Brightwork Real Estate applies for U.S. 41, Jasmine retail building

Tampa-based Brightwork Real Estate Inc. has applied for a site plan to create a new retail building next to the Leedom Building at 3700 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota.

As currently designed, the project calls for demolishing a 490-square-foot drive-thru building next to the 14,456-square-foot office building to create additional parking. That parking would free up land on the Leedom Building site for a 4,171-square-foot building.

The development firm, which creates and owns the real estate for many national retailers, including Starbucks, Wawa, Walgreens and Chipotle, says it has no immediate tenants planned for the future building south of Jasmine Drive. Brightwork Real Estate would only own the new building pad, not the Leedom Building.

“We love Sarasota,” says Brightwork Real Estate Partner Austin Simmons. “Its demographics are fantastic and its [drive-by] traffic is fantastic for retailers. It's really a surprisingly strong market given its size. The economy is very strong there and there's a great breadth and depth of different folks with lots of different needs that a lot of retailers can serve.”