February 28, 2007

By Ed Martin

    The narrative describing the project, named the “Colosseum,” with a feature called “The Forum,” modestly suggests that accepting the idea will bring “world-wide attention to our approach to the expanding destination hotel/ resort industry.” Look to your laurels, John Ringling.

    Orofino and the Colosseum project are housed on Midnight Pass Road in Sarasota. He describes a number of partners with experience in the worlds of finance, construction, tour operations, franchising (party stores) and personal management, including one who managed Michael Jackson, so worldwide attention might not be an exaggeration. His various partnerships and operations have been primarily in Italy.

    The Colosseum project would require 20 acres, with an option for 10 more for possible future development of a second hotel.

    The plans include a 100,000-square-foot resort hotel with 200 units. Amenities listed range from a camp for children and culinary school for adults, to bridal gown and men’s formalwear shops, travel, limousine and auto agencies, to a jewelry boutique featuring Italian designs “by an artesian (sic) whose design philosophy stems from the Roman Empire utilizing coral and gold.”

    A main ballroom could be divided into four 10,000-square-foot sound-treated rooms accommodating 250 guests each, or into varying combinations up to 1,000 guests in the full room. Two “upscale, European-style Italian restaurants and an outdoor European cafe” are planned.

    While the number of floors is not mentioned, one of the restaurants on the “top floor” would allow roof-top access for outside dining.

    The associated Forum featuring “the most majestic and inspiring replication edifices of the Forum,” would include waterways for tranquil floating, presumably in gondolas, and an open-air amphitheater for performances by “local, regional and international talent.”

    Although size is not mentioned, assurances about noise compliance are and a project cited as an example seats 5,000 (not proposed for Venice). Look to your laurels, Tramonto Vista Park.

March 2 deadline

    The city has received seven inquiries and proposals to date that are still active, although only Orofino has replied to airport manager Fred Watts’ letter of Feb. 8 to all applicants, listing information that the city needs. Applicants were given a 4 p.m., March 2, deadline for replying.

    On Jan. 30, Watts had sent Orofino a letter listing 14 points of information needed, later summarized into six points in the Feb. 8 letter.

    On the 7th, Orofino replied to most of the points in Watts’ earlier letter, with two notable exceptions: He did not detail the finances, explaining that his group would do that when it received assurance its project would be approved, pending the missing information.

    He explained that the kind of development he was proposing was in a highly competitive arena and he did not want to disclose his ideas and sources of financing to his competitors.

    Earlier, Orofino and other proposers had asked for confidentiality they thought was available under Florida law. City Attorney Bob Anderson has opined that was not legally possible.

    Orofino also did not choose an airport site, instead asking to meet with the city to choose the best setting. He reported having detailed architectural drawings.

Other proposals

    The proposal perhaps most widely known to the public came from Harry Walia, who proposed leasing “for its original intended uses, the circus arena building, still standing on the airport grounds. Walia wrote that his “engineer and architect have determined that the building can be brought up to current standards.”

    Walia, in January, expressed frustration with the city’s nonresponse to his repeated requests for meetings to make a PowerPoint presentation. Black replied, pointing out that Walia had supplied “no additional materials in response to the city’s written request.”

    James Turner of the Williams Parker law firm in Sarasota had been in communication on behalf of Aris Mardirossian, principle of Amalthea Properties Investment LLC, a Maryland firm. Turner’s submission expressed interest in about 9 acres off Business 41, the circus property and land adjacent to the Intracoastal Waterway.

    It wanted “the right of first refusal to lease any Venice Airport property controlled by the city of Venice for other than fixed-lease airport operations.” The Marriott Corporation was copied on this correspondence.

    Richard Koenig and Peter Reppucci of Florida Realty World, Sarasota, wrote expressing interest in developing a “5 Star” beach and golf resort with a full-service marina (boat basin and indoor storage), with retail and restaurant facilities.” They expressed a need for a secure roadway system with exits on Business 41 and South Harbor Drive.

    The golf and resort would be on the west side of the airport and businesses and high-end boutique shopping area in the circus facility area. They proposed a 99-year lease.

    Martel Realty and Development, Sarasota (Sky Harbor-Venice LLC), proposed an 800-slip marina and a hotel on 121 acres leased for 99 years. Forty acres for the marina and 21.63 acres for a 193,516-square-foot hotel were specified. It supplied a 32-page draft lease.

    Freedman Consulting and Development, Sarasota, wrote asking for a meeting with Black on Nov. 27, 2006. In January it reported presenting its qualifications.
    Its interest is in a marina, and it reported partners and associates with considerable expertise in that area in Sarasota.

    The Allen Morris Company, Coral Gables, wrote in December with intent to lease 40 acres for aeronautical use, including the site of the circus training facility (which it placed at the southeast rather than northeast corner.) It also wanted to lease any aeronautical land required by any future hotel developer to provide aeronautical services to such future hotel.

    Orofino may be guilty of what the New Yorker called “vivid writing,” but if the credentials he presents withstand due diligence, his presentation, as of one week before the deadline, seems interesting and the most detailed, although short of two of the city’s requirements: financial details and specific land requested.