For more than a decade, a succession of new residential landmarks has steadily reshaped downtown Sarasota’s waterfront. What began with individual towers rising along Sarasota Bay has now become something much larger: a connected waterfront district combining residences, hospitality, boating, public parkland and Sarasota’s cultural core.
Today, that momentum is especially visible at The Quay, the master-planned waterfront district developed by GreenPointe Developers. Three major residential developments are advancing simultaneously, each representing a different stage in the district’s evolution.
The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Sarasota Bay is approaching delivery. One Park Sarasota is moving toward completion. And this fall, Kolter Urban will break ground on 1000 Boulevard of the Arts, a new mixed-use landmark combining private residences with the Hyatt Centric® Harborside hotel.
Together, they offer compelling evidence of how Sarasota’s downtown waterfront has evolved—and how sustained investment, thoughtful planning and buyer demand have transformed a collection of individual development opportunities into a recognizable destination.
Cotton & Company has had a unique vantage point on that transformation. Its Sarasota branding and marketing experience spans VUE Sarasota Bay, BLVD Sarasota, Peninsula Sarasota, Bayso Sarasota and the three major properties currently advancing within The Quay.
The Momentum Started Before The Quay Became a District
More than a decade ago, VUE Sarasota Bay became one of the first significant additions to the modern downtown Sarasota skyline and helped usher in a new period of residential development along the bayfront.
Developed by Kolter Urban and located adjacent to The Quay, VUE demonstrated growing interest in large-scale downtown waterfront residences and helped establish a foundation for the development activity that followed.
Cotton & Company handled branding and marketing for VUE, beginning what became a long-running relationship with Kolter Urban in Sarasota and across Florida.
Across U.S. 41, BLVD Sarasota by Core Development added another major residential landmark to the downtown skyline. Cotton & Company also handled branding and marketing for the sold-out tower, which will soon welcome 1000 North Sarasota, a new private dining club.
Next, development moved directly into The Quay. Bayso Sarasota, another Kolter Urban development marketed by Cotton & Company, became the first residential tower completed within the district. Its arrival provided the first physical evidence of GreenPointe’s larger vision for The Quay as a new downtown waterfront neighborhood. Those projects helped create the foundation for what is happening today.
What Is Being Developed Today at The Quay?
The Quay is now experiencing activity on multiple fronts, with one residential property approaching delivery, another nearing completion and a third preparing to break ground.
The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Sarasota Bay
The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Sarasota Bay is approaching delivery in the fourth quarter of 2026 with nearly $300 million in sales to date. Developed by Kolter Urban, the property includes a limited collection of 78 residences ranging from approximately 3,500 to just under 6,000 square feet. Premier Sotheby’s International Realty represents sales. The development also includes access to The Harbor Club, a private residential amenity program planned to encompass more than 20,000 square feet.
Its progress represents one of the most visible near-term milestones at The Quay: a major new waterfront landmark moving from construction toward occupancy.
One Park Sarasota
Nearby, One Park Sarasota is more than 75% sold and moving toward anticipated completion at the end of the first quarter of 2027. Developed by Property Markets Group in partnership with MoneyShow, One Park is fully topped out, with work progressing on glazing, residences, amenities and building systems. The development includes 86 condominium residences plus four townhomes and more than 40,000 square feet of resident amenities.
One Park adds another distinct architectural presence to The Quay while reinforcing the depth of demand for new residential product along Sarasota’s downtown waterfront.
1000 Boulevard of the Arts
Kolter Urban is scheduled to break ground in October on 1000 Boulevard of the Arts, a 20-story bayfront development that will combine 117 private residences with the new Hyatt Centric® Harborside hotel.
Premier Sotheby’s International Realty represents residential sales. The development sits at the intersection of Sarasota Bay, The Bay Sarasota, Quay Harbor and the Boulevard of the Arts, extending the district’s mix of residential, hospitality and waterfront uses.
From a Master Plan to a Waterfront Destination
GreenPointe Developers’ role is fundamental to understanding why these properties belong to one larger story.
As master developer of The Quay, GreenPointe created the framework for a waterfront district rather than a collection of unrelated development parcels. That framework established the setting in which multiple developers could bring distinctly positioned residential and hospitality offerings to market while sharing a broader relationship with Quay Harbor, Sarasota Bay and downtown Sarasota.
The district also benefits from its connection to The Bay Sarasota, the 53-acre public waterfront park immediately adjacent to The Quay, as well as Sarasota’s established arts and cultural destinations along the Boulevard of the Arts.
Residents are not simply buying into individual buildings. They are buying into a downtown waterfront environment where residences, public green space, boating, dining, hospitality, arts and cultural institutions are increasingly connected within a walkable area. The three current projects address that opportunity differently.
The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Sarasota Bay emphasizes branded residential service, expansive residences and private amenities. One Park Sarasota offers a design-led, private residential environment centered on architecture, scale and livability. 1000 Boulevard of the Arts will introduce a contemporary residential offering integrated with Hyatt Centric® Harborside and its more socially active hospitality component.
Developers are making distinct product decisions to appeal to varied buyers while continuing to invest within the same concentrated waterfront district.
Why Downtown Sarasota Continues to Attract Development
Sarasota has long had many of the ingredients associated with Florida’s most desirable coastal markets: waterfront access, cultural institutions, dining, beaches and year-round recreation. What has changed downtown is the concentration of those assets around a growing residential district.
The Quay connects directly with Sarasota Bay and Quay Harbor. The Bay Sarasota expands the public waterfront with trails, open space and programming. The Boulevard of the Arts connects residents with major cultural institutions. Downtown dining and retail sit within walking distance. For developers, that creates an opportunity to sell something larger than a condominium residence without relying on vague lifestyle promises. The surrounding environment can be seen, used and experienced.
“What we are seeing along Sarasota’s downtown waterfront is not interest in a single building or a single moment in the market. Buyers now have several distinct ways to live in this district, and developers continue to respond with projects that speak to different preferences while sharing the same advantages of the waterfront, downtown and Sarasota’s cultural core,” said Adam Kaufman, Senior Vice President | New Development Services for Premier Sotheby’s International Realty. “The level of activity at The Quay today reflects how much depth the Sarasota market has developed over the past decade.”
The continued addition of new residential offerings points to confidence in downtown Sarasota’s high-end market.
Cotton & Company’s Role Across Sarasota’s Growth
Cotton & Company has worked through several phases of this evolution. The firm’s Sarasota experience includes assignments for Kolter Urban, Property Markets Group, Core Development and GreenPointe Developers. Working across multiple developers and stages of development has given Cotton a deep understanding of how timing and market context influence positioning strategy.
Launching into an emerging market requires one strategy. Introducing a property once buyers already have multiple new-construction choices requires another. Marketing a building approaching completion calls for different proof than presenting a project before construction begins.
“When we first introduced VUE Sarasota Bay, the downtown waterfront was at a very different point in its evolution,” said Laurie Andrews of Cotton & Company. “What is exciting today is seeing how each successful development has added another layer to the market. The buyer has become more informed, the choices have become more sophisticated, and the story has expanded from individual towers to an entire waterfront district. Having worked through those different stages gives us valuable perspective when we help a developer highlight the unique attributes of its property.”
A Long-Term Perspective on Sarasota’s Growth
What began as a series of individual development opportunities has become a recognizable waterfront district built through sustained investment, GreenPointe’s master plan for The Quay and the continued expansion of Sarasota’s public waterfront.
Having worked across that timeline, Cotton & Company brings developers a long-term understanding of how Sarasota’s buyers, competitive landscape and development story have evolved—and what it takes to distinguish the next property entering the market.
Developers and ownership teams evaluating opportunities in Sarasota or elsewhere in Florida can connect with Cotton & Company to discuss market positioning, branding, launch strategy and integrated real estate marketing. Visit CottonCo.com or contact Laurie Andrews directly at 772.600.3501.
