Sarasota planning board approves Goodwill Superstore

Goodwill Industries-Manasota Inc. is one step closer to developing a new Goodwill Superstore on the North Trail in Sarasota. After a lengthy development process, the Sarasota planning board has backed the non-profit's site plan to develop a 29,699-square-foot retail store on U.S. 41 just south of University Parkway.

The new Goodwill store is planned for the site of the fire-damaged former Cafe of the Arts restaurant at 5150 N. Tamiami Trail near a Barnacle Bill's Seafood Restaurant. Goodwill plans to use the new location to replace an existing, aging Goodwill location further down the street at 3333 N. Tamiami Trail. It says the new site would increase its employment from 60 to 80.

Plans call for increased landscaping, and parking for 125 cars located north, south and west of the building, according to city Senior Planner Harvey Hoglund.

The Sarasota City Commission must still approve the site plan.

If the Goodwill store is approved, it will be only the latest renovation for the North Trail. Recently, the city backed a Walmart Supercenter proposed at 3500 N. Tamiami Trail. The Walmart, which replaces a shuttered Winn-Dixie store, is scheduled to be complete in August and will bring 100 new jobs to the area.