Sarasota Grows:   new nearby developments

A (very rough) graphic of higher-density projects existing, plus those in planning, in and right near the Alta Vista neighborhood.

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​In the year 2000, Alta Vista neighborhood (just within the green border) had under 700 residential units.  
(But remember, before THAT, there were another 700+ homes in the Sarasota Mobile Home Park in Payne Park.)

Also, take a look at the Aerial View of Alta Vista neighborhood from 1948, down at the far bottom of this page!

How to look up information about developments:  several ways

2026 Brand Spanking New City Records Search Portal  a new way to look things up online, many, many things, including development applications, meetings and agendas, ordinances and codes, et.al.; LOTS of INFO.  City Records Portal webpage.

A simple way is to view backup documents from the agenda page for every public meeting, at   Meetings Agendas Videos | City of Sarasota:   find your meeting (past or upcoming), click on Agenda, then click on appropriate backup document(s).

Also, the City has a map showing all City of Sarasota Applications Under Development Review

Development Application Status:  a handy summary report, updated weekly, of all development applications in the pipeline.    Where link???

For full backup info on a project, open City's online records portal webpage edocs.sarasotagov.com/publicaccess/edocs/search/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery, then do a search:  Search Type = Development Applications - Keyword, then enter  *Application Number* or official name of project.

Review Processes are complex, but in summary, some projects go thru approval sequence Public Workshop, Development Review Committee (technical aspects), Planning Board, City Commission.  EXCEPT, for some zones (Downtown zones) there's ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL, meaning no public input -- if it meets codes, it gets approved.

Temple Beth Apartments   275-unit apartment building at corner of Tuttle & Bahia Vista. For details see: Temple Beth Sholom Apartments page.  THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN APPROVED.

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BAHIA VISTA APARTMENTS

UNDER CONSTRUCTION (2026), large apartment complex at Tuttle & Bahia Vista intersection. See Bahia Vista Apartments for more info.

Payne Park Townhomes

UNDER CONSTRUCTION (2026).  A 50-unit rental development next to Payne Park. See PPT page for details.

 
ARTIST'S COURT

UNDER CONSTRUCTION.  Artist Court 2 (24-ASP-05, 24-ADS-03) 200 South Washington Blvd. (nearby Alta Vista, just across Washington Blvd from the Terrace Building).  

A 10-story, 242-unit rental apartment building, zone Downtown Core (DTC). including attainable housing.  

More details, see Artist's Court page.

Midtown Plaza Redevelopment

At this shopping plaza. currently home to Panera, a Starbucks, Michaels On East, and various other popular shops and services, an application is underway to replace the "old WinnDixie" side (south portion) of Midtown Plaza with 112 apartments,145-room hotel, retail and garage.  For more details see Midtown Plaza page.

ON THE PARK   
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​In early planning stages (announced in 2024 but no development application yet), a 49-unit apartment complex. Land to be donated by Quincy Real Estate Holdings / Michael Saunders to One Stop Housing, who plan to develop project with all units restricted to residents with income 60% to 80%AMI, with possibly half set aside solely for employees of Sarasota County Sheriff's Department.  Retail on first floor, apartments (studios, 1 & 2br) above.  Next steps:  DTE zone = Downtown Edge, so it's administrative approval.

2101 Ringling Boulevard  ("Checkers" Apartments)

East @ Ringling Blvd (where Checkers used to be). A single 6-story mixed-use building: restaurant and retail on ground floor; upper floors 22 residential units (2 attainable). Downtown Core = Administrative Review. 25-ASP-05, 25-ADS-04

Sarasota Lanes Townhomes

​Initial planning stage.  Just north of Alta Vista neighborhood, , pre-application for zoning change to develop purple bowling alley (now closed) Sarasota Lanes property, over on Fruitville, into 52-unit townhome development (with 1 home priced "attainably"). Entrance off East Main St just west of Lime Av (kinda behind Shamrock Pub).  Aug 13 2024 was community workshop; Sept 4 was DRC meeting; next step TBA Planning Board meeting.   24-PRE-18  Official name: "2250 Fruitville Townhomes"

PARK DISTRICT   MAJOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

​A major mixed-use development nearby Alta Vista, north of Payne Park, on Fruitville.  The property of 8.5 acres, to be developed in phases, covers land between Main St & Fruitville, from Washington Blvd all the way to Audubon Place (just west of School Ave).

Phase I has been approved:  a mixed-use project with 331  apartments, both market-rate and affordable, and 7,772 square feet of retail, between Fletcher and East Avenue. ​

The entire Park District could eventually include more than 1,700 units.  With the quadruple downtown density bonus allowing 50 units per acre, Park District is eligible for 1,728 units of residential and commercial space if 15% of its units are priced more affordably than market rates for at least 30 years.

Park District (22-ASP-13) ...Downtown Core (DTC) zone. The applicant will be required to provide 10% of the total units to be attainable. See also DRC 11/16/22 and 8/2/23.
Staff contact: Alison Christie, [email protected].
​941-263-6516

About AFFORDABLE housing?  Some projects include some affordable housing (below market rate), usually a Very Small number of units, for a density bonus that allows them to build more units, larger and higher buildings.  That doesn't necessarily mean inexpensive apartments!  What does it actually mean?  AMI = area median income.  Each project featuring "attainable" units specifies how many apts of the total units will be offered to residents earning income at each level of percentage of AMI by family size, i.e. 3 units at 120%AMI, 3 at 100%AMI, 3 at 80%.  You may notice that VERY FEW projects offer any units at 30%, 50% or 60%.  It's a 30-year rent control commitment, not "forever"; but hey, who knows what will be, that far ahead!   See chart below.   AMI 2025 for Sarasota is about $106,100, that's the figure the rates are based on.  

Housing affordability as of 2026 continues to be at crisis level in Sarasota; see more at City website about affordable housing initiatives.