Will taller buildings lure people downtown to live? Bradenton just changed the rules
Taller buildings could be coming to downtown Bradenton.
The Bradenton City Council voted Wednesday to loosen the rules and allow developers to put up taller condo and rental buildings without other requirements like designating a portion of the building for affordable housing. Council members say the move is meant to “reinvigorate” the city’s urban center where new residential construction has been infrequent.
The looser law is aimed at luring more developers to build, and then more people to live in what they build.
In a memo shared with the Bradenton City Council, city planners determined that “redevelopment has been relatively slow in the downtown area.” The new policy hopes to speed things up by granting additional building height with fewer strings.
“We’re looking at trying to reinvigorate a downtown that the citizens have already made investments in,” said Councilwoman Marianne Barnebey, noting that the city has already paid for improvements in sewer lines, water lines and downtown walkability.
City council members voted to temporarily remove the requirement that at least 25% of a building’s units be designated affordable housing to receive additional building height downtown. They also gave developments an extra story without a previous requirement to incorporate public art into the project.
The decision automatically gives developers three or four additional stories, depending on the property’s zoning. But each development will require the Bradenton City Council’s approval.
Bradenton pushes for taller buildings
In an interview with the Bradenton Herald, Mayor Gene Brown suggested that the city’s building height regulations may have prevented developers from bringing residential buildings to downtown Bradenton. Elected as mayor in 2020, Brown campaigned on “revitalizing” downtown Bradenton and adding residential buildings.
“Our urban core development is very important to the city, and when you look at an opportunity to help that, you have to find every opportunity you can,” Brown said. “With the height in the prime parts of our downtown, this change will help become a viable project.”
Parking levels won’t be counted in the city’s temporary new rules allowing for taller buildings. For example, a building that would normally be capped at eight stories could reach 11 stories by including three floors of parking below the residential floors. But under the allowance, at least 60% of the building’s ground floor must be dedicated to office or retail space.
“It’s the right way to handle the growth that we’re having,” said Councilwoman Jayne Kocher.
Council members have approved tall residential buildings in the past. In 2021, for instance, the board approved the 12-story Nine20 Manatee development that is under construction at the intersection of Manatee Avenue and Ninth Street West.
Earlier this year, the Bradenton City Council selected a 17-story project featuring condos, apartments and a Marriott AC hotel to take the place of City Hall’s waterfront property. A final contract could be approved by the end of the year.
For over a decade, Bradenton’s maximum building height has been 20 stories, but most residential buildings downtown don’t rise beyond six stories.
Bradenton’s zoning changes are temporary. The additional building height may be granted to projects that come to the Bradenton City Council before December 2028. Those projects must also break ground before December 2033.
The eligible area is also limited to about 300 acres in downtown Bradenton. The north-south boundaries are roughly from the Manatee River to 10th Avenue West and east-west from First Street East to Wares Creek.
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Will new rules change downtown Bradenton?
Not everyone is a fan of the city’s new zoning rules. Councilwoman Lisa Gonzalez Moore said she agreed with most of the plan, but she urged the board to reconsider the automatic density bonus without including workforce or affordable housing as part of the development
“The thing I can’t really wrap my head around is the elimination of the workforce housing,” Moore said. “I have concerns about only market-rate housing becoming vacant seasonally, and I don’t know that that really supports what we’re trying to do downtown.”
Speaking during public comment, Bradenton resident Donna Mathias also criticized the policy. She said taller buildings and more downtown residents may change the character of downtown Bradenton, deviating from its small-town flavor.
“You say you don’t want to be like Sarasota, but you’re doing everything in your power to be like Sarasota,” Mathias told board members.
But council members said that taller downtown buildings would boost the entire city. The larger structures will improve the tax base and give city leaders additional money to address other issues in Bradenton, they said.
“Doing this and making a vibrant downtown is not only going to be beneficial to downtown but also the outskirts of it,” Councilwoman Pamela Coachman said. “Growth is hard, but we’ve got to do something.”
The Bradenton City Council voted 3-1 to approve the new zoning rules with additional building height. Moore voted against the policy. Councilman Josh Cramer was absent and did not cast a vote.
This story was originally published November 2, 2023 at 12:53 PM.
