- July 11, 2025
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Since the Winn-Dixie supermarket vacated the Midtown Plaza commercial center in 2018, property owner Midtown Associates has sought to rezone and repurpose 3.5 acres of the 7.5-acre site on 1299 S. Tamiami Trail at Bahia Vista Street.
At the time the grocer vacated the 40,000-square-foot space, Midtown Associates and principal Gavin Meshad successfully sought to rezone the property, which includes Michael’s on East, from Commercial Shopping Center Community to Commercial General District in hopes of attracting a new tenant for the space. There were no plans at that time to make any physical changes to the property.
On June 18, development consultant Joel Freedman appeared before the city’s Development Review Committee on behalf of the owner for the first submittal of a plan to redevelop that southern portion of the site into a mixed-use project including 112 apartments, a 145-room hotel and 5,800 square feet of retail. Of the apartments, 28, or 25%, would be attainable housing units for a period of 30 years. Included is a planned parking structure.
The rezoning was contentious six years ago as residents of nearby Arlington Park neighborhood opposed bringing the higher density because of fears of bring additional traffic to the intersection of Bahia Vista Street and South Tamiami Trail.
During that time, the neighborhood opposed plans for an apartment complex at South Tuttle Avenue and Bahia Vista Street, the former site of Doctors Hospital of Sarasota. That project, Bahia Vista Apartments, is currently under construction.
The redevelopment plan does not impact Michael’s on East or any other merchants on the north side of the property. A Starbucks in an outparcel in front of the former grocery store will be relocated within the development.
On its first resubmittal, the expansion plan for Plymouth Harbor has encountered a minor snag. Originally thought of as an easement vacation, a portion of the site includes a lift station that is property owned by the city and vacation is not possible.
Project consultant Joel Freedman told the DRC that his client has initiated negotiations to explore the city’s ability to sell the portion of the site to Plymouth Harbor.
Located at 700 John Ringling Blvd. on the south side of Coon Key, the retirement community is planning to add to its campus an eight-story, 115-foot tall building for 153 additional independent living apartments plus amenity areas, support facilities and a second on-campus dining option for residents.
Eventual approval will also require City Commission rezoning from Medical Charitable Institutional to Residential Multiple Family.
Since opening its 215-unit independent living residential tower in 1966, Plymouth Harbor has added assisted living and memory care units to its 25-acre campus. It shares the portion of Coon Key south of John Ringling Causeway with Sarasota Yacht Club, which is also planning its own expansion.
The project has received partial DRC sign-off.
Armed with a recommendation of approval by a 3-2 vote of the Planning Board for an 83-unit townhome development on the site of the former “Circus City” mobile home site on North Beneva Road, Sage Park Townhomes made its first appearance before the DRC.
Planned by national home builder DR Horton, the 7.5-acre site just north of Circus Boulevard was once a mobile home residential enclave of the 155-acre Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus winter headquarters. The site, which to the east abuts the par-3 Gillespie Course at Bobby Jones Golf Club, has been vacant for several years.
The project received partial DRC sign-off. Once it receives full sign-off the site plan must have approval by the City Commission.
