Three years ago, the City of Sarasota’s Historic Preservation Board denied a demolition request for the Mira Mar building in Sarasota. Since then, the property has been sold, but has also deteriorated even further.
“To assess the condition, engineers placed a dozen holes into the sides of the building to inspect it,” said Dr. Mark Kauffman, former owner of the building. “They saw pilings that were placed on sand rather than concrete, rotted wood and stucco being the main thing holding up the building. It is time for it to be redone.”
Just last month, a portion of the ceiling in the hair salon on the first floor collapsed.
Now, with the building continuing to deteriorate and just past its 100th birthday, the new owners’ only hope to save the building is to find an economic engine to raise the $29 million it will cost to renovate it.
With a passion for refurbishing the building and bringing it back to its original 1920s design, the new owners have hired a prominent team to lead this new effort.
“We’ve hired the best and brightest minds in historic preservation to come up with a plan to save it,” said Patrick DiPinto, principal of Seaward Development. “We are working closely with the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation (SAHP) and city staff to make this a win-win for everyone. SAHP has given its support for our proposal and our architectural team is passionate about making this not only a legacy project for Sarasota, but a case study for other municipalities around the country.”
The architecture team consists of:
Rick Gonzalez of REG Architects. Rick is one of Florida’s leading architects for historical preservation. He is a former board member of the federal advisory council for historic preservation appointed by the president of the United States and is up for vice chair under the current administration, a former president and current trustee emeritus for the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation, a commissioner and architect for the Florida Historical Commission and National Registry, and currently serves on the University of Florida advisory board for historic preservation.
Igor Reyes of Nichols Architects. The firm has over 55 years of experience specializing in mixed-use projects, including the restoration and expansion of historic structures. Nichols Architects played a pivotal role in the restoration of the St. Moritz Hotel and expansion to a Loews Convention Center Hotel in Miami Beach. They also undertook the revitalization of the Seville Hotel into the five-star EDITION Miami Beach Hotel. In Sarasota, Nichols Architects designed Epoch, a residential condominium building inspired by the Sarasota School of Architecture, further showcasing their commitment to innovative and adaptive design.
The plan they have come up with includes rehabilitating the historic building with proceeds generated from selling luxury condominiums behind it. Two 18-story buildings will rise behind the 400-foot-long plaza, much like the old hotel used to rise behind it, and money from the condo sales will pay for the renovation.
The team has held two community workshops about the proposal and many tenants in the building and the neighborhood agree with the plan and can’t wait to see it come to fruition.
“Finally, we have a developer and architectural team willing to make something other than a cube with walls that go all the way to the sidewalk,” said Bob Keagy, a neighbor on Palm Avenue. “There’s actually greenspace, landscaping, setbacks. The double buildings are appealing from all angles, including people who live behind it and will benefit from better views and sunlight corridors with the space between the buildings and the tiered design. It will be a much more visually appealing structure than what current zoning allows. I think this is a generous approach for the property from the owners who are taking a business risk to save the building.”
“I love that the front will look like the original and the back will be more modern. It’s almost like the back two tiered buildings are going to wrap their arms around the 100-year-old building in front,” said Diane Lane, a current massage therapist who has worked in the building for 20 years.
“In the past six months, hundreds of people have walked into our office to thank us for attempting to Save the Mira Mar. We have been blown away by the support from everyone,” said DiPinto.
Current Sarasota city zoning allows for an 11-story building with zero lot lines and no view corridors. Further, the Florida Live Local Act allows the owners to build an 18-story building regardless, for affordable housing if the current plan is denied.
Contrary to these plans, the double building plan calls for large view corridors, massive setbacks and sidewalks on all sides, space for outdoor cafes, affordable office space and wide walkways throughout the property, plus a parking deck in the residential building hidden by a living wall of plants, similar to the one at the nearby Selby Gardens.
If the rezone request is denied, the owners say they will respect the city’s decision and will proceed according to what is currently allowed. That will not leave a pathway forward for restoration due to no feasible funding mechanism to do so since the sales component for the condominiums are the only economic engine to restore the historic building.
“We much prefer to save this beautiful building and develop a project that is a win-win for everyone involved and to create a long-lasting legacy for the community,” said DiPinto. “The double condo plan, however, is the only mechanism that raises enough money to save the building and restore it and brings new energy into the space with high-end dining and shopping, office space and a true mixed-use feel for residents and visitors to enjoy for the next 100 years.”
