Fillmore Parking Lot

The following list documents the effort to put up a hotel complex on the Fillmore Parking Lot site, which is proposed to include a gourmet market (e.g. Morton's) and enough covered parking to replace what is there and to provide enough additional parking spaces for the hotel and market.

Note:  The City has a Coastal Islands Overlay District (click link) that controls commercial building height, density, etc... due to the environmentally sensitive nature of the City's keys and the limited access to them for emergency vehicles, hurricane evacuation, etc... 

Sarasota County Property Appraiser information:  click here

1995

The City-owned Fillmore Drive parking lot came to be owned by the City in 1995. Before the parking lot was created, the land that is now the Fillmore lot consisted of two triangular shaped parcels with Fillmore Drive going diagonally straight through the site. A group of St. Armands commercial landowners contacted the owner of the property and began negotiating for its acquisition. The same group of landowners approached the City and expressed their interest in using the site for public parking for the businesses on St. Armands Circle. The City subsequently purchased the property in 1995.

The City financed the acquisition of the property by means of a special assessment that was levied on the properties within the Commercial Tourist zone district on St. Armands Key. The special assessment was collected over a twenty (20) year period from 1996 to 2016. The assessment was paid by the property owners in the form of an annual assessment added to property tax bills each year for the 20 year duration of the assessment.

Because of the high number of "triple net" leases on the Circle, in which such costs are passed on to the Lessee, it is probably fair to say that many of the business owners who were not property owners also participated in paying off the assessment, thus funding the acquisition of the Fillmore parking lot to be used for parking to support their businesses.

2008-2009

It has been reported to us that the JWM development group and their same architect wanted to put a boutique, five story hotel at this same site, with shops along the residential streets.  The neighbors expressed much concern and unhappiness with the idea of their residential street being commercialized, and the City Commission at that time listened to the residents and did not allow this idea to move forward.

April 2021

The JWM development group and their architect propose a hotel at the Fillmore Parking Lot site, to include a gourmet market (e.g. Morton's) and enough covered parking to replace what is there and to provide enough additional parking spaces for the hotel and market.  It becomes an unsolicited proposal to purchase the property.

• View Developer Pamphlet: click here

May 17, 2021

City Commission Meeting at which they vote 4-1 (Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch voting "no") to instruct City Staff to work with the group proposing the development at the Fillmore Parking Lot site.

• Link to video: click here

May 18, 2021

Observer Article:  Sarasota entertains St. Armands hotel plans

July 14, 2021

Memo from the City Attorney to the City Commission discussing the issues that would be involved with selling the Fillmore Parking Lot site.

• Link to memo: click here

July 21, 2021

Commissioner Liz Alpert is interviewed by St. Armands resident Mike Adkinson who inquires about why there won't be a competitive bid for the Fillmore Lot.  Mike specifically asks:  "If a lot of people are saying let's go for the best idea and not the first idea, what would you say".  Commissioner Alpert says twice: "I don't think it requires a competitive bid".

• Link to video:  click here

August 16, 2021

City Commission Meeting at which they vote to give anyone else 90 days to submit a proposal for the Fillmore Parking Lot site, after which they intend to select a proposal to move forward with.  This despite significant resident opposition to the proposal and to the process.

• Link to video: click here
• FAST FORWARD TO: 59:33 (59 minutes, 33 seconds)
• Discussion lasts nearly two hours!

It seems that any offer made to the City must be contingent on at least these three things happening:

1. Changing the lot zoning from "parking lot" (G) to "commercial property" (CT),
2. Replacing the revenue from the existing 270-or-so paid parking spaces required by the bond covenant for the St. Armands parking garage, and
3. Depending on the proposal:  increasing the allowed building height, allowing hotel and residential use in the commercial property (CT) zone, and increasing the density of that use from what otherwise would be allowed. Any of these zoning changes would require a comprehensive plan change.

September 22, 2021

Memo from the City Attorney to the City Commission discussing how the existing 268 parking spaces on and around the Fillmore Parking Lot have to be retained by the City per the municipal bond that was issued to fund the St. Armands Parking Garage.

• Link to memo: click here

September 30, 2021

Observer Article:  Parking details complicate sale of St. Armands Circle lot

October 1, 2021

Memo from the City Manager to the City Commission with further information about the cost and legal implications of selling the Fillmore Parking Lot property.

• Link to memo: click here

October 3, 2021

Email from City Attorney about how the City acquired and paid for the Fillmore Parking Lot site

October 4, 2021

City Commission meeting at which the City Attorney and City Manager explain their concerns about the City's obligation to maintain the parking spaces at the Fillmore Parking Lot site.  No vote was taken.

• Link to video: click here
• Fast forward to 3:07:00 (3 hours, 7 minutes, 0 seconds)

Note:  During public feedback, Tom Leonard, owner of Shore restaurant and clothing store on St. Armands and Longboat, begins to present a competing offer and development proposal for the Fillmore Parking Lot site, but he is cut short because of the three minute time restriction.  We look forward to hearing more about this soon.

October 6, 2021

Observer Article:  Despite parking questions, St. Armands lot remains on the market

September-October, 2021

November 15, 2021

The City's deadline for competing proposals to be submitted.  There are five proposals in all:  JWM, Hyde, Jebco, Ocean/OPAL, and Leonard/Shore. (click the links to view the submissions)

November 17, 2021

Email from City Attorney to City Commissioners about what happens next.

November 18, 2021

Sarasota Magazine Article:  Here’s a Look at What Could Be Coming to St. Armands Circle

November 26, 2021

Observer Article:  The city has received five proposals to purchase a Fillmore Drive property near St. Armands Circle, though parking issues may complicate any sale.

January 12, 2022

Observer Article:  Proposed St. Armands developments prompt density concerns

January 19, 2022

New memo from City Attorney in the Agenda Backup Materials for the upcoming February 7 City Commission Meeting:  click here

February 1, 2022

Letter from our Association to the City Commission:  click here

To summarize this letter:

• Based on the results from our recent Annual Member Survey and our interpretation of those results, we OPPOSE the proposed development at the Fillmore Parking Lot.
• If the City chooses to proceed anyway, then residents would prefer any proposal that does not require a commercial height increase; residents would prefer any proposal other than the JWM-Benderson proposal.

February 7, 2022

  But, this is not over. Now that the issues involved with the sale and development of the property have been more thoroughly and openly vetted (the parking garage bond obligations and the required zoning and comprehensive plan changes), there is nothing to stop any of the original proposers (or any new proposer) from coming back to the City with a new or updated offer for the City's consideration.

• Link to video:  click here
• For the City Attorney's Opening Remarks, fast forward to 1:05 (1 hour, 5 minutes)
• For Public Comment, fast forward to 1:28 (1 hour, 28 minutes)
• For comments from the five proposers, fast forward to 1:46:50 (1 hour, 46 minutes, 50 seconds)
• Then there was a one hour break for lunch beginning at 2:12:25 (2 hours, 12 minutes, 25 seconds)
• The meeting resumes with City Commission discussion at 3:14:48 (3 hours, 14 minutes, 48 seconds) 
• For the City Commission motion, final comments, and 4-1 vote to NOT move forward, fast forward to 4:13:40 (4 hours, 13 minutes, 40 seconds)
• This agenda item took just over two hours after accounting for the one hour break for lunch

February 8, 2022

Observer article:  Sarasota parks plans to develop St. Armands lot

February 9, 2022

Sarasota Magazine article:  Fillmore Parking Lot on St. Armands Will Remain Just That—For Now

April 13, 2022

At a regular meeting of the St. Armands Business Improvement District, BID member, former BID chairperson, and Fillmore Lot development proposer Gavin Meshad says "I'm not out on the Circle very often, so I'm not in tune with what's working and not working".

• Link to video:  click here
• Fast forward to 43:28 (0 hours, 43 minutes, 28 seconds)

August 30, 2022

Email from City Manager to City Commissioners regarding unsolicited offer from Sunrise Capital Investors to purchase the St. Armands Parking Garage AND the Fillmore Parking Lot:  click here - Letter of Intent:  click here