SARASOTA, Fla. — In Sarasota, the city commission's final decision on whether to approve a permit to demolish the historic Colson Hotel or uphold a denial is on hold.
The hotel was built in 1926 and named after Rev. Lewis Colson, the first known free African American to settle in Sarasota and help plat the city at Five Points. It was once the only hotel where African Americans could find safe lodging during the Jim Crow racial segregation era.
On Tuesday, city leaders heard from the community and the developers about their vision for the property on 8th Street.
"Sarasota cannot afford the loss of the Colson Hotel," said Erin DiFazio, Program Director for the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation (SAHP).
"I want to say that we saved an important part of black history and that black investors teamed with foundation leaders and others in our community to help save it," said Vickie Oldham with Sarasota's African American Cultural Coalition.
After several hours of presentations and public comments, city staff have now been directed to have another meeting with the applicant and any potential buyers of the Colson Hotel property to discuss other alternative options to demolition, including possibly restoring the structure as a financially viable boutique hotel.
Ahead of the commission meeting, some community leaders and concerned citizens who had anticipated a deciding vote rallied outside of city hall.
"That hotel was built at a time that was known as Overtown, which was the original black community here in Sarasota that started being settled in 1884. How would you feel if all your history all of it which was a right contributing history was just gone" said Walter Gilbert also with Sarasota's African American Cultural Coalition.
The current owner Maximilian Vollmer, of Tampa-based JDMAX Developments LLC, said the entire structure is overrun by black mold, termites and extensive water damage. Vollmer said that based on findings by his surveyors and engineers, there is nothing to salvage or restore.
The developer was initially proposing 27 town units, which was not approved by the city and revised that to six apartment units. After recognizing the significance of the property to the community, the developers are also proposing that the property be taken off their hands at the sale price of around $2.3 million.
"As it is now the building is dilapidated and it shows no distinguishing representation of something important because it has been left to die so in the interest of saving the building and it is worth what we all say their heart is then let's stop playing the games and find the money," said Joseph Lovett, managing partner JDMAX Developments.
Lovett has also offered to put up $600,000 to help potential buyers towards achieving the sale.
An additional consideration for the property which was put forward during the hearing was to restore the structure to a financially viable boutique hotel.
"We're asking in some way for the building to be sold to a developer or to a group who can then renovate it, making it into a boutique hotel and then there can be a plaque outside of that hotel that says this before was the Colson hotel and the history about it," said Dr. Washington Hill, board chair of the Sarasota's African American Cultural Coalition.
"We can work with this developer. I think that it is possible, it's doable and all you're going to have to do is decide that it can be done and you are going to have to work it out because he is open, and is leading the plan for how he can get as much possible he can get out of us," said Fredd Atkins, former Sarasota mayor.
While city leaders await feedback from staff expected sometime in the fall, the fate of the hotel will now continue to remain uncertain until a consensus is reached.