12th Annual Downtown Horizons: A Confident Look at Where Sarasota Is Headed

SARASOTA, FL (May 18, 2026). More than 100 commercial and residential REALTOR® professionals gathered at Embassy Suites by Hilton for the 12th Annual Downtown Horizons. Members of the Commercial Real Estate Alliance (CREA) and the REALTOR® Association of Sarasota and Manatee (RASM) heard a confident assessment of where downtown Sarasota is heading.

Max Brandow, RASM Vice President of Advocacy and Member Programs, moderated a panel of Chris Gallagher of Hoyt Architects, Sadek Omar of ORE Development, and Bill Waddill of Kimley-Horn. The conversation was organized around three questions: where Sarasota has been, where it is now, and where it is going.

The headline takeaway: downtown is in motion, and the next decade can build on momentum that is already real.

The panel pointed to a downtown that has grown in scale and sophistication. Cranes have been part of the skyline for more than 15 years. Hoyt Architects alone has shaped dozens of downtown projects across 33 years. The Waldorf Astoria brand is preparing for its market debut. The Bay Park is open and progressing through its next phases. The Quay, once a stalled bankruptcy property, is on a path to more than three billion dollars in real estate value, with much of that increment funding Sarasota's most important public spaces.

Panelists also pointed to wins that are easier to miss. Sarasota now offers a real mix of housing, from inland acreage to single-family homes to downtown towers. Attainable housing is finding its way into major new projects. The Rosemary District has been transformed in less than two decades into one of the most exciting neighborhoods in the city.

The vision for the next ten years was equally clear. Panelists described a downtown that is more walkable, pedestrian-friendly, and connected to the waterfront, with stronger retail, a more thoughtful streetscape, and a larger year-round residential community. They also pointed to opportunities for a convention center, a serious commitment to a new performing arts center, and a Sarasota that can compete with the best small cities in the country.

Sadek Omar put that ambition into perspective from the 8th floor of the Embassy Suites. As he looked out over Sarasota’s waterfront and city skyline, he pointed to the view as proof of the city’s potential.

“This should be the Monaco of America,” he said. “This is the best place ever.”

Getting there will take coordination. The panel pointed to the importance of an updated downtown master plan, stronger public and private partnerships, and broad community engagement. The Bay Park's success, built on more than 300 public meetings since 2017, was offered as the model.

Bill Waddill closed with a direct call to action. Pick an issue you care about in downtown Sarasota and get involved.

Downtown Horizons returns annually as part of RASM's Commercial Real Estate Alliance programming. Members can find upcoming events at myrasm.com/commercial.

Image: From left to right: Chris Gallagher, Hoyt Architects; Sadek Omar, ORE Development; Bill Waddill, Kimley-Horn; and Max Brandow, REALTOR® Association of Sarasota and Manatee.