Community members grow more hopeful in the historic building’s preservation
By Noah Vinsky
Original Air Date: September 6, 2024
Host: A coalition of community members and local preservationists who wrote emails, made calls, and provided public comment, are feeling more hopeful about the fate of a significant piece of Sarasota’s black history. Noah Vinsky was at Tuesday’s city commission meeting and filed this report.
Noah Vinsky: Program director of the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation, Erin DiFazio, stood before the Sarasota City Commissioners on Tuesday.
Erin DiFazio: There are certain landmarks that tell so sacred a story of our past, that society cannot afford their loss. Sarasota cannot afford the loss of the Colson Hotel.
NV: There were about 50 people present for Tuesday’s meeting, in which the City Commission unanimously approved continuing public hearings while the city meets with the developer and potential buyers of the property.
The Colson Hotel was built in 1925 in the former Overtown District. The hotel was a safe haven for African American Sarasota residents and travelers throughout the Jim Crow era. Over the years, the property has fallen into a state of disrepair.
In 2023, the hotel was acquired by Tampa based JDMAX Developments. The developer, Maximilian Vollmer, intended to demolish the building and construct 27 new townhomes. Vollmer’s demolition request was unanimously denied by the Sarasota Historic Preservation Board. On Tuesday, he appealed that decision. Managing member of JDMAX, Joseph Lovett, said that they are working to find a win-win scenario for the property.
Joseph Lovett: We come in peace along with one agenda, and that is to find a win-win situation. Now we, JDMAX, are beyond open to sell this property and get it in the hands of the rightful owner, which is the community, being partially represented by Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation and other individuals of the community. However, as we know, it costs money to buy land.
NV: Vollmer said that renovating the building would be unreasonable due to structural damage, as well as extensive mold and water damage. Dave Babber, president of the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation, disagreed.
Dave Babber: Therefore, the answer to Criterion 1 is yes, there are reasonable measures that the owner could undertake to preserve the structure on site.
NV: Dr. Washington Hill, board chair of the Sarasota African American Culture Coalition, pointed to the destruction of other significant African American landmarks across the state of Florida.
Washington Hill: Other cities in Florida have lost their important African American and city history as developers moved in. We must not let that happen to the historic Colson Hotel, which has been there for a hundred years. Facing demolition, the Colson is one of the city’s most important buildings related to African-American and Sarasota history.
NV: This is Noah Vinsky reporting for WSLR news.
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