Recent Projects

HOMEWOOD SUITES BY HILTON

Homewood Suites | Before

Homewood Suites | After

After working closely with the Hilton Hospitality Group, Firmo retrofitted a building that sat abandoned near the corner of Fruitville and Beneva Road for seven years. Instead of tearing down the existing structure, originally designed to be a retirement center, the building was modified and repurposed to become a useable space, great for tourism. The Homewood Suites by Hilton 100- room hotel remains an exemplar of sustainable, mindful efforts by Firmo. The team took considerable measures to minimize the renovation’s impact on landfills and the surrounding environment. Additionally, the firm regularly integrates sustainable materials that incorporate environmentally-friendly paradigms, guaranteeing longevity into their projects. As one of the early pioneers of the LEED program in the U.S. Southeast, Firmo maintains a commitment to seek LEED certification whenever possible. Once completed, the Homewood Suites hotel was recognized as an adaptive reuse project with a Hilton Conversion of the Year award, a Sarasota County Beautification Award and GE Capital Hotel Development Award. And beyond the accolades, Firmo’s renovation inspired others, and promoted further revitalization throughout the immediate area. The Sarasota Modern Shopping Center has since been built beside the hotel, in addition to other infrastructure and landscaping improvements made to the surrounding region. “Developers invest if they can be next to a nicer building,” explains Firmo Construction President, Eric Collin. “Once we got the hotel cleaned up, it really incentivized other owners to do something with their property.”

NORTH TRAIL

Firmo Construction sees the North corridor of Tamiami Trail (Route 41 as it extends north from downtown to the border of Manatee County) as the future of regional development. “This is one of the first stretches of Sarasota seen by visitors who land at SRQ International Airport,” says Collin. Largely underdeveloped and virtually disregarded, the sites along this stretch of the Trail are challenging from a development perspective. Current zoning laws make modern infrastructure, adequate parking and stormwater mitigation difficult for those seeking to renovate or rebuild some of the derelict structures on North Trail. Additionally, many commercial lots on North Route 41 abut to residential properties in the Indian Beach and Sapphire Shores neighborhood, which often creates tension. To ease the transition between residential and commercial areas, Firmo actively gathers community input. Involved with the North Trail Partnership Group, the team personally participates in constructive conversations with neighbors about how to best navigate development in this corridor. One solution that has become a successful model for Firmo is the practice of designing and constructing new residential homes that run adjacent to commercial lots themselves—a hands-on and in-house approach to creating that necessary buffer between these two zones. All the while, Firmo maintains the architectural integrity of the surrounding environment, which they believe to be key for positive and effective revitalization. In 2015, Firmo Construction sought to activate the North Trail area by signing on to relaunch an existing hotel, The Regency Inn. Their involvement in the hospitality project went far beyond the normal expectations of a general contractor. “Essentially, we helped the owner form the building’s concept and design, as well as guide the hotel’s branding and marketing—using the model of a classic mid-century modern hotel,” Collin explains. The redesign of The Regency Inn not only celebrates Sarasota’s mid-century heritage, but retains the local identity of an Old Florida destination. “We wanted to preserve Sarasota’s architectural heritage to maintain a sense of place,” says Director of Design, Maegan Ochoa.

ROSEMARY DISTRICT

Rosemary Square | Before

Rosemary Square | After

Further sparking revitalization in dynamic districts, dispatch to the Rosemary Square Courtyard, and it’s hard to imagine the beloved gathering space as anything different or less, as it was just a year ago. Recognizing the opportunity and potential for a neighborhood renaissance, the team jumped onboard for the commercial buildout phase to turn the space into something that locals and visitors benefit from. The multi-use building in the heart of the budding Rosemary District has quickly become a haven for community festivals, pop-up markets, locally-owned businesses, food truck gatherings and the home offices of regional non-profit and arts organizations. As the builders of the outfitted spaces for the commercial and non-profit tenants, Firmo’s collaboration with the Rosemary Square architects and property managers highlighted the firm’s larger vision for spatial success. The firm is currently still working on revitalizing projects in the burgeoning District, including a turn-key approach with New York City-based Halliday Financial, in the process of expanding to Sarasota. What was once a vacant, outdated building, is now being renovated to bring neighborhood improvement, new business and a vibrant economy to this growing region. “Rosemary has become one of the more lively areas of downtown Sarasota in terms of drawing a crowd,” says Collin, “And it can only get better from here.”