Hyatt owner explores bayfront condo project

At an Oct. 5 workshop, developer Andy Dorr shared plans for an 18-story condominium building next to the Hyatt Regency at 1000 Boulevard of the Arts — but said any project would likely not begin until 2020, at the earliest.

Dorr was speaking on behalf of Bota Developer LLC, a company that also includes Hyatt owner Kiran Patel and Sarasota developers Charles Githler and Jay Tallman. As it pursues a condo project next to the Hyatt, the group is asking the city to vacate segments of right-of-way adjacent to Patel’s property.

That will include a request to vacate an alley south of Boulevard of the Arts that cuts through the private property. If approved, the street vacation would give Bota Developer about 1.4 acres of contiguous land to build the high-rise, Dorr said.

Preliminary plans for the condo include about 80 units above three levels of parking. The condo building would also include a spa and other hotel amenities.

Although the developer is coming forward with its street vacation request now, Dorr said construction is years away. More detailed planning will come if Bota Developer can reach an agreement with the city, which requires City Commission approval and could take up to a year of negotiations, Dorr said.

Dorr added that the developer wanted to remain transparent with the public as the project moves forward.

“I pledge to you we’ll come back and do more public processes,” he said.

Neighboring residents expressed concern about the character of the building at the Oct. 5 workshop. Those residents described the west-of-trail segment of Boulevard of the Arts as an enclave, and they asked the developer to consider setting back the front of the condo building further from the sidewalk to better mirror the surrounding towers.

Representatives for the developer said high-quality design was a priority. They pointed to nearby projects they’ve been involved with, such as the Beau Ciel condo, as evidence they were aware of the appropriate character for this segment of the city.

Although the developers said incorporating attractive landscaping was a priority, they also said the narrow depth of the property made the prospect of a wider setback challenging. At this point in the process, they said they were still exploring their design options.

“It’s going to be a big building, no question,” Tallman said. “But architecturally, it’ll be a very nice building.”

A Patel-led group purchased the Hyatt property for $57.8 million last year.