STEVE REID
Editor & Publisher
sreid@lbknews.com
The current tranquil weather – as 2025 proceeds without a strike by a named storm  has proven to be an invaluable asset. The past year has seen Longboat Key, Siesta Key, and St. Armands Circle transition from immediate recovery into a phase of strategic resurgence. The driving force behind this rebirth is a distinct shift toward hurricane-resilient construction and significant investment in the high-end hospitality and commercial sectors.
The collective sigh of relief the region feels as Hurricane season comes to a close is fueling the local enthusiasm.
St. Armands Circle: A High-Value Commercial Recalibration
St. Armands Circle has rapidly reasserted itself as a premium retail and culinary destination, demonstrating formidable commercial resilience. The commercial real estate here is showing zero hesitation in committing to costly, high-end build-outs.
• Tommy Bahama’s Power Re-Entry: The most symbolic return is Tommy Bahama Restaurant, Bar & Store (465 John Ringling Blvd.). Reopening in late September 2025, the brand made a strategic and massive commitment by moving into a newly transformed, two-story, 10,000-square-foot space. This integration of 5,000 sq. ft. of luxury retail on the ground floor and a 5,000 sq. ft. restaurant on the second floor is a clear vote of confidence, signaling that the Circle’s luxury retail-dining model is the sustainable template for this market. It directly translates to 150 peak-season jobs.
• Themed Luxury Dining Anchor: The new Ringside at Cirque St. Armands Beachside opened its doors in March 2025. This sophisticated, circus-themed experience—the premiere restaurant in the new Cirque St. Armands Hotel on Lido Key—injects new high-end traffic to the St. Armands area. This resort-affiliated concept acts as a crucial draw, linking resort guests directly to the Circle’s commercial offerings.
• New Global Flavors: The Circle’s commercial vibrancy is further amplified by new arrivals like Flambo Island Cuisine (40 S. Blvd of the Presidents). This family-owned venture, focusing on island-inspired dining with a blend of Trinidad and Tobago flavors, underscores the enduring tenant demand for prime St. Armands retail slots.
The clustering of new and established fine dining—including classics like Columbia Restaurant and Crab & Fin—is showing that despite infrastructure challenges, the premium-traffic economic generator of St. Armands is fundamentally stable and aggressively attracting high-capital tenants.
Infrastructure Investment
Critically, the city of Sarasota is actively pursuing $10 million in targeted flood mitigation funding for St. Armands Circle under the Resilient SRQ program. This investment—focused on upgrading pump stations, installing tide backflow prevention devices, and designing storm surge protection—is an explicit acknowledgment that future economic stability hinges on climate-resilient infrastructure.
Enduring Tenancy
New and resilient dining venues, including 15 South by Napulè and Ringside Restaurant, are complementing the repair efforts of established tenants, confirming that market demand for sophisticated, experiential coastal dining remains robust despite the prior year’s physical setbacks.
Longboat Key: Endurance and Investment Secure the Luxury Segment
On Longboat Key, the narrative is one of unwavering continuity and targeted, ultra-luxury development, backed by strategic civic improvements.
Community Hall Approval
In a civic victory, the Sarasota County Library and Community Hall project received final commission approval in April 2025. The project—a public/private partnership enhanced by over $3.5 million in private donations—will serve not only as a cultural hub but as a critical, hurricane-ready emergency resource center staged at the Town Center Green.
Preservation of Identity
In an assertion of local will, the Town Commission unanimously voted to keep the historic name of Gulf of Mexico Drive in October 2025. This decision, prioritizing community stability and avoiding the costly administrative disruption for over 5,100 addresses, was a direct rejection of the proposed name change, cementing the importance of local tradition and home rule.
Ultra-Luxury Real Estate
The island’s real estate market is undergoing a structural transformation toward premium, resilient inventory. Flagship residential components of projects like the St. Regis are setting new benchmarks for quality. This flight to quality is driven by discerning buyers seeking properties built to the latest Florida Building Code (FBC) standards, featuring impact-resistant construction and elevated foundations, which translates directly into perceived durability and long-term asset value.
Buyers are explicitly valuing hurricane-resistant features, such as concrete block construction, impact-rated windows, and elevated floor plans, with new builds commanding a clear premium and facing lower insurance scrutiny. The market is thus becoming a clear delineation between two-tiered stock: older homes facing extended market times and increased insurance risk, and new construction which is positioning itself as the standard for secure, long-term coastal ownership.
Longboat Key’s Resort Monoliths
The resilience story along the Sarasota coastline is not just about rebuilding; it’s about strategic, high-value investment—a double-fisted power play centered on elite retail and luxury resort tourism.
The data confirms two major economic pillars are fully engaged: St. Armands Circle’s dining sector is booming with resilient new concepts, and Longboat Key’s resort infrastructure is solidifying its role as the island’s primary economic engine.
Longboat Key’s Resort Duopoly: The Dual Economic Anchors
Longboat Key’s economic security is anchored by the two fully operational luxury resorts: The Resort at Longboat Key Club and the St. Regis Longboat Key Resort. These properties are self-contained economic hubs driving property values and employment.
The St. Regis Longboat Key Resort opened November 2024. This $800 Million development has already been added to the tax rolls, driving up the entire island’s property valuation. It provides a new benchmark for ultra-luxury hospitality with 166 rooms and 67 high-end condominium units. Its five destination restaurants (CW Prime, Riva, Aura, Oshen, The St. Regis Bar) and full-service spa create hundreds of high-wage hospitality jobs and attract a global clientele with massive disposable income, sustaining high commercial occupancy.
The Resort at Longboat Key Club with 410 acres, 226 guest rooms, 45 holes of golf, an award-winning tennis center, and a 291-slip deep-water marina, this property is consistently cited as Longboat Key’s largest employer and tax contributor. Its multi-year, multi-million dollar refurbishments—focused on yacht-sleek, resilient design—ensure its competitiveness and ability to attract the conference and high-end leisure business that sustains year-round economic activity.
Key Club as Property Value Catalyst
The resort lifestyle, amenity-rich environment, and consistent flow of affluent repeat visitors directly contribute to higher-than-average median home prices in the surrounding Longboat Key Club community ($1.4 Million median listing price). As a pipeline for future property buyers, resort guests often convert to second-home owners.
In short, the Sarasota Keys are not just recovering; they are fortifying their economic structure through calculated, high-capital investment in luxury tourism and retail, making the market significantly more resistant to future economic or environmental shocks.
