A proposed downtown Sarasota tower has been reduced from 18 stories to 10, with its developer abandoning plans to use Florida's Live Local Act and cutting the number of affordable apartments from 76 to nine.

Naples-based Lutgert Companies presented the redesigned project, now called Lumora, to Sarasota's Development Review Committee on Wednesday, Oct. 7. The development at 1360 Ringling Blvd., previously known as Adagio, has undergone six rounds of review.

"We're no longer seeking the Live Local Act statute arrangement, so it will be a 10-story building," development consultant Joel Freedman told the committee, according to LBK News, which first reported the redesign.

The revised building would stand approximately 152 feet tall, within the height permitted under the city's Downtown Core zoning. The project is undergoing administrative review rather than requiring a City Commission vote.

Affordable housing drops from 76 units to nine

The original Adagio proposal called for 189 residences across two buildings: an 18-story tower with 113 market-rate condominiums and a separate nine-story building containing 76 attainable rental apartments.

Lumora replaces those plans with a single 10-story building containing 178 residences, including 169 market-rate units and nine attainable rentals.

The affordable apartments would include five one-bedroom units averaging 900 square feet and four two-bedroom units averaging 1,185 square feet.

Three apartments would be reserved for households earning no more than 80% of area median income. Three would serve households earning between 80% and 100%, while the remaining three would be available to households earning between 100% and 120%.

A draft city condition requires an affordable housing agreement to be recorded before site plan approval.

The city's Oct. 7 meeting agenda also lists approximately 32,740 square feet of commercial space and 562 parking spaces.

Plans include medical offices, a restaurant, a coffee bistro, retail space and offices for the neighboring Church of the Redeemer.

Lutgert Companies remains the developer, while updated architectural documents identify Barron Collier Companies as the property's owner.

The developer's September response letter describes the market-rate residences as "Independent Living" units averaging 2,385 square feet. The application does not specify an age restriction.

City flags safety issues and outdated plans

The Development Review Committee granted the project partial sign-off Oct. 7, requiring the developer to address outstanding issues before the city can approve the site plan.

Senior planner Cristian Toellner directed the development team to correct a civil engineering cover sheet that still listed the previous 189-unit configuration and referenced the 18-story height allowed under the Live Local Act.

City reviewers also identified building-code concerns involving the separation between emergency exits in the tower and a fourth-floor exit door.

The architect agreed to review those issues with the project's life-safety consultant.

Other outstanding matters include landscaping, protected trees and adjustments to the building's design.

The project will require another submission before administrative approval can proceed.

Historic garage lawsuit remains unresolved

The redesign does not eliminate a separate dispute over the 1925 U.S. Garage at 330 S. Pineapple Ave., which remains within the proposed development site.

The Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation is challenging the city's demolition permit for the building in the 12th Judicial Circuit Court.

The preservation group has questioned the city's historic review process, arguing that the demolition permit was issued without adequate documentation.

Alliance board member Ronald Kashden previously criticized the review, saying the city's decision relied on a nearly blank one-page form, LBK News reported.

Freedman acknowledged during the Oct. 7 meeting that the litigation was affecting the development schedule and said another extension of the city's review deadline would be needed.

The city has already extended the deadline several times.

The developer must now resolve outstanding technical issues while the court challenge over the historic garage continues. No date has been announced for the next submission.