The developer behind the 18-story Obsidian is now betting on a Florida settlement process.
By Ramon Lopez
Original Air Date: May 1, 2026
Host: Matt Kihnke wants to build downtown Sarasota’s tallest tower yet, on a quite small lot. His luxury project will be back next week before city commissioners—the same people who rejected it last year in a 4-1 vote. Ramon Lopez was at a protest by neighbors and downtown residents ahead of the city commission’s discussion this Monday.
[Boxing bell dings]
Ramon Lopez: It’s Round Three of “People versus Obsidian.”
Dozens of residents wearing red t-shirts rallied at 1260 Palm Avenue Thursday morning. The issue? The proposed 18-story Obsidian, which would be the tallest condo building in downtown Sarasota. Above and behind them, atop the Bay Plaza condo, were two giant banners for all to see. They read: “No Obscene Obsidian.”
Bay Plaza residents flew banners that read “No obscene Obsidian!” | Photo: Lopez
On Monday May 4, the Sarasota City Commission will consider terms of a settlement reached through mediation with the developer of the proposed luxury condominium complex.
The terms came out of a state process provided through the Florida Land Use and Environmental Dispute Resolution Act, known as FLUEDRA.
Steps in that act lay out how a special magistrate works with representatives of both a developer whose plans were rejected by a local government and that local government’s staffers. They work to hammer out details of an alternative plan in an effort to achieve a positive outcome for a project.
The Obsidian’s first successor, 1260 North Palm Residences, faced less pushback from city planners but was still rejected by the city commission.
Florida state law says the local government may still reject the proposed terms. This, after considering the special magistrate’s recommendations. That’s what the protesters, many of them residents at Bay Plaza, including Ron Shapiro, demand. He’s the outspoken leader of the Bay Plaza opposition to the Obsidian.
Shapiro says FLUEDRA is a “highly flawed process.” Another Obsidian opponent, Bill Cairns, wants the city commissioners to do the right thing.
Bill Cairns: I’ve got concerns about the proposal to build this horrible structure. This building would be the first step in turning the master plan, walkable downtown, into an urban hellscape. The commission understood this in their 4-1 vote against the project last year. They should not accommodate the minor, recent compromises made to the planning board, and they should deny this thing again.
RL: In Round One, The Bay Plaza Association members turned to the city commission after the city’s planning board voted 4-1 in February 2025 to support the Obsidian proposal.
Protesters’ shirts read, “Say NO to the Skyscraper on Palm Ave”. | Photo: Lopez
Round Two saw the city commission vote 4-1 a year ago to halt plans for the Obsidian. At an estimated height of 327 feet, the condominium tower was deemed not compatible with neighboring structures at its planned location.
Only then-Mayor Liz Alpert agreed with the developer—Matt Kihnke—that the project’s design complied with all of the necessary city regulations and building standards.
Round Three of the heavyweight real estate slugfest will have Kihnke on Monday armed with the revised proposal. He said, “My team is looking forward to the opportunity to present the latest iteration of this project, and we are hopeful to continue good faith discussions with all of the neighbors.”
Shapiro and eight to nine others will get the chance to plead their case to the five city commissioners.
Ron Shapiro | Photo: Lopez
Ron Shapiro: It’s the same five commissioners that voted to support us the last time in a 4-1 vote, so there’s been no change in the makeup of the commission. We need to make sure the commissioners do the right thing. We want to pack that room with people with red shirts as much as possible. With shirts, we can show the commissioners that the public is strongly opposed to this project. There’s zero public good that’s going to come out of the Obsidian. I think when you’re a developer asking the city for a bunch of exceptions, you’ve got to give the public back something in return, and the Obsidian is offering zero.
RL: Shapiro predicts the commissioners will do the right thing, including Alpert.
RS: Logic and common sense says that we should win that, but logic and common sense says that this project shouldn’t have been going on or ever conceived for three and a half years and our still having to fight it. It’s going to be political. It always is political. We need to do everything we can to convince the commissioners to do the right thing again and deny this project on Monday, May 4.
The proposed building would tower over adjacent properties like the Bay Plaza
We expect to win 5-0. We’re giving the commissioner, Liz Alpert, who voted against us the last time the chance to support us. I think Liz knows that she made a mistake last time, so this is a chance for her redemption. Our stretch goal is a 5-0 win, but we’ll take a 3-2 win.
RL: If built, the 18-story luxury condo will only have fourteen wealthy tenants. That’s also an issue for Shapiro.
RS: Hell yes. They’re doing this for 14 owners who probably will only be here part-time, risking the health, safety and well-being of hundreds of people that live very nearby.
RL: A Round Four could follow as there will likely be a civil lawsuit filed by Monday’s losing party. The result? Yet another chapter for the “People versus Obsidian” soap opera that will drag out in a court for several more years.
This is Ramon Lopez for WSLR News.
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