Downtown Booms with New Businesses and Construction
For the first time since the recession began, construction begins again in downtown Sarasota. Simultaneously, the most talked-about downtown Sarasota restaurant is opening to great reviews. Downtown Sarasota is booming again with new businesses and new construction, and longtime residents can feel the excitement.
Louie’s Modern on Palm Avenue opened the first week of April 2013 with a menu that attracts Sarasota’s diverse range of residents and vacationers from accross the globe. Louie’s Modern embodies culinary creativity, uses only the freshest foods, and gives a top-knotch dining experience. The menu begins with snacks, soups, and pizzetas, and it includes entrées like Sweet Onion-Scottish Salmon Hushpuppies, Spoonbread Johnnycakes, Short Rib Bourguignon, and Curry Roasted Cauliflower with Red Quinoa Pilaf. Vegetarian plates, gluten-free items, and indulgent desserts are also part of Louie’s menu. Snack and entrée prices range from $4-$24, and craft beers are offered ranging from $4-$8. Louie's Modern also offers a broad wine list.
Louie’s Modern Barista Bar is open daily at 7:00 a.m. Here, customers can grab breakfast to-go or savor the perfect cup of coffee. Past the Barista Bar and through Louie’s dining room, you'll discover a special events venue available for conferences, groups, and parties of 10 to 250 named The Francis. Louie’s also provides catering and attentive professional service to events at The Francis, and the facility features a private dining area, up-to-the-minute audio/video technology, and complementary covered parking. Louie’s Modern has hired more than 100 employees, and the restaurant is a key factor in Sarasota’s post-recession recovery, but it’s still only one part of the vibrant downtown picture.
The high-rise and highly-anticipated luxury condominium tower named The Jewel is going up this year at Palm Avenue and Main Street. Designed by Sarasota architect Gary Hoyt, the sophisticated and trendy complex plans to feature a state-of-the-art fitness facility, a heated pool, Jacuzzi, spa, yoga room, caged tennis court, and even a six-hole putting green. The Jewel promises a contemporary look with plenty of glass and a lush 4th-floor garden; the complex will offer 18 ultra-luxurious condos and 6 ground-floor retail and restaurant sites.
There is also talk of a new 10-story luxury hotel on Palm Avenue and a fashionable, 40-unit townhome community on Ringling Boulevard next to the County Administration Building. In 2013, downtown Sarasota is lively, busy, and booming. The city continues to emerge as southwest Florida’s leader in commerce, culture, and quality of life.
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