Siesta key observer 4 16 15

Page 1

SIESTA KEY

Observer Formerly the Pelican Press

PALM ISLAND AT HEART OF SIESTA KEY PAGE 8B

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

VOLUME 45, NO. 38

BLACK

FREE

TIE

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2015

PINEAPPLE SQUARE

Developer taking bids for sale

YOUR TOWN FLORAL FAREWELL

Move could jumpstart $200 million downtown retail and condo deal. CELEBRATION LUNCHEON

Isabelle Crotsley named Girl of the Year at annual Girls Inc. luncheon.

ARTS + CULTURE Sheila Moore continues the legacy of her late husband, Allyn Gallup.

INSIDE

Homeless plan focuses on housing City Manager Tom Barwin has unveiled a strategy for addressing homelessness — but does he have the backing of key players?

K.L. MCQUAID BUSINESS OBSERVER

The Ohio-based developer behind Pineapple Square is selling its downtown Sarasota property and plans, after concluding it lacks the management team to complete the $200 million, mixed-use project. Isaac Group Holdings LLC (IGH) has set a deadline of May 11 to submit bids for the project, which promised to transform Sarasota a decade ago with dozens of upscale retail stores and condominiums before stalling during the recession. “Today, we believe the economy has recovered and Sarasota is in the midst of significant hotel, condominium, retail and apartment growth,” an offering memorandum from brokerage firm Michael Saunders & Co.’s commercial division states. “IGH has decided that it does not have the management team needed to bring a project which is worthy of Sarasota and maximizes the potential of the property to fruiSEE SQUARE PAGE 12A

Sue Angle

File rendering

In 2005, Isaac Group Holdings released this rendering depicting phase two of its Pineapple Square project. It now wants to sell its land and entitlements for the area to another developer.

NORTH TRAIL COFFEE TALKS Tahiti Park residents are concerned about a planned Starbucks along U.S. 41, but they believe their worries won’t go unacknowledged.

DAVID CONWAY NEWS EDITOR

After scuttling plans for a comeas-you-are homeless shelter against the recommendations of consultant Robert Marbut last summer, the city has been faced with a tough question: What now? Homeless issues have been a leading concern for city residents and officials. Although the city has taken some steps toward addressing those issues — including the authorization of the Sarasota Police Department’s homeless outreach teams — many have questioned the city’s responsiveness to homelessness and associated problems. At the April 6 City Commission meeting, City Manager Tom Barwin took a big-picture swing at SEE HOMELESS PAGE 3A

A rose by any other name wouldn’t smell as sweet as the variation created especially for Sue Angle. The outgoing president of the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs and former president of the Sarasota Garden Club was honored with a one-ofa-kind rose hybrid at a meeting for the club. The rose was cultivated by rosarian and former curator for the Ringling Museum Rose Garden, Ron Mallory. Mallory worked for two years to create the rose that he named “Sue Angle.” The plant has yet to bloom, but Angle said she will take good care of it.

DAVID CONWAY NEWS EDITOR

David Conway

Tahiti Park Neighborhood Association President Jennifer Ahearn-Koch is worried about the impact a new Starbucks might have on the residential streets of the neighborhood. She was happy to discover that the developer shares her concerns — and was open to working on finding a solution.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: A developer is working on a new project near a residential neighborhood, but those who live near the property in question say the proposal is a bad fit for the area. It might sound like an old tale in Sarasota, but Tahiti Park residents are optimistic that it’s coming with a new spin. Despite a long list of concerns about a proposed Starbucks on U.S. 41, neighboring residents say early talks with the project’s developer SEE STARBUCKS PAGE 14A


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.