A lawsuit against the city no longer holding back a deal and demand for hotel rooms on the rise, developers for a boutique hotel on Palm Avenue moved a step closer to fruition Monday. Angus Rogers, founder of Floridays Development, said he wants the new hotel to be open for the 2017 tourist season. "We want to be in the ground right now," he said. "We are now dealing with market conditions to get something just right for Sarasota."

Floridays and the City of Sarasota entered into an agreement in November 2012 to have an arts-themed, upscale hotel constructed on property adjacent to a city-owned garage on Palm. The garage was designed by Jonathan Parks Architect, the same firm working with Floridays on the hotel. The effort has been stalled in passing years by matters including a lawsuit between the city and The Leiter Group over a past public-private plan for the site. But the project now seems on track. City Commissioners voted unanimously Monday to move toward closing on a transfer of the property. The agreement requires the hotel developer to include a 6,000-square-foot ballroom, 4,000 square feet of meeting space and at least 160 guest rooms in the project.

On the private side, Rogers last year entered into a partnership with developer Larry Abbo. Rogers projects construction of the hotel to take 14 to 16 months. The project is expected to be part of the Hilton Curio collection, a collection of independent hotels backed by Hilton but all boasting distinct looks. The collection includes 11 hotels worldwide, including Diplomat Resort and Spa in Hollywood, Florida and the SLS Las Vegas Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.