- December 4, 2025
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A remnant of Sarasota’s growth in the 1970s standing at the historic center of downtown, the city’s Development Review Committee has had its first look at plans to demolish and redevelop The Zenith building at Five Points, the roundabout at Main Street and South Pineapple Avenue.
Developer Jebcore Z Tower of Sarasota, a subsidiary of Jebcore Companies, is seeking administrative site plan approval to build an 18-story, mixed-use residential tower consisting of 96 dwelling units and 41,837 square feet of commercial and office space. Of the 96 residences, the prices of seven will be attainable as the project will take advantage of the city’s affordable and attainable housing bonus density.
Existing on the just more than 1-acre site is the 12-story Zenith building, which is vacant, and a four-level parking structure at 1390 Main St.; and a two-story office building at 40 S. Pineapple Ave. The site is split-zoned with 1.07 acres in Downtown Bayfront, which permits 18 stories, and 0.11 acre in Downtown Core, which limits building heights to 10 stories. The entirety of the 18-story portion will be located in Downtown Bayfront and, thus, will not require rezoning.
The two-story building will also face demolition and replaced with three stories of retail and commercial space incorporated into the podium and parking structure.
“This project will substantially improve the street-level experience on Main Street and at one of its most significant intersections of Five Points. The proposed building will serve as a vital connection between downtown and the bayfront, fulfilling a key objective of the Downtown Master Plan,” wrote Bill Waddill of project consultant Kimley-Horn in the project application. “The Downtown Master Plan enlists the section of Main Street between Five Points and the bayfront as one of the most heavily traveled pedestrian corridors in the entire downtown, emphasizing the importance of pedestrian-oriented design. The project will create the opportunity for ground-level retail, restaurants and general commerce.”
Currently, the Downtown Bayfront parcel includes a monolithic wall extending the entirety of its Main Street frontage. The Pineapple Avenue frontage includes a stem wall topped by a fence, concealing an empty plaza between the street and the tower. “Thus, the existing development on the property is not in any way pedestrian oriented,” wrote Waddill. “This condition will be remedied by the project’s design, which will serve to activate both the Main Street and Pineapple Avenue frontages by providing significant pedestrian-accessible commercial and office space.”
The 96 residences represent just less than half of the total that could be built when including the affordable housing bonus density. The seven attainable units will be available for rent for a period of no fewer than 30 years, is one more than required to qualify for the bonus density. The expected price of the condominiums are to start at around $2 million and will range from one-bedroom to five-bedroom units.
Internal to the project is four levels of parking integrated into the building, lined by ground floor habitable space for commercial and office uses. Additionally, a provided fifth floor of parking will be within a basement. Residential amenities will include a fitness studio, club room, pool deck and a rooftop garden.
As the project requires only administrative approval and with no requested adjustments, a community workshop was not required, but can be voluntarily.
“We had really good attendance at our community workshop and mostly positive comments,” Waddill told the DRC. “There were a number of residents who expressed anxiety about the congestion on Mira Mar Court, and I think a lot of the solution probably requires a public-private partnership between multiple property owners and the city. We've got 25 feet clear between the curb, so there's potentially enough room to substantially improve the situation, but I think it's going to take some collaboration.”
Across Mira Mar Court west of The Zenith, Seaward Development is planning a pair of 18-story condominium towers as part of the historic Mira Mar building preservation and restoration of its 400-foot frontage along Palm Avenue. A parking structure, low-intensity commercial space and a church playground currently occupy the site, all of which will be removed to build the planned 70 residences.
That project has spurred concerns over traffic along Mira Mar Court.
“The inclusion of an integrated off-street parking garage and strategic positioning of building access points along Mira Mar Court mitigates potential traffic congestion and conflicts,” wrote Waddill in the application. “The property’s strategic location is consistent with the Downtown Master Plan’s focus on fostering vibrant, mixed-use neighborhoods that contribute to a balanced and dynamic urban environment.”
To address multiple comments provided by staff, the project requires a resubmittal to the DRC. Once it achieves full DRC sign-off, it will go to the desk of the director of Development Services for administrative approval.
