Motel owner outlines vision for Trail

By renovating his North Trail motel — and embracing some of its distinctive characteristics — Jay Patel hopes he can become a catalyst for long-awaited change in the area.

Patel owns the Regency Inn and Suites at 4200 N. Tamiami Trail. He’s been a part of the North Trail Redevelopment Partnership since 2007, and has served as a prominent voice calling for the revitalization of the area since then.

Patel said the North Trail is slowly improving — he points to the addition and success of Yummy House as an important step — but for all the talk about redevelopment, the area is still lagging behind where he’d like it to be.

The motels that line the trail are one of the most frequent targets of criticism. Although they vary in quality and character, taken together, they’re seen as symbols of the prostitution, drug-dealing and general delinquency that color many people’s perception of the northern part of U.S. 41.

As someone who was motivated to change that perception on a large scale, Patel decided the change could start with himself.

“I thought, OK, instead of just talking, let me step up and walk the walk,” Patel said.

Patel is pouring $450,000 into remodeling, repainting and otherwise upgrading his facility, but the makeover won’t render the property unrecognizable. Rather than demolish the motel and building anew, Patel hopes to highlight some of the distinguishing mid-century design of the motels that dot the North Trail.

Despite his interest in revitalizing the North Trail, the concept that some parts of the area were worth highlighting was initially difficult for Patel to accept. The more he talked with people who lived near or brought their businesses to the trail, though, the more he heard that they didn’t want broad change.

These people, Patel said, liked the funky character of the trail. They wanted to draw attention to the design behind the motels, to maintain the history even as things were cleaned up. Eventually, Patel heard enough that he became convinced it was a viable option for the Regency Inn.

“I didn’t believe in it before,” Patel said. “Now, I see there are demographics out there that want this kind of facility.”

The project has become a collaborative community effort. He’s gotten design help from architect David Morriss, president of the Indian Beach/Sapphire Shores Neighborhood Association. Sarasota City Manager Tom Barwin has endorsed his efforts after a trip to the property, Patel said.

He’s also gained the support of Maegan Ochoa and Eric Collin, the co-founders of The Sibari Project. Through the project, Ochoa and Collin work to assist environmentally sound projects aimed at revitalizing sections of Sarasota’s urban core. Collin and Patel have worked together on North Trail redevelopment efforts for years, so when Patel presented his plans, Collin supported him immediately.

Ochoa is assisting with the design and has looked to other areas with remodeled mid-century motels, such as Palm Springs, for inspiration. The final product at the Regency Inn will include new splashes of color, artwork near the trail and a new name. One of the distinguishing characteristics of the motel is an outdoor shuffleboard court, and a sculpture could be placed there to draw attention to the property’s history.

Ochoa, who resides near the North Trail, said she hoped to help change that stretch of 41 so it can become an inviting gateway into the rest of the city.

“I live in Indian Beach/Sapphire Shores, so I drive on the North Trail every day,” Ochoa said. “My hope is that when I’m driving on that road or bringing friends or family to visit, that it brings the special character than I know it has and it doesn’t get written off as this dangerous place.”

Patel has already been working on upgrading the interiors, and hopes to have the work done in December before an unveiling event in January. He hasn’t heard any firm interest from other motel owners on the trail in undertaking a similar effort, but he intends for his project to be the first in a line of dominoes.

“It’s a trickling effect,” Patel said. “When someone is taking a risk and it’s successful, others start taking that risk.”

To help revitalization efforts elsewhere, Patel said a portion of the revenue generated at the Regency Inn would go toward the North Trail Redevelopment Partnership to be used on similar projects. He wants to continue to foster a sense of community and plans to hold monthly neighborhood events at the renovated property.

For Patel, the motivation behind investing his time and money into this project is simple: He cares deeply about the well being of the North Trail.

“It’s my home,” Patel said. “I want my home to be cleaned up just like everyone would want it to be.”