STEVE REID
Editor & Publisher
sreid@lbknews.com
A high-profile effort to reopen the popular Shore restaurant on St. Armands Circle has ignited a contentious debate over zoning, density, and the future of the island’s commercial landscape.
While the proposal promises a revitalized “flagship” destination, residents and community leaders warn it could set a precedent for widespread hotelization and increased density on the historic Circle.
Tom Leonard, owner of the Shore brand, is spearheading a plan to redevelop two flood-damaged commercial properties at 24 and 28 N. Boulevard of the Presidents. The proposed “Shore flagship” would combine a restaurant, café, and retail store on the lower levels, with a controversial new third floor designated for residential units or a boutique hotel.
However, the path forward is fraught with regulatory hurdles, including strict FEMA flood guidelines and fierce opposition from the St. Armands Residents Association, which fears the project is a Trojan horse for zoning changes that would fundamentally alter the character of the area.
The ‘Visioning’ Controversy
Tensions reached a boiling point this week following the announcement of city-run “visioning sessions” scheduled for early 2026. Ostensibly designed to gather community input on the “Future of St. Armands,” the sessions have drawn skepticism from resident leaders who view them as a taxpayer-funded vehicle to justify the developer’s requests.
Chris Goglia, President of the St. Armands Residents Association, expressed deep concern in a January 12 letter to the City and media, calling the timing of the sessions suspicious.
“I believe it is connected to the new Shore Restaurant returning to St. Armands which, as presented, will require significant zoning changes,” Goglia wrote. He questioned why this specific project merits a city-financed facilitator and workshops, asking, “Is there a community need being solved here, or is this just going to line some developer’s pocket?”
Goglia noted that if density increases or parking concessions are granted for the Shore project, those changes would likely apply to all of St. Armands. “If this concept is financially successful for this one developer, why won’t more and more commercial properties on St. Armands do the same thing?” he asked.
The Proposal: A “Fully Immersive Shore Lifestyle”
The project targets two buildings that have remained vacant since the devastating 2024 hurricane season, which forced Leonard to close the original Shore location at 465 John Ringling Blvd. (That space has since been leased to Tommy Bahama).
Applicants United Associates Ltd. and Kauffman Family Partnership aim to transform the North Boulevard properties into a three-story destination. A press release described the three-phase project as the first “fully immersive Shore lifestyle destination.”
While the redevelopment of the commercial ground floors may not require rezoning, the addition of a third floor for short-term rental apartments or hotel use faces significant legal barriers. Currently, the St. Armands Commercial Tourist (CT) district prohibits hotel usage. City code defines a hotel as a building with six or more guest rooms for daily or weekly travelers, explicitly intended to serve tourists—a use strictly regulated in the district.
The FEMA Hurdle: The 50% Rule
Beyond zoning, the project faces a formidable engineering and financial challenge: the FEMA “50% Rule.”
During a pre-application conference on December 17, 2025, the City’s Development Review Committee (DRC) warned project representatives that simple renovations would likely trigger a requirement to bring the entire structure up to current flood codes.
The rule stipulates that if improvements to a building in a flood zone cost 50% or more of its pre-improvement market value, the structure must be elevated to meet modern safety standards. Deputy Building Official Mike Taylor noted that the two existing buildings have a combined structure value of approximately $1.2 million.
“It doesn’t sound like this project can be built for under 50% of the value of that,” Taylor told project consultant Bill Waddill of Kimley-Horn. “Even with a private property appraiser, it would be difficult to meet those numbers and still be able to get what you want out of this.”
This means the developers may be forced to raise the structures to base flood elevation—a costly and complex endeavor—to maintain insurance eligibility.
A History of Development Disputes
This is not the first time Leonard and his associates have clashed with local regulations.
• 2021-2022: Leonard, then Chair of the St. Armands Business Improvement District (BID), sought a commercial height increase and authorization for hotel use. The effort stalled when it was revealed the BID lacked the authority to seek zoning changes. The City Commission subsequently voted 5-0 to reject the request in November 2022.
• The Fillmore Lot: Developers previously proposed a hotel on the St. Armands Fillmore Parking Lot. That plan collapsed after it was discovered that municipal bond covenants prevented the elimination of the lot’s paid parking spaces.
Goglia points to this pattern as evidence of a persistent push for intensification that the community has repeatedly rejected. “We occasionally get devastated by hurricanes,” Goglia wrote, citing environmental sensitivity and traffic congestion on the barrier island’s evacuation routes as critical reasons to limit density.
Next Steps
The City of Sarasota is proceeding with the visioning process to determine what changes, if any, are necessary for the Circle’s future. Meanwhile, the next step for the Shore project is a formal submittal to the DRC.
For residents like Goglia, the stakes are clear. “Once zoning changes are made for this one property, they then apply to all properties,” he warned. “Is that what the community wants for the future of St. Armands?”
With regard to the Shore proposal for the two vacant store fronts on St. Armands is merely the latest attempt by Mr. Leonard to remake the Circle area according to his wishes and interests. Existing zoning? Pshaw! Wishes of established businesses? What do they know? The interests of the neighboring residents in resisting changes to the housing character in a constant fight against pushes for increased density? There’s money to be made.
This current whim, including a heretofore unhallowed third floor to commercially zoned property for some manner of residential use, is preceded by 2022’s Winter Fest which appropriated public parkland and right-of-way for ice skating, decorative lights, etc. in the median of John Ringling Boulevard. That adventure was almost cloaked in darkness fete accompli before residents caught wind of it and were able to get some minor concessions before the unsuccessful carnival came and went. Of course, the neighboring barrier islands who had and have continuing concerns about traffic management and flow were also kept in the dark while the plans for the Fest progressed.
That particular land-grab was done in conjunction with Ride Entertainment, the same organization that was involved in a move on Ken Thompson Park. One of the principles of the firm was involved in the 2021 pitch for a permanent Carousel in the same patch of public land that wound up “hosting” Winter Fest the following year. If I call correctly, Mr. Leonard was a leader in the effort to place a hotel and grocery store in the surface parking lot behind the properties where his latest effort is centered. At about the same time, he also was pushing for a zoning change to permit hotels throughout the Circle.
Perhaps there is an intelligent discussion to have on the appropriate future of the commercial area and the neighborhoods vis a vis the stated threats (voiced by guess who?) from Hyde Park in Tampa and Naples. But the real vis a vis should be with the businesses, the residents and the City of Sarasota, as well as the areas where traffic flows to and from the Circle. That’s the way to approach the future, not by continued fires to be responded to and put out, started by a developer that seems intent to keep throwing things against the wall until one sticks.
Credit where due, however: Mr. Leonard does build and operate good restaurants, including the still operating Longboat Key establishment.
Perhaps, rest on those laurels and let your neighbors live in peace.