The angle: 1776 Ringling Condominiums would offer two ‘attainable’ apartments. But it would first tear down a dozen affordable rentals.
By Johannes Werner
Original Air Date: December 19, 2025
Host: A developer wants to build more luxury condos downtown, at higher density than current zoning allows. Their argument: We are allowed to do so because we will include two “attainable” apartments. But, in the process, they also want to tear down an existing rental apartment complex with a dozen affordable rentals. Earlier this week, City of Sarasota planners reviewed the proposal for the 10-story tower on the southern edge of downtown. We have the details.
A Bonita Springs-based developer is offering two attainable apartments, in exchange for a dozen affordable ones it will tear down.
City planner: 6-1004. Habitable space. Building shall provide a 20-foot minimum depth of habitable space for the full height and length of the first two stories. Please label the orange line on sheet A3.02 as delineating the 20-foot habitable space dimension. All access to the habitable space shall be located within the 20-foot dimension. The rooms labeled as fire, command, and FPL vault, electrical on the first floor and generator on the second floor are not considered habitable space. Please relocate.
Johannes Werner: What you just heard is part of a process called “administrative review.” In this case, it was a city planner telling the consultants and architect for PFI 721 Development to make a change. The Bonita Springs-based developer submitted a site plan for 1776 Ringling Condominiums. That’s supposed to be a 10-story residential building on the edge of downtown Sarasota, on the southwest corner of Ringling Boulevard and South Osprey Avenue. The tower would include two levels of garage and 50 condo units, two of them what planners call “attainable.” No retail is planned downstairs.
1776 Ringling Condominiums, on the southwest corner of Ringling and Osprey in downtown Sarasota. PFI 721 wants to combine two lots separated by Osprey Court, and take over the city-owned alley.
On Wednesday, the city’s Development Review Committee was checking boxes on recycling, parking, water and sewage and similar routine items.
The developer also seeks to build more condos than the Downtown Core zoning allows, trying to take advantage of a city incentive program that grants higher density in exchange for attainable housing.
“Attainable” is different from “affordable.” In this case, the developer is proposing to put one of the two units within reach of tenants making $64,000 to $80,000 a year. The other one should be within reach of people with household incomes of $64,000 or less.
Teardown ahead: Osprey Oaks currently offers a dozen affordable rentals.
But the developer also wants to demolish an existing rental apartment complex on the site. That two-story complex built in 1972 with 12 rentals will be gone and replaced by just two units—in other words, the project would contribute to the phenomenon of vanishing affordable housing.
But “attainable” and two of 50 units is within the minimum the city requires for its incentive program. So it was not surprising that the city planners asked the developer to come back with more details about the two attainable apartments.
The planners are also seeking responses about vehicle access to the building, interstitial space—which may add height to the building—about grand trees the builder wants to cut and more. So there will be a next round before the Development Committee.
Two floors of garage, no retail space, eight residential floors. Rendering of 1776 Ringling.
Development proposals that do not ask for a change in zoning usually just go before planners rather than the city commission.
1776 Ringling, however, is more complicated. Because the developer wants to combine two properties and take over a city-owned alley between them, the proposal will have to be approved by the Sarasota City Commission.
In previous cases, the city has agreed to vacate its right-of-way when they are not in use, provide no public benefit or are not needed for future use. But it often seeks something in return, such as land that would be of public benefit. Also, before what’s called “vacating” a right-of-way, the city must prove it does not go against its own comprehensive plan.
Stay tuned.
Reporting for WSLR News, Johannes Werner.
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