Zoned Downtown Edge (DTE) within the City of Sarasota, the property carries density potential that is exceptionally difficult to replicate in this location. Bounded by North Orange Avenue, the site sits just blocks from downtown Sarasota’s cultural core, the Sarasota Bay waterfront, and a corridor that has attracted significant public and private investment. For developers, investors, or owner-users seeking a transformative urban infill position, this site represents a generational chance to shape a neighborhood on the rise.
MSC Commercial is pleased to present 801 North Orange Avenue, a rare large-scale redevelopment opportunity situated on +/- five acres in the heart of the Rosemary District — one of the most active and desirable urban neighborhoods on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Currently improved as the Sarasota Military Academy campus, the site offers a clear path to multifamily or mixeduse redevelopment in a sub market that is rapidly transforming and under supplied with quality residential product.
With +/- five acres of contiguous land under the Downtown Edge (DTE) zoning classification, 801 North Orange Avenue offers a scale of opportunity that is virtually unmatched within the City of Sarasota’s urban core. DTE zoning is designed to encourage mixed-use and residential intensification in neighborhoods adjacent to the downtown core — making this site a natural fit for a thoughtful multifamily, mixed-use, or condominium development. The property falls within the Rosemary Residential Overlay District (RROD), which provides a bonus density mechanism for projects incorporating attainable housing units. Developers can leverage this overlay to unlock additional residential density beyond base zoning allowances, meaningfully improving project economics. Nearby projects on North Orange Avenue and 10th Street are actively taking advantage of this framework. Conceptual sketch plans for the site have been prepared under both a codecompliant scenario and a Live Local Act scenario, illustrating the range of density and height achievable on this parcel. Florida’s Live Local Act provides additional tools for developers to maximize residential unit counts in qualifying urban locations, and this site’s downtown adjacency and DTE zoning position it as a strong candidate.