Bradenton aims to improve downtown experience with ‘transformational’ City Hall sale

The Bradenton City Council agreed to sell its City Hall property for $14.1 million to a developer who promises to transform the city’s downtown waterfront.

In a unanimous vote, the city council approved a development agreement with L&L Development Group. The vote represents the culmination of a process that began over two years ago when potential buyers reached out to Bradenton leaders with purchase offers.

The project calls for a 20-story building with 95 condos, a 14-story hotel with 130 rooms, an eight-story building with 350 apartments and an eight-story parking garage with 700 spaces. Other features include 20,000 square feet of retail space, 8,600 square feet of restaurant space and public green space.

Jim Zboril, president and CEO of L&L Development Group, told the Bradenton Herald that there is a demand for urban living. He said people want to live in apartments and condos and walk to restaurants and shops.

“We’re building up what’s already here,” Zboril said. “The downtown, Old Main Street, has a cool vibe already to it. We’re bringing more residential buildings for people that are sleeping here overnight, which helps the downtown and creates more of a buzz on the street.”

Zboril, who plans to buy the land in early 2026 and start to build within two years, said it is too early to say which businesses will be part of the development. He said he wants to connect Barcarrota Boulevard to the Riverwalk and put restaurants along the waterfront.

City leaders want to make downtown Bradenton a place to live, work and play.

“We want our children to say, ‘Hey, there’s something I can do down there, other than going to a bar,’” Mayor Gene Brown said. “It’s a downtown that is vibrant but also for all ages.”

City Administrator Rob Perry said downtown Bradenton is a crown jewel with lots of economic development opportunities. He said the “transformational” project will make the area more attractive to visitors.

“About half the people that come to downtown aren’t from here,” Perry said. “They visit, they spend money, they enjoy themselves, they go back and talk about how great Bradenton is.”

Brown said it was important to give the developer clear timelines to keep the project on track. He said he wants to avoid a repeat of the Sandpile, an infamous piece of land that sat undeveloped for years before Bradenton developed it into the Riverwalk, which has become a popular recreational area.

“It was very important to me to make sure that we weren’t going down that same road 20 or 30 years down the road,” Brown said.

One resident raised concerns about parking in downtown Bradenton. She complained that the SpringHill Suites hotel and Oak & Stone restaurant have made it harder to find a spot.

“I live down here,” said resident Donna Mathias. “I don’t have to deal with that. But when you walk downtown and see the challenges that people have, I can only imagine what this is going to do.”

Brown pointed out that the parking garage in downtown Bradenton is often empty.

“We have a three-quarters empty parking garage almost 24/7,” Brown said. “People don’t always look, but we have the spaces. It’s about getting people to understand where they are.”

Despite some concerns from residents, city leaders are optimistic about what the development will do to improve Bradenton’s downtown scene.

“Florida, we all know, is experiencing growth,” Councilwoman Jayne Kocher said. “The growth is going to continue to happen. The key is that we plan and manage it. I think this project is going to help us create a place where people can live, work and play.”

City leaders hope the hotel, condos, apartments, restaurants and shops will help create a more vibrant downtown.

“It will change our downtown, and change is scary,” Councilwoman Marianne Barnebey said. “You’ve heard me say before the only thing that likes change is a wet baby. However, I think it’s going to help our city in ways that we can’t even see yet.”