Pictured: The Mira Mar Residences development is focused around the historic Mira Mar Hotel site. Photo courtesy of Mira Mar Residences.

Around 100 guests gathered on Wednesday afternoon for an inside look at the future of Mira Mar Residences, the new luxury residence development in Downtown Sarasota. Project developers Patrick DiPinto, principal of Seaward Development, and Matthew Leake, president of Seaward Development, shared details on the Palm Avenue project and their efforts toward historic rehabilitation of the Mira Mar hotel.

Leake described the event as an opportunity to connect with the community while unveiling months of behind-the-scenes work. “We talked about the history of Mira Mar and its place in the city, and some of our sales team were able to give a little bit more in-depth insight into the building and the amenities,” he said following the event. “We were able to unveil a number of details and renderings for the first time.”

The Mira Mar residences will include 70 bayfront homes across two 18-story towers, rising behind the historic Mira Mar building. For Leake and his team, the project is focused both on the new development and on preserving the historic site. Seaward Development’s early phases of construction will focus on working to restore and stabilize the historic structure.

“It’s a special opportunity to rehabilitate this building that's 100 years old, that contributed to Sarasota’s history, and freshen it up, stabilize the structure for the next 100 years,” Leake says. “We didn't want to create a modern building and put it right behind the historic building. So we really worked closely with our architecture team to make sure that we blended those architectural styles and ensured they were complementary.”

Looking ahead, Leake’s vision for the development, which he described as “one-of-a-kind,” centers around creating a building that benefits both residents and the surrounding Downtown business community.

Pictured: The Mira Mar Residences development is focused around the historic Mira Mar Hotel site. Photo courtesy of Mira Mar Residences.