Sarasota is facing a critical shortage of affordable and attainable workforce housing — placing increasing pressure on working individuals and families, impacting local businesses, and challenging the long-term vitality of our community. In response, the City has secured a key downtown site on 1st Street, just one block from Main Street, to advance a sustainable workforce housing solution in the heart of Sarasota.
The 1st Street Workforce Housing Project is envisioned as a mixed-use development that may include multi-story residential buildings, ground-floor commercial space, and public parking. The goal is to create attainable rental housing serving households across a range of income levels, while activating the street level and supporting downtown vibrancy. Revenue generated from commercial space may help offset construction costs and support long-term financial sustainability.
Recent updates to City and State housing policies — including the Downtown Affordable Housing Density Bonus and Florida’s Live Local Act — create a timely opportunity to move this project forward. The City is actively engaging philanthropic, community, and government partners, and strong preliminary interest in collaboration has been expressed.
As the project evolves, City will work with a selected development partner to refine the vision based on public input, financial feasibility, regulatory requirements, and community priorities. The City is committed to delivering a long-term, sustainable workforce housing solution through a thoughtful, community-driven partnership approach.
Attainable_Housing_Presentation.pdf(PDF, 14MB)