More affordable housing planned near Bradenton’s DeSoto Square Mall, records say
An affordable housing apartment complex could be coming near the defunct DeSoto Square Mall.
Nashville-based Elmington Capital Group recently filed paperwork with Manatee County Development Services to build a four-story building with 108 multifamily apartments at the northwest intersection of Fifth Street East and 301 Boulevard East.
Elmington is a private real estate investment and development firm that focuses on affordable and workforce housing complexes.
According to building records, the proposed affordable housing complex is eligible for a rapid response or fast track review and would sit on more than three acres of land if approved.
New apartments planned near DeSoto Square Mall
The proposed four-story apartment building comprises more than 37,000 square feet, according to building records.
Proposed plans do not detail apartment layouts, including how many bedrooms or bathrooms each unit would have. The plans also do not specify what percentage of the area median income is needed for eligibility to live in the community.
The median income for a four-person family in Bradenton is $109,700, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, in 2026.
More housing planned for DeSoto Square Mall area
It’s the second affordable housing complex proposed near the former DeSoto Square Mall, which closed in 2021.
In 2025, a 140-unit affordable housing complex named the Desoto Apartments filed paperwork with the county’s development services to build on a 4.8-acre site at 615 301 Boulevard W., which sits on the north end of the DeSoto Square Mall property.
Madison Soto, a 242-unit luxury apartment complex announced in 2024, is under construction on the southeast side of the mall.
