SARASOTA, Fla. — Sarasota city leaders face a big decision Tuesday: Whether to preserve or demolish a hotel that once allowed African Americans a safe place to stay during the Jim Crow era when Sarasota was segregated.
Originally known as the Colson Hotel, the building has been plagued with termites, cracks, broken windows, and possible mold which is spelled out in a 331-page document as part of Tuesday’s agenda.
COLSONHOTEL Agenda Request Form by ABC Action News on Scribd
The building, at 1425 Eighth Street in Sarasota, opened in 1926. It’s named after Reverand Lewis Colson, the first known free black man to settle in Sarasota.
It’s currently owned by Maximilian Vollmer of JDMAX Developments LLC in Tampa. Vollmer wants to demolish the building and construct new townhomes. In filings submitted with the city, he argues the building is in disrepair and is not salvageable.
Earlier in the year, Sarasota's historic preservation board denied Vollmer’s request to demolish the former hotel to make way for the new development.
At 8:30 am Tuesday, Sarasota residents will join the Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition in urging city leaders to save the building and preserve it for historical purposes. Another option is to move the building to a new location, if possible. The group is also hoping for a historical marker to be placed in the location.
The developer argues the building is unsafe and unsuitable for repair, with extensive wood rot.
In a letter to the city, Vollmer wrote, “I approach this matter with a profound respect for historic preservation…it is with a heavy heart and a profound sense of responsibility that I present our case, fully aware of the potential concerns this application may raise within the community and among the members of this esteemed board.”
The city commission meeting begins at 9 am Tuesday, September 3 and residents plan to be there to make their voice and presence known.
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