Developers want to build on this lot. But can they mesh with the Village of the Arts?
City officials are gearing up to decide what should be built on a city-owned lot in the 1400 block of 14th Street West that once held the Manatee Inns motel — an apartment complex or a storage facility.
Teams of developers presented their competing proposals Wednesday morning during a city council workshop, but residents in the nearby Village of the Arts fear that neither one would mesh with studios, small businesses and quaint vibe found in the artistic neighborhood.
The council first heard from Mike Carter, founder of Mike Carter Construction, about a proposed three-story Safeguard Self Storage facility along 14th Street West, which would incorporate 14 small cottage-style rental homes closer to the adjacent neighborhood. According to a site plan and preliminary rendering, the storage building would be designed to look like an apartment building.
Carter also explained that the cottage homes would be designed to be between 400 and 750 square feet, with the potential for patios, lofts and other design enhancements. The initial proposal marketed 15-20 homes, but it was trimmed for better spacing and to keep oak trees in tact.
“It’s important to us that this project blend and match the design of the village,” said Carter, who offered city $750,000 for the land.
The $8 million development would also provide for a central courtyard in the cottage area, which would be available for VOTA art shows or similar events. Carter said the intensity of the use is much lower than the other proposal council members would hear.
“This is really a continuation of the village, not a new product in the village,” Carter argued. “This is meant to coordinate and be compatible both in use and style, with the residents and buildings that are already there.”
Next came a pitch for a 260-unit apartment complex on that same 3.5-acre lot. Joe Bonora, president of Catalyst Community Development, noted that the project had dropped its goal to provide “mixed-income housing” and increased in size from since the initial discussion of a 220-unit complex in early April.
An updated plan showed a six-story apartment building along 14th Street West and a five-story building along 13th Street West, with a three-story parking garage between them. According to Bonora’s presentation, the development would use a “contemporary design, with use of vibrant colors and dramatic lighting,” as well as “exceptional architecture and landscaping.”
Bonora, who is offering $800,000 for the land, also said their team is willing to meet with VOTA residents for design guidance and a chance to incorporate local art into the project. A meeting scheduled for Monday night between developer and the community was canceled.
Rents would range from about $1,150 to $1,400 per month for apartments ranging from studio to two-bedroom units that include “smart home” technology. Other amenities include a resort-style pool, urban gardens and an art gallery in the main building that could also be used for VOTA events.
“The idea is to bring people downtown. It will house 350 or 400 residents. They’ll go to our restaurant and our businesses. This kind of development will attract other businesses to the downtown core, which is what we want,” said Rick Miller, principal with National Development of America, one of the partners in the proposal.
The apartment complex would bring in more than $21 million in ad valorem tax revenue over 50 years, Bonora touted, and would utilize TIF reimbursement for 15 years.
City Administrator Carl Callahan encouraged council members to make a decision regarding either project but also reminded them that they could continue to wait for the proposal that “excites” them.
During the public comment portion of the workshop, residents expressed concerns over both projects, including issues with neighborhood compatibility, parking and whether incoming tenants would actually spend dollars in their community.
Bill Webster, Artists Guild of Manatee president, called the Safeguard building a “dead zone” that wouldn’t attract meaningful interaction with small business owners in VOTA. Another resident, Teri Thomas, said she was afraid the apartment complex wouldn’t provide enough parking for residents, forcing overflow into the village.
Councilman Harold Byrd Jr. told both presenters that he would like to see their plans tweaked to fit the area.
“Redevelopment ain’t easy. That parcel has been there a long time but neither one of the proposals are perfect,” he said, pointing out that he would prefer the Safeguard development to be all cottages instead and wasn’t happy with the high density of the apartment complex. “Having said that, I realize the development has to be profitable or economically feasible.”
“It’s exciting to me to see that there’s interest in something, and now what is the right thing is going to be a tough decision because it’s not going to please everybody and it’s not going to make everyone upset either. From my standpoint, I appreciate hearing it and I think both options are very viable, to a point, but now we have to go to the next step and see what’s going to happen” said Councilman Gene Brown.
That next step will involve Callahan and city planning director Catherine Hartley meeting to discuss potential zoning changes that would need to be made to allow either proposal in the area.