Developer of revamped Bath & Racquet Club talks what attracted him to Sarasota project
What attracted developer Fabio Di Prima to the 13.4 acres just off U.S. 41 south of Bee Ridge Road was more than just proximity to the white sand beaches of Siesta Key and the short drive to downtown Sarasota.
He sees ability to breath life into a Sarasota icon while creating a live-work-play project focused on healthy living.
Last month, construction began on Bath & Racquet Residences & Club, which will eventually include 223 condominiums, 33 rental units and a private sports facility that will have indoor pickleball courts and outdoor tennis courts, replacing the former sports facility.
The former Bath and Racquet Club opened in 1969 and helped develop Sarasota into a tennis destination after attracting some of the sport's brightest stars. Both Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova attended tournaments at the Sarasota tennis facility in the 1970s.
The club grew its membership to more than 4,000 at the height of its popularity, Di Prima said.
However, by 2020 when it closed, the private club needed a refresh.
"This will be the Bath and Racquet Club 2.0," he said. "Meaning that it will be a membership-based club open to nonresidents as well.”
The completed project will have a 35,000-square-foot indoor pickleball court with a dozen courts, a 4,000-sqaure-foot fitness center, 13 outdoor tennis courts and four additional outdoor pickleball courts. There will also be a small community park on the property as well.
Neighborhood opposition
While it took a couple of tries at the Sarasota City Commission because of neighbors' opposition to the development, the project finally gained approval before Sarasota Springs LLC bought the property for $15.35 million in January 2022.
Sarasota Springs LLC is owned and managed by Di Prima and Tan Bahia.
Area residents' concerns included the size of the proposed project as well as potential traffic congestion.
Di Prima said he was aware of the opposition. He said he has tried to be a good neighbor and changed some landscaping elements of the project while also moving some of the lights.
Since the developer purchased the property, the project — designed by the architecture firm Halflants + Pichette — has obtained mechanical, engineering and building permits and sold out the first building of units, according to marketing materials.
Di Prima said the project would be developed continuously, but that units would be sold in phases with each phase coming on line depending on construction timelines.
The project also will include 33 rental units for people making less than 120% of the average median income. For a family of four, that income would be greater than $100,000, according to the most recent average median income figures for Sarasota.
Di Prima said the rental units will be spread throughout the property with about a dozen of the below-market rental units being built in the first phase of units constructed.
The first 80 units in the first phase of the project have already been sold with the sales effort on the next 45 units just beginning. The least expensive condo units in the project start at about $600,000 with prices going up to $1.2 million, according to online property listings.
Di Prima said the project will take between 24 and 36 months.
"We are very excited and very happy to finally get started," he said. "It’s been a long ride for the city of Sarasota as well and we’re very excited to finally start the rebirth of this Sarasota icon.”
Previous coverage: City rejects plan to redevelop Sarasota’s Bath & Racquet Club
More: Bath & Racquet Club sells for nearly three times last purchase, redevelopment planned
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Developer of Bath & Racquet Club talks about why he plans to rebuild Sarasota icon
