For Sarasota Yacht Club members, the wait is almost over. The yacht club will most likely get its temporary certificate of occupancy from the city of Sarasota Wednesday, March 3. If the new 23,500-square-foot facility passes inspections, yacht-club staff could begin moving in furniture and artwork the next day. Workers will begin to dismantle the temporary tent out of which the club has been operating since mid-2008 after a boaters’ breakfast Saturday, March 6.

The first event for the new building is scheduled for March 9, when the club’s Admiralty Society will get a preview of the facility.

Keith Zolner, who, with Milton Shenk, has worked as the owners’ representative reporting to the club’s member task force throughout the construction process, said the major parts of the building will be completed by next week. Throughout March and April, yacht-club officials will complete finishing touches to the building and property. For instance, on the interior of the building, the acoustic fabric walls aren’t yet complete, and on the outside, the rear mainsail will not be installed until early April.

“But the main function of the building will be complete March 10,” Zolner said.

The club will hold a grand-opening weekend April 23 through April 25, so that members can celebrate after the project’s final touches are complete.

In late 2007, Sarasota Yacht Club members voted to demolish the clubhouse, which was built in 1958, because it had structural problems that would have taken three-to-four years to repair at a cost of $3 million to $4 million. Instead, members chose to spend $12 million to build the new facility, which features upgrades such as an expanded pool area, outdoor dining space and a new fitness center.

Contact Robin Hartill at rhartill@yourobserver.com
 

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