Next step: Let the community decide what they want that space to be.
By Ramon Lopez
Original Air Date: December 27, 2024
Host: The Colson Hotel is a landmark at the heart of what used to be the center of African American life in town. In what looks like a pre-holiday gift to Sarasota, a wealthy investor linked up with local non-profits to save the 1920s structure from the wrecking ball, and last week came to an agreement with the developer. Ramon Lopez talked to one of the people behind the deal, to get a better understanding of a complex arrangement.
Ramon Lopez: Area historic preservationists ended 2024 with a major win. In a landmark effort to preserve Sarasota’s African-American heritage, a coalition of local groups acquired the dilapidated Colson Hotel and will convert it into a site where Black history and culture will be celebrated.
But it didn’t come easy. It took a full year for DreamLarge, the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation, the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, the City of Sarasota, black community members, and a newly-established Community Development Corporation, to save the Colson Hotel from the wrecking ball.
The iconic ‘pink box’ hotel, located at 1425 Eighth Street in the Rosemary District, is critical to Sarasota’s Black history. Historians say the Colson Hotel is one of the city’s most important landmarks. It was built in 1926, in the area formerly known as Overtown, where African-Americans put down roots. Sarasota’s first Black hotel, it housed African-American workers and travelers looking for a place to sleep in Jim Crow segregated Sarasota. During its heyday, the 28-room hotel also provided lodging for traveling black entertainers and black pro athletes. The ground floor of the two-story building had a barbershop and beverage bar. Built by Owen Burns, one of the city’s most notable builders. It was named for Rev. Lewis Colson. He was the first free Black American to settle in Sarasota. Colson helped establish Overtown, which is now known as the Rosemary District.
Over the ensuing years, Overtown evolved. Original houses have been replaced by pricey condo and townhouse development, pushing out the original residents. Tampa real estate developer Max Vollmer bought what remains of the U-shaped, Mediterranean Revival-style hotel on a half-acre lot, for the bargain-basement price of $550,000 in 2023.
He sought to tear down the Colson Hotel to make room for more townhomes. But Sarasota City’s Historic Preservation Board and City Commission balked at the request. Plans called for as many as nineteen, three-story, two or three bedroom, townhomes, costing nearly $1 million each.
He said the building was in terrible shape: suffering from extensive mold, water rot, termite damage and unsafe load-bearing walls. He testified that it would cost over $2 million to save the structure. Vollmer said demolishing it made the most sense.
But Volmer said he was open to possibly selling the property to someone who would renovate the building in a timely way, to preserve it in some capacity, to reflect its significance in Sarasota’s history.
There was a public outcry to save the Colson Hotel, and an effort was launched to find the funding to do so.
The purchase was finalized on December 17th.
Anand Pallegar, founder of DreamLarge, said “Recognizing the importance of the Colson Hotel to Sarasota’s history, this initiative exemplifies our collective commitment to preservation, equity, and community engagement.”
Barry Preston of the CDC said “Our partnership not only aims to arrange for the restoration of the Colson Hotel and bring it back into the life of the community, but also to set a foundation for preserving more historic properties in an equitable and sustainable way.”
Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation’s Erin DiFazio said, “We have the responsibility to honor legacy…and not let it be destroyed for the sake of potential profit.”
WSLR News spoke to Phillip Lanham, President and CEO of Gulf Coast Community Foundation.
Philip Lanham: Preserving the Colson Hotel is not only about protecting Sarasota’s rich cultural history, but it’s also about fostering community-driven solutions that ensure equity and opportunity for future generations.
Top priority at this stage was to purchase the property to preserve it for future generations, and it was purchased for $700,000. We are in the fundraising stage for future preservation of that property. And right now, it’s early estimates. Our initial goal is $1 million to restore it.
One big open question is what would be the future purpose of the property? And to get that answer, we’re listening to the community. So in 2025, under the CDC, which is the Community Development Corporation, and a large effort by DreamLarge to gather the voices of the community of what they want that space to be. Would it be an education center? A community center? Maybe a jazz club? An incubator, something for … we don’t know what the future use of the space will be. So, all that information will be gathered in the new year.
We’re in the idea generation, so whatever the space will be, we would want to honor the history of the Colston hotel. And so whatever the future holds for the property, we definitely would want the history to be celebrated in the future space.
RL: So now what? What’s the timetable for the restoration work?
PL: I think it’s too early to have an exact when it will be finished. Ideally we would listen to the community in 2025, the first part of 2025, and create plans in the second half of 2025. So, hopefully this time next year we will have a clear plan of what that space is going to be, and we have to raise the money to start the construction and preservation.
RL: Lanham said the outcome was a ‘win-win’ for both sides.
PL: My understanding is that JD Maxx was able to keep the open lot next to the Colson Hotel, and that’s where they plan on putting their townhomes.
RL: Lanham said this was a BIG deal.
PL: It is very inspiring to me to see the community come together. It took the coalition of community leaders to make this happen. And the small part that Gulf Coast is playing in it, is the role that community foundation should play to empower the community and support the community as best we can. And I’m very proud of Gulf Coast’s role in supporting Save the Colson.
RL: This is Ramon Lopez for WSLR News.
WSLR News aims to keep the local community informed with our 1/2 hour local news show, quarterly newspaper and social media feeds. The local news broadcast airs on Wednesdays and Fridays at 6pm.
