Wynnton plans 2nd tower The new condominium building will adjoin a completed one on the Renaissance property.

By KEVIN L. MCQUAID

posted 08/23/02

SARASOTA -- The Georgia real estate firm developing the Renaissance property plans to build a 17-story condominium tower on its North Trail property.

The Wynnton Group Inc.'s plans for 205 luxury condominium units, mixed-use town homes and parking will involve the remainder of its 11-acre property on U.S. 41 between Sixth and 10th streets.

Wynnton completed a 16-story, 244-unit condominium tower on the Renaissance land early last year. Units in that tower sold for $200,000 to $600,000.

"The first tower was very, very successful," said Joel Freedman, a land planning consultant working with Wynnton.

"And because getting through the necessary permitting process takes quite awhile, they calculated the market conditions and felt now was the right time."

The second condominium tower, which will be built adjacent to the first and is expected to be completed sometime in 2005, will mirror the existing building and rise 201 feet, according to plans filed with the city.

Units in the second tower are expected to be slightly larger -- and more expensive -- than those in the first.

The second condominium tower also will feature a guitar-shaped pool, a fitness center, balconies, Italian Renaissance-style windows and a Zen garden, according to the plans filed with the city.

"It's intended to be more upscale," said Victor Yue, an architect with Dorsky Hodgson + Partners, the Fort Lauderdale firm designing the new tower.

"Unit sizes will be a bit larger, and we're trying to make it more interactive with the surrounding neighborhood."

To that end, Wynnton intends to reconfigure a small lake in front of the existing condominium tower to make it more pedestrian-friendly, Yue said.

Wynnton officials could not be reached for comment Thursday afternoon.

The city's Development Review Committee is scheduled to review Wynnton's plans Sept. 4, said Karin Murphy, a city senior planner.

If the committee approves Wynnton's plans, the city's Planning Board will evaluate the proposal in November. The City Commission will also have to approve Wynnton's proposal before the company can proceed.

"We wanted with this phase to stay true to the integrity of the initial plan," Murphy said. "I'm very, very happy with what they've turned in."

Wynnton's plans will finalize development of the $100 million Renaissance property, the only major project undertaken in the city's Community Redevelopment Area.

The state designated the area, which covers much of downtown, in 1986 to correct slum and blight.

The city awarded Wynnton rights to develop the former Mission Harbor property more than five years ago, in an effort to spark redevelopment along U.S. 41.

Since then, dilapidated hotels on the North Trail have been replaced by new lodging and the upscale retirement residences of the Sarasota Bay Club.

Wynnton's plans for the next Renaissance phase also call for a series of town homes with a mix of residences, offices and retail. In all, the Wynnton town homes may contain up to 100,000 square feet of commercial space, city documents say.

Wynnton also is expected to build at least 337 parking spaces to accommodate the second tower and the town homes. When completed, the Renaissance property will contain nearly 1,000 parking spaces in a pair of garages.

"The North Trail is really booming," Freedman said. "A lot of people have put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into that area, and now it's starting to really pay off."

Last modified: August 23. 2002 12:00AM

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