A private car club with $25,000 memberships plans to convert a former drone manufacturing headquarters near downtown Sarasota into a luxury storage and social space for collectors.
The Sarasota Motor Club, founded by Scott Stevenson, would occupy a property at 1716 10th Way in the Rosemary District, according to Sarasota Magazine, which first reported on the project in July. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune published renderings and additional details Sept. 7.
Membership tiers add simulators, drive access and concierge perks
The club would offer secure, climate-controlled car storage paired with dining, event space and amenities including a golf and racing simulator, a podcast room, concierge vehicle management and complimentary detailing and light maintenance. Renderings show collector-car displays alongside dining areas and social lounges.
Members who pay beyond the base $25,000 package could access a "Drive Experience," described as fleet access to luxury and exotic vehicles for an additional fee. The club's social media accounts also reference a "Podium Membership" tier, though details on pricing and capacity have not been released.
Developer pledges to save 1920s cottage from demolition
The price tag is steep. But Stevenson has already made one gesture toward the neighborhood.
At the July 20 Sarasota City Commission meeting, Discover Sarasota Tours owner Tammy Hauser said Stevenson agreed to donate a 1920s bungalow sitting on the motor club property rather than demolish it. The cottage will go to the Sarasota Bungalow Village, a relocation effort by Fruitville Road businesses working to preserve historic structures.
"The developer has said we can have the cottage and he'll even contribute the cost of the demolishment towards our moving of the cottage," Hauser said, according to Longboat Key News. "And it's a really nice cottage from the 1920s."
Announcement follows tourism surge, second luxury garage project
The motor club concept arrives amid broader growth in Sarasota's tourism sector. Visitor spending in Sarasota County reached nearly $146 million in July, up 10.2% from a year earlier, the Herald-Tribune reported, citing Visit Sarasota County data.
A separate project, Car Bank 2.0, broke ground Aug. 1 in Palmer Ranch as a 26-unit luxury garage condominium community created by entrepreneurs Todd Segal and Tom Bury, according to SRQ Magazine.
No opening date or construction timeline for the Sarasota Motor Club has been announced. City permit records for the conversion have not been made public.
