North end gas station may become restaurant and retail venue

The Sarasota developer who tried in 2016 to build a hotel on Longboat Key’s north end at the site of a vacant gas station is back before the town with another proposal for the property.

James Brearley has filed a plan with the town’s Planning, Zoning & Building Department to transform the shuttered gas station at the corner of Gulf of Mexico Drive and Broadway Street into a restaurant and retail location.

“We are in the beginning stages of creating a concept for the site,” Brearley said. “We believe this will most likely be a combination of a coffee shop, a casual just-off-the-beach restaurant and a few curated retail offerings.”

Besides the Floridays Development Co.’s previous plan for a boutique hotel and now a combination retail-restaurant venue, the former gas station had been looked at by developers before. Most recently, there was a proposal to reopen the site as its original use, a gas station, which fell apart over the summer.

“Our primary objective is to visually enhance the corner of Gulf of Mexico Drive and Broadway and create a concept that is an amenity to the locale,” said Brearley, who worked on the  Floridays hotel proposal that was rejected by voters in 2016.

Property records show the site was sold to The Whitney LBK LLC Oct. 19 for $550,000. Brearley confirmed he has acquired the site, which was listed for $545,000. The previous owner was Tampa-based J.H. Williams Oil Co., which bought the site in August 2005 for $512,100.

“We are committed to an adaptive reuse project that fits the scale of the site, complements the neighborhood, and is an amenity for everyone on Longboat Key,” Brearley said.

Plans for the un-named project filed with the town show the 2,128-square-foot building’s existing canopy would be demolished and replaced with a new one. In addition, 12 parking spaces are planned, and the entire site would be landscaped and include two mature trees. Also, a vinyl fence no higher than 3 feet would be installed along the eastern end of the property line and abut Palm Drive.

Brearley said he does not have an idea of when he would like to begin building at the site. There is no construction schedule at this point, he said.

“Although this project will be a new, unique concept, I have been involved in various capacities with several relevant projects such as the Oxford Exchange (Tampa) and Buddy Brew Coffee (Tampa and Sarasota).”

The Oxford Exchange incorporates a restaurant, gift shop, coffeehouse and bookstore under one roof, but in two different buildings constructed in 1925 and 1950, while Buddy Brew offers coffee and coffee-related merchandise. The Sarasota Buddy Brew is located on Palm Avenue.

Brearley’s site design also accommodates a planned roundabout for the intersection of Gulf of Mexico Drive and Broadway, where 9,700 vehicles — going in both directions on GMD — pass on a daily basis. There is no timeline for consideration of the traffic circle, but $150,000 has been set aside by the Town Commission to study its feasibility.

The Sarasota developer who tried several years ago to build a hotel on Longboat Key’s north end at the site of a vacant gas station is back before the town with another proposal for the property at the corner of Gulf of Mexico Drive and Broadway Street.

James Brearley has filed a plan with the town’s Planning, Zoning & Building Department to transform the shuttered gas station into a restaurant and retail location.

“We are in the beginning stages of creating a concept for the site,” Brearley said. “We believe this will most likely be a combination of a coffee shop, a casual just-off-the-beach restaurant and a few curated retail offerings.”

Besides Brearley’s previous plan for a boutique hotel and now a combination retail-restaurant venue, the former gas station had been looked at by developers before. Most recently, there was a proposal to re-open the site as its original use, a gas station, which fell apart over the summer.

“Our primary objective is to visually enhance the corner of Gulf of Mexico Drive and Broadway and create a concept that is an amenity to the locale,” said Brearley, whose hotel proposal was met with opposition by voters in 2016. 

Brearley said he has acquired the site, which was listed for $545,000. The previous owner was Tampa-based J.H. Williams Oil Co., which it bought in August 2005 for $512,100.

“We are committed to an adaptive reuse project that fits the scale of the site, compliments the neighborhood, and is an amenity for everyone on Longboat Key,” Brearley said.   

Plans for the still-not-named project filed with the town show that the 2,128-square-foot building’s existing canopy would be demolished and replaced with a new one. In addition, 12 parking spaces are planned, and the entire site would be landscaped and include two mature trees. Also, a vinyl fence no higher than three feet would be installed along the eastern end of the property line and abut Palm Drive.

Brearley said he does not have an idea of when he would like to begin building at the site. There is no construction schedule at this point, he said.

 "Although this project will be a new, unique concept, I have been involved in various capacities with several relevant projects such as the Oxford Exchange (Tampa) and Buddy Brew Coffee (Tampa and Sarasota)."

The Oxford Exchange incorporates a restaurant, gift shop, coffeehouse and bookstore under one roof, but in two different buildings constructed in 1925 and 1950, while Buddy Brew offers coffee and coffee-related merchandise. The Sarasota Buddy Brew is located on Palm Avenue.

Brearley’s site design also accommodates a planned roundabout for the intersection of GMD and Broadway, where 9,700 vehicles – going in both directions on GMD – pass on a daily basis. There is no timeline for consideration of the traffic circle, but $150,000 has been set aside by the town commission to further study its feasibility.