Vandyk Group of Cos. plans Golden Gate condos

Canadian developer Vandyk Group of Cos. has chosen Sarasota as its entry point into the U.S. market. Vandyk USA has announced plans to develop a mid-rise condominium building on Golden Gate Point.

Vandyk ended up in Sarasota after its president and CEO, John Vandyk, became familiar with the area when visiting Canadian friends who live here seasonally.

“He came down here, and he just fell in love with the place,” Karin Silver, vice president of marketing and sales for Vandyk USA, told the Sarasota Observer. “He calls it a little cultural haven, a hidden jewel.”

In the process — and after purchasing a condo himself on Golden Gate Point — he noticed vacancies in the area and felt he should capitalize on that opportunity.

One88, located at 188 Golden Gate Point, is slated to become Vandyk's first project in the United States.

One88 will consist of eight residences in a five-story building, with each condominium featuring a view of the bay and of the marina to the east. Amenities include boat docks, a car lift, a lap pool, private balconies and a rooftop terrace. The roughly 3,000-square-foot condos are expected to start in the mid-$2 million range.

Construction is scheduled to begin in the spring, and the build-out time is projected to be one year.

Rather than solicit presales, as is the case for many planned downtown condo developments, One88 Residences will not begin sales until it completes all of its planning documents.

This is just the beginning of Vandyk's plans for development in the Sarasota area, according to Silver. Vandyk is reportedly targeting several other locations throughout downtown. The company's president is primarily passionate about mid-rise condominiums, she says, but the company could develop a mix of boutique projects.

The company also has plans to develop a property at 635 S. Orange Ave. in Burns Court, though it's not yet known what the project will be.