Plan to potentially demolish Sarasota Square Mall for development reaches milestone
The long-anticipated — and still-debated — redevelopment of the Sarasota Square Mall has reached a key milestone with the Sarasota County Commission's approval of several planning and zoning steps, priming the former commercial and social hub for a transformation.
The decisions clear the way for Illinois-based developer Torburn Partners to move forward in potentially demolishing the mall and building a mixed-use development across almost 95 acres. Preliminary plans include 692,500 square feet of non-residential space and an apartment complex with 500 to 1,200 units.
The property's Costco, JCPenney and AMC Theaters buildings will remain, but new structures will occupy the rest of the mall site that Torburn Partners acquired the acreage in a series of purchases — totaling $35.3 million — beginning in 2021.
Bob Horne, principal at Torburn Partners, said the development will promote walkability and a community-oriented lifestyle with businesses, restaurants, residences in closer proximity. He predicts development will fill in retail and entertainment gaps left following the demise of Sarasota Square, which, like other malls nationwide declined over the past two decades.
“This was once the place in Sarasota County,” Horne said. “This project will bring a whole new vitality back to this area.”
The commission heard six motions that moved to rezone parcels of the mall to regional commercial and commercial general, added acreage to the mall’s overall master plan, called a Development of Regional Impact, and the U.S. 41/Beneva Road Critical Area Plan and approved a special exception for outdoor entertainment and recreation past 10 p.m. within the development.
Commissioners voted with varying degrees of support for each motion. The first, which rezoned the mall parcel at 8201 S. Tamiami Trail from medium density residential to regional commercial, passed unanimously, while the remaining five passed 3-2, with Commissioners Joe Neunder and Neil Rainford dissenting.
The issues made it past the Planning Commission, which unanimously approved them March 7 despite significant pushback. Public speakers echoed much of that protest last Tuesday, expressing approval of revitalizing the area but adding concerns of overdevelopment and incompatibility with nearby neighborhoods.
Planning Commission approval: Sarasota Square Mall redevelopment moves forward despite resident pushback
People lamented an uptick in traffic and the redevelpment's effect on local infrastructure, but environmental issues were the biggest topic. Residents of the nearby Pelican Cove condos warned of the development’s potential impacts to surrounding nature, citing threats to nearby wildlife and a possible decline in water quality.
Ed Turanchik, a former Hillsborough County commissioner and representative for the Pelican Cove Condominium Association, said his organization found the redevelopment violated the Sarasota County Comprehensive Plan’s environmental standards. Stormwater runoff from the development, Turanchik said, would inundate nearby residents with pollution and force them to handle the upkeep on their own.
“Very little of that stuff comes from us, and we’re being told we have to maintain it,” Turanchik said. “No way.”
Charlie Bailey, the attorney representing Torburn Partners, said the developer would take on the stormwater and sewage systems themselves. Construction would include these upgrades, Bailey said, even though the county doesn’t require the developer to do so.
“We’re going to provide all of these improvements,” Bailey said. “It is going to be completely redesigned.”
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Dissenting commissioners took particular issue with the proposed height of the apartment complex, which preliminary plans projected at up to eight stories. Neunder said that while he could support the mall’s redevelopment, he was concerned that the volume of the project would disrupt nearby neighborhoods.
“Anything that’s five, six stories, in my opinion, is going to be woefully inappropriate for that area,” Neunder said. “This is going to be a great project at some point, but I’m having a hard time wrapping my around something of that magnitude.”
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Supporters, however, felt the height wasn’t an issue and were eager to move forward with a project that would restore the vitality of the area. In his approving vote, Commissioner Ron Cutsinger said he was excited to see new life after years of dormancy.
“It’s really disappointing and disheartening to see what’s happened there,” Cutsinger said. “This is much needed.”
The redevelopment is still in its early stages, as Torburn Partners has not yet submitted a site plan or completed traffic and wildlife studies. These submissions are still months away, if not longer, and will need approval from county officials before construction can begin.
Contact Herald-Tribune Growth and Development Reporter Heather Bushman at hbushman@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @hmb_1013.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Plan to turn Sarasota Square Mall into mixed-use development advances
