Developer Wants To Raze Bradenton City Hall, Build Entertainment Hub

Updated: 3:58 p.m., Tuesday

BRADENTON, FL — A local developer wants to purchase Bradenton City Hall so it can raze the 4-acre property and redevelop it as a downtown entertainment complex.

Barcarotta Development LLC offered to purchase the land that houses city hall and the Bradenton Police Department headquarters for $10 million, telling city leaders in its March 18 offer letter that they feel their plan for the land “is consistent with the vision of the city for optimal use of this area of the riverfront.”

The company wants to build a signature hotel, retail, restaurants, entertainment and a mix of residential housing, including luxury apartments, condominiums and workforce housing, downtown.

Barcarotta also offered a second proposal — trading the nearby former Bradenton Herald property, which it’s under contract to purchase, for the city hall property. The company said that if they swapped properties with the city of Bradenton, it would pay the city the difference in value between the two.

In September, the city hired a firm to study the building to determine how the space is utilized and how much additional space there is for growth, and to make an appraisal of the property. The appraisal found that the property is worth about $10 million, according to reports, according to the Bradenton Herald.

City Administrator Rob Perry told the Herald that the city is not ready to sell city hall yet.