Owner revives Sarasota Times building

The former site of Ceviche Tapas Bar & Restaurant on First Street will soon see new life, as owner Sharon Carole plans to spend nearly $1 million to renovate the Sarasota Times building for a new restaurant and event space.

"To me, that building was always the heart of Sarasota,” Carole said of the Mediterranean Revival-style structure at 1216 First St. “And when it closed down I think we lost something important."

Ceviche, which was known for its iconic rooftop bar, closed in early 2013. Carole bought the property for $2.1 million the following year, and plans to reopen the rooftop lounge, open the third floor as an event space and is in talks with undisclosed restaurants about taking over the first two floors.

A pending building permit filed with city shows $980,000 of work planned for a new elevator, walk-in cooler and electrical and plumbing work. Carole and contractor D.E. Murphy Constructors Inc. have applied for a hearing in front of the Historical Preservation Board for some of the renovations.

Ceviche had struggled with parking at the location, which Carole said she may overcome with a sharing agreement with a nearby businesses, though she hasn’t reached out to any nearby owners. If that fails, she said the restaurant will rely on valet parking.

The city is in the midst of a five-month, $2.2 million construction project on First Street, which includes widening sidewalks, adding ornamental streetlights, placing utility lines underground, installing brick-paver parking spaces and adding landscaping and trees.

“First Street is a gateway into the downtown core from U.S. 41, and this project will be a major improvement for the area,” City Manager Tom Barwin said in a release regarding the construction.

Carole said the building and energy around the area of First Street is one of the reasons she fell in love with Sarasota. 

“It would mean a lot to me to bring it back to life again,” she said.