Saunders' Sarasota move delayed

Michael Saunders & Co.'s highly anticipated move within downtown Sarasota has been delayed until the end of this quarter, company officials say.

The residential and commercial brokerage and services firm had planned to relocate from its longtime Main Street quarters to Benderson Development Co.'s 13-story Ellis Building at the end of last year, after signing one of the largest office leases in Sarasota's downtown in recent history.

But Saunders' plan to move to 15,200 square feet on the ground floor of the Ellis Building, at 1605 Main St., was delayed by permitting holdups and the September death of architect Rick Fawley, of Fawley Bryant Architects, which is designing Saunders' interior space.

Saunders' downtown office has been located at 1801 Main St. since 1987. The move will result in 50% more space for the firm as it consolidates more than 80 agents, a commercial brokerage and property management division and mortgage, title and rental representatives.