Developer demolishes Ringling Shopping Center

The property, once the site of a dispute over a proposed Wal-Mart, will become the home of a mixed-use residential and commercial project.

By David Conway
| 1:53 p.m. December 12, 2018

Over the past week, crews have worked to demolish the 120,000-square-foot complex.

Sarasota
News

A commercial complex that has stood near downtown Sarasota for more than six decades has been knocked over, clearing the way for new apartments and retail on the site.

This month, crews began demolishing the Ringling Shopping Center at 2260 Ringling Blvd. The Richman Group of Florida, a West Palm Beach developer, intends to build a four-story, 222-unit apartment complex on the 9.7 acre site. The plans also include 36,849 square feet of commercial space.

When it first opened, a Publix anchored the shopping center. The supermarket continued to operate on Ringling Boulevard in 2010. After Publix departed, the property languished. In 2013, the City Commission rejected a proposal to put a Walmart on the site, sparking a legal dispute between the property owner and the city.

In 2016, the city approved a new zoning classification for the property as part of an effort to settle that dispute, clearing the path for redevelopment of the site.

The Richman Group said it hopes to begin construction of the apartment complex early next year.