Title: City of Sebring CRA - Development of the North Ridgwood Drive Site and Former Nancesowee Hotel

Deadline: 3/12/2021 3:00 PM   (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)

Status: Awarded

Solicitation Number: 21-006

Description:

The CRA is seeking proposals from qualified and experienced real estate developers interested in undertaking the development of the site located at 139 North Ridgewood Drive within the Sebring CRA District. The purpose of this solicitation is to continue implementation of the Community Redevelopment Plan by providing for the conveyance of the property owned by the CRA to the Developer selected for redevelopment to remove conditions of slum and blight, increase the tax base, enhance the quality of life, improve the aesthetics and useful enjoyment of the redevelopment area, and promote the health, safety, morals and welfare of the residents of the CRA and the City. Due to the importance of this particular downtown development site, it is the intention of the CRA to consider certain development “incentives” to assist in making the project feasible which might include, but not be limited to, conveyance of the property at no cost, the payment of certain impact fees, housing incentives, tax increment rebates, etc. If the developer wishes to request incentives, they must outline their request as part of the proposal.

The now vacant parcel was home to the Nan-Cess-O-Wee Hotel, a 60-room historic hotel built in 1923 by Sebring’s founder, George E. Sebring. The hotel was one of the original buildings in the historical downtown area, but had been closed since 2004. Over the years, the building fell into disrepair and was eventually condemned. The building was recently acquired by the CRA and out of necessity, was demolished. The property is zoned C-1 commercial, and an existing planned development agreement is applicable to the property from the previous owner. The CRA would support a reasonable change in the zoning if requested as part of the proposal to maximize the development opportunity. The proposed structure’s façade design will be reviewed for approval by the CRA board, and the City’s Historic Preservation Commission.

A key objective as part of the CRA’s redevelopment strategy for Downtown Sebring is the creation of a residential concentration in and around the downtown area to create the support for a day-into-evening retail, office, recreational and entertainment environment. There is a desire to provide market rate and workforce rental units to meet the county’s unmet housing demand. The CRA envisions this parcel as a major opportunity to facilitate this strategy. Additional goals include revitalization within the broader downtown area, promotion of pedestrian traffic use throughout the day and evening, as well as enhanced linkages to compatible development with current and planned commercial, retail, and recreational centers within the downtown area.

Highlands county recently conducted a housing study to analyze the housing market and provide recommendations for addressing the need for more market-rate rental options. The study demonstrated that multi-family inventory has been stagnant the past five years with no new units or developments delivered in the county in recent years. The results of the study indicated a pent up demand for multi-family housing and the need for over 600 multi-family units. The full study will be provided as an addendum for reference.

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