Lido Beach Restoration including the Dunes Construction Project
With state and federal grant funds the City of Sarasota is planning a dune construction project on Lido Beach. The goal is to offer protection from a 25-year storm by adding another layer of protection for the beach and adjacent properties in the area where new sand was added with the prior re-nourishment. (More details: January 15, 2022, presentation to the LKRA members).
Current Status (as of November 2024)
- In November 2024, the city confirmed that "we are pleased to provide an update following a recent encouraging meeting with USACE and FDEP in coordination with the City. We are on a promising path, with no further questions or Requests for Additional Information anticipated for our pending permit." The beach renourishment and a subset of that project, the dunes construction project are scheduled to begin in the summer of 2025. The sand source will be from the New Pass Federal Channel borrow due to a channel maintenance dredging project.
- Property owners on Lido Beach will be working with the City on the review of final plans for the dunes beginning early in 2025.
Opal's Cirque St. Armands (formerly the Holiday Inn - Sarasota) Renovations Under Way
Ocean Properties is making significant renovations at the former Holiday Inn, which closed in July 2023. The hotel remodel is a throwback "circus" theme and rebranded as Cirque St. Armands. The first floor will be the hotel lobby, a restaurant and a bar.
Current Status (as of November 2024)
Active renovation continues, with an anticipated completion date early to mid 2025. Their website is taking reservations beginning in February 2025.
Rosewood Residences Lido Key Under Active Construction
The City Commission has given Ronto Group a zoning variance to build a five-star, hotel-branded 65 unit condominium on the property formerly housing Coquina and Gulf Beach Resorts. Designed for eight floors above parking, it will contain a private beach club with accessory amenities including pools, a poolside pavilion, sports bar, bocce lawn, private theater, private restaurant, storage, pet park, and administrative space and provide a new public beach access easement. Rosewood (owned by Chow Tai Fook) will manage the property. The developer will be required to incorporate the existing Gulf Beach Resort Motel historic designation sign into the redevelopment of the property. The project team estimates the construction value of the project at $125 million and is targeting a completion date in December 2025. Sales Video
Current Status (as of November 2024)
Active construction. Occupancy Anticipated:1st Quarter 2026.
Sandcastle Resort at Lido Beach - Start of Demo Getting Closer
The City Commission gave Ocean Properties the owner of the Sandcastle site plan approval for redevelopment to a 304 room luxury resort hotel with restaurants & amenities.
Current Status (as of November 2024)
The double whammy of Helene and Milton has closed the Sandcastle. The developer confirms they will be demolishing the buildings in mid 2025 and are working on detail plans and will submit those to the City in the very near future.
Replacing Little Ringling (Coon Key) Bridge - Moving Forward
Started in 2019, FDOT conducted a Project Development and Environment (PD&E) study to evaluate replacement alternatives for the Little Ringling bridges on State Road (SR) 789 over Coon Key waterway for a distance of approximately three quarters of a mile. Replacement alternatives were presented at a Public Hearing on March 21, 2024. The image here is a rendering of the selected alternative, two car lanes, a bus lane and separate bike and pedestrian pathways. The bridge surface will be raised 10.5 feet over the existing surface. The estimated cost is $59.1 Million with a construction start date in 2028.
South Lido Multi-Use Recreational Trail (MURT) - ON HOLD
The Multi Use Recreational Trail (MURT) at Ted Sperling Park at South Lido Beach will consist of an approximately 4.500-foot-long trail utilizing boardwalks and other fixed surfaces to provide safe, functional pedestrian and bicyclist connectivity between the Ted Sperling Nature Pard at 190 Taft Drive and South Lido Beach, at 2201 Benjamin Franklin Drive. In addition to providing recreational opportunities, the MURT will define a designated traffic path, thereby offering protection for sensitive ecological features and habitats in surrounding areas. At estimated $88,000 in project management fees are currently budgeted with the remaining costs funded by the RESTORE Act funding, Following the DRC, the Planning Board met on November 8th.) Click Here to View Staff Report Click Here to View Site Plan There was considerable discussion about the removal of trees and the scope of the walkways, casting doubt about the need for the project.
Current Status (as of November 2024)
The county reports this project remains "on hold" and not be reinstated.