Delays, progress at State Street garage

The completion of the State Street parking garage is growing nearer — although, city staff has said, it will be a month later than originally anticipated — and more details are emerging regarding the project’s commercial properties.

Originally envisioned for substantial completion by February, city chief planner Steve Stancel now says the targeted date for that stage is late March. The entirety of the garage, located at State Street and Lemon Avenue, should be constructed by April, Stancel said.

Meanwhile, the groups slated to purchase two separate commercial properties at the garage are moving ahead with their plans. WMR Consulting, a company led by developer Wayne Ruben, bid $1.77 million to purchase the 13,885 square feet of retail space on the bottom floor of the garage. Already, the group has lined up at least one potential tenant.

On Feb. 9, WMR Consulting will hold a community meeting to discuss a conditional use for the proposed business: a high-end automobile showroom and sales agency. Called Studio Sarasota, the auto showroom would occupy the western half of the commercial space. WMR Consulting will seek approval from the city to display up to two vehicles outside of the showroom between the sidewalk and the street.

At the adjacent pad site — a 5,041-square-foot space designed to house a liner building in front of the garage along Lemon Avenue — commercial real estate firm Hembree and Associates is working with the city to revise its agreement. After bidding $688,000 for the property, company President Joe Hembree told the City Commission in November the property was too small for his plans.

Those plans included residential, office and retail space in a six-story building. He sought approval to purchase an additional parcel in front of the Northern Trust Parking Garage, adjacent to Pineapple Park.

The City Commission narrowly approved staff negotiations with Hembree, expressing significant hesitance about the proposal. On Feb. 17, Stancel said, the commission will get its chance to approve or deny the revised agreement, which would allow Hembree to purchase the land in question for $250,000.
That proposed purchase price falls far short of the appraised value of the land, which is nearly $460,000. Hembree’s original offer for the pad site was more than $300,000 higher than the appraised value of that property.

Although the completion of the 395-space garage is further away than originally planned, Stancel was hopeful that the final product would be worth the wait.

“There are still some hurdles, but we're in deep in some interesting discussions and proposals,” Stancel said.