Sarasota Station Apartments breaks ground as 20-year vision becomes reality
New workforce housing complex takes shape in Sarasota
Sarasota Station Apartments will bring more than 200 affordable housing units to families and workers of Sarasota. FOX 13's Kimberly Kuizon reports.
SARASOTA, Fla - Rent has gone up and so have the prices of homes, so much so, that some are being priced out of Sarasota. Now, a new workforce housing complex is hoping to solve some of those problems.
One Stop Housing broke ground Thursday morning on a new building. The group knows it's only a fraction of what is needed in the community, but it is a legacy project that was started 20 years ago by a man who refused to give up.
READ: Bilt expands rewards program with new cards for renters, homeowners: What to know
The backstory:
The lift of a shovel signifies a marked milestone as ground was broken on Sarasota Station Apartments.
"We have like 1,100 units under construction right now. This is the most meaningful, because this is my father’s legacy. This is the project he started 20 years ago," said Mark Vengroff, the managing partner for One Stop Housing.
His father, Harvey, worked for decades in trying to signal a shift in Sarasota and the need for workforce housing.
"It's such a key representation of what life is like today versus what our community was 20 years ago," said Vengroff.
Through the City of Sarasota's Live Local Act, Sarasota County's Resilient SRQ funds and Gulf Coast Community Foundation's first Impact Investment, a simple vision has become reality.
"It's not a sprinkle of affordability, it is affordable," said Vengroff.
Why you should care:
More than 200 studio, one and two-bedroom units will be dedicated to workers with the Sarasota County Schools, the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, first responders and more. Rent for them and their families will be around $1,000 a month with everything included.
"The true essential workforce backbone of society will be here along with your servers and staff that we need," said Vengroff.
One Stop Housing's non-profit side will work with wraparound services.
"For some of these people, it’s either getting into this or us giving them a chance or them staying in their car," said Audrey Abraham, One Stop Housing's senior manager.
They will work to make sure residents don't run into any financial trouble and help them prepare for the future.
"It's about one to three of our tenants that we currently have that say ‘I saved enough now from renting with you from One Stop Housing, and now I’m buying my own place,’" said Abraham.
MORE: Trump calls for ban on Wall Street buying single-family homes, citing affordability concerns
Vengroff's goal, just like his father's, is to not only provide a service needed, but to give people real hope.
"Home is hope and hope is home and that’s what we give them," said Maryse Awad with One Stop Housing.
What's next:
Sarasota Station Apartments is expected to be open by 2028. The lot is home to Bob's Train Restaurant, but as construction is ongoing, Bob's will be closed to relocate on-site for the grand opening.
For more information, click here.
The Source: Information was gathered by FOX 13's Kimberly Kuizon through One Stop Housing.