year.”

The residences range from three bedrooms and four and a half baths to five bedrooms and five and a half baths. Infinity’s amenities include a heated, beachside infinity swimming pool, an outdoor entertainment area, a private clubhouse, a tennis court and a fitness center.

“We have amenities very similar to other projects,” Moore said. “We offer a lot of the upgrades and unique amenity packages typical of a much larger project, but we’re a secluded, private coastal contemporary community.”