Sarasota-style condos in downtown Bradenton? Take a look at 5 proposals for City Hall
New offers to buy the City Hall property in downtown Bradenton include plans to demolish the building and replace it with high-rise condos that would transform the waterfront.
Bradenton received two unsolicited offers to buy City Hall earlier this year, leading city officials to put the building up for sale. The city recently shared the details of the five new purchase offers.
The Bradenton City Council has taken steps toward selling the City Hall property at 101 Old Main Street, but no final decisions have been made. Board members are expected to host several community meetings to receive feedback from the community and more information from developers before choosing a buyer. Those meetings will be announced at a later date.
Here’s a look at what developers have in mind for the 4-acre site along the Manatee River.
941 Prime Development, LLC
Shawn Kaleta, an investor known for his real estate holdings on Anna Maria Island, offered to buy Bradenton’s City Hall for a flexible price — agreeing to pay $1 million more than the price proposed by any of the other bidders.
In his proposal, Kaleta explained that his company, 941 Prime Development, aims to build a 1 million-square-foot mixed-use development featuring office space, a hotel, condos, a “bodega-style grocery store” and restaurants.
An artist rendering of the proposed development illustrates how Kaleta says it “will dramatically distinguish the skyline of downtown Bradenton” with its angular design and staggered height throughout the structure.
“The design goal of the project is to achieve a ‘wow’ factor, but with a scale and appearance that is subtle and appropriate in form and scale for the exciting future of Bradenton which is evolving now and will continue to successfully evolve as we grow and achieve as a community,” 941 Prime Development wrote in its purchase offer.
According to the proposal, there are also plans to have the development integrate with Manatee County’s planned water taxi service.
City officials haven’t determined where Bradenton’s government headquarters will be after they sell City Hall, but Kaleta’s proposal would allow 941 Prime Development to buy the property and allow the city to remain there for up to 24 months under a lease agreement.
The Vias
Another proposal seeks permission to add a 20-story building to Bradenton’s downtown waterfront by combining “the urban vibes of St. Petersburg, the upscale feel of Sarasota and the amiable warmth of Bradenton.”
The Vias — a project backed by L&L Development Group, a design firm called Arquitectonica and Bradenton-based NDC Construction Company — proposes to build a tall complex that features a high-end 130-key Marriott AC hotel, 100 condo units, 25,000 square feet of retail space, 350 apartment units and 780 parking spaces.
“Despite its friendly charm and beautiful locale, Bradenton’s downtown has historically been overshadowed by the success of Sarasota, Tampa and St. Petersburg,” the group wrote in its proposal. “Our goal is to shift the perspective of locals and visitors alike by activating the downtown area with a dynamic, vibrant, mixed-use environment that will appeal to a diverse and multi-generational community while simultaneously providing an infusion of new jobs.”
The group pitches the high-rise as a way to encourage local tourism and “distinguish Bradenton as a forward-thinking city.” By offering to pay $14.1 million for the City Hall property, the investors behind The Vias may also be the highest bidder.
According to the proposal, the developers also offered a leaseback agreement to the city, allowing government operations to remain in the building until they can be relocated.
Opulence Realty Group
A newly formed group of investors and developers with experience building in Manatee County plan to build a mixed-use development that is between six and 20 stories tall on the City Hall property. Opulence Realty Group offered $13.5 million to buy the lot and “create a work, live, walk community with riverfront retail, office space and a restaurant on the lower level with condos, hotel and apartments above.”
Opulence Realty Group did not provide an architectural rendering of what the development would look like, but members of the development team were key parts of several local real estate projects, including Palmetto’s Riviera Dunes and Sanctuary Cove.
“With our work where you live resort-style community concept, we plan to develop based on the city’s vision of the ‘future’ by merging luxury with the existing southern charm and heritage of the city of Bradenton,” the group wrote.
According to the proposal, Opulence Realty Group aims to buy the property and offer a leaseback so that government operations may remain there for up to 24 months.
Silver Hills at Bradenton
Compared to the proposed high-rise buildings, the Silver Hills at Bradenton development takes a more conservative approach. The Ohio-based company offered $11.6 million to build an eight-story apartment complex.
All 350 units would feature luxury amenities and offer a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom floorplans.
In artist renderings provided in the offer packet, Silver Hills showed off a building design that aims to appear as “many distinct buildings that follow European and New Orleans style architecture.”
The project also addresses concerns of limited parking in downtown Bradenton by including its own five-story parking garage for apartment residents.
“Silver Hills at Bradenton provides a significant investment and development that the community will be proud of,” the company wrote in its pitch to the city. “Our proposal aligns with the development goals for the City of Bradenton by creating a unique architectural building and creating an enhanced Riverwalk for area residents to use for cultural events.”
According to the company’s offer, Silver Hills hopes to acquire possession of the City Hall property by April 2023. By then, the city of Bradenton’s government operations would need to relocate, the offer explained.
Red Apple Real Estate
The developer of one of the tallest buildings in the Tampa Bay area also put in a bid to buy Bradenton’s City Hall property. Red Apple Real Estate Group wants to build at least 240 apartments on the site, along with retail and a dedicated parking garage.
“Red Apple Real Estate is committed to creating a community of residential homes that feature luxury living options and amenities, with convenient neighborhood retail, to meet the demands of today’s tenants in the Bradenton community,” the developer wrote.
The company is also behind 400 Central, a 46-story condominium tower in downtown St. Petersburg that features more than 300 condos, 45,000 square feet of office space and 60,000 square feet of retail.
Red Apple Real Estate offered $12.75 million to buy the City Hall property but did not provide a design rendering of their proposed building. The company also agreed to allow government operations to stay in the building while a new City Hall is constructed.
If approved, the company said it may seek higher density approvals in order to build more than 240 apartments. However, the written proposal did not describe how many stories are planned for the development.
