Anna Maria Island

Pine Ave Restoration Project

Commercial Property Opportunities For Anna Maria Island...

As recently reported in local media, "the Pine Avenue restoration project no longer needs artist renderings to illustrate what’s to come for Anna Maria’s business district."

The nearly completed two-story cottage-like structures located at 315 and 317 Pine Ave. now serve as a preview to the retail, office and residential developments in store for Manatee County’s tourist hottest tourist destination location.

These pink and green units have commercial tenants ready to move in and will be the first of several mixed-use structures to be developed along the Pine Ave strip.

Pine Avenue Rentals

Anna Maria Island Accommodations Made Primary Rental Agency For Pine Avenue Rentals...

For Immediate Release: It's being reported today that an Anna Maria Island Vacation Rentals and Property Management firm has been named as the primary rental agency for the Historic Pine Ave. Project.

Anna Maria Island Accommodations

Local Anna Maria Island vacation rentals and property management professionals from Anna Maria Island Accommodations Inc. have been selected as the 'primary rental agents' for the highly anticipated Pine Ave. Restoration Project.

Plans For Phase Two of Pine Avenue Restoration on Drawing Board

Pine Avenue Restoration Project Under Construction... 

By mid October, construction was well under way on the first two buildings approved in the Pine Avenue Restoration Project.

Work on the project began early in September. Read Work on Pine Avenue Project Begins.

To the right, you will see that Pine Avenue Restoration LLC has opened a construction and real estate office on the southeast corner of Crescent Street and Pine Avenue.

Green Building Concept for Pine Avenue Development

Buildings in the Pine Avenue Restoration are being constructed of a hollow Styrofoam-like building material that locks together like Lego blocks. Once the walls are up, concrete is poured into the cavities of the blocks.

Preserving That Old Florida Atmosphere

The Future of Anna Maria...

Last Updated December 16th, 2008.

"Preserving the Past, While Planning for the Future."

That was the headline on September the 7th, as a group of Anna Maria City residents and local developers were busy working to preserve that Old Florida look and feel, as they plan for the future of Anna Maria Island.

Anna Maria resident, Jane Coleman, said the Anna Maria Island community's charm won her over, but when she noticed "For Sale" signs popping up and down along Pine Avenue, she worried that big development could move in.

"I've seen these incredible little villages before, and I've seen them go both ways," Coleman said. "I've seen them lost forever in such a way they are lost forever, the character's lost forever and you can never get it back."

Falling In Love With The Old Florida Charm Of Anna Maria Island

Beach Vacation Turns Into Move To Anna Maria Island...

Like so many of the local residents here, we ended up on Anna Maria Island by fluke. One day we're packing our bags to go on vacation, the next thing you know we're packing our bags, and all our belongings, to move to Anna Maria. 

It is impossible to not fall in love with the charm and Old Florida atmosphere of Anna Maria Island. There is something about this place that is just different. Different than anywhere else on this planet.

I just hope that us little people who live here and so appreciate the pristine, beautiful, back-to-nature community... can continue to resist high rises and fast food.

Perhaps someone can put Anna Maria Island on the historic register or endangered species list before mega condos destroy the brimming with wildlife shorelines.

Pine Avenue's Second Site Plan Approved

Pine Avenue Restoration Project Moves Forward With Second Site...

By mid July of this year, the Pine Avenue Restoration Project had secured a second site plan approval from the Anna Maria Planning and Zoning Board.

Pine Avenue Site Plan Submitted

Anna Maria's Pine Avenue Development Moving Forward Quickly...

Welcome to Anna Maria Island Life, and the story behind the Pine Avenue Restoration Project.

Recently, we have been publishing posts that outline the story behind the Pine Avenue Development in Anna Maria, and this particular post brings us to March 5th of this year, when it was reported in local media that the official site plan for the first building in phase one of the Pine Avenue Restoration project had been submitted to the city of Anna Maria for approval.

The post card image above is an artist rendition of Anna Maria's Pine Ave. back in the 40's.

Now that's very cool indeed!

Pine Avenue Phase One Development Properties and Funding Now in Place

Pine Avenue Restoration Moves One Step Closer To Becoming a Reality...

It was December 19th, 2007, that the Pine Avenue restoration proposal moved significantly closer to fruition.

Critical Pine Avenue Property Zoning

It was reported that day, that developer Michael Coleman had closed the first targeted property needed for phase one of the Pine Avenue development. It was also reported that the city commission’s office decided to zone six lots on North Bay Boulevard ROR instead of commercial.

The zoning of those six properties represents a huge step forward for the Pine Avenue Restoration Project.

Support Builds for Pine Avenue Development Project

Pine Avenue Supporters Put Up The Bucks...

"Supporters of the Pine Avenue restoration project are putting their money where their mouths are."

That was the lead-in to the Anna Maria local news headlines on August 8th, 2007, when already, support for the newly proposed Pine Avenue restoration development was building.

"We’ve had wonderful response with our fund raising," said Michael Coleman. Coleman said about half of the $10 million needed had been raised from a disparate group of investors, but then declined to name them.

Coleman previously had in place, contracts on 21 lots on Pine Avenue, where he envisioned a series of buildings that would be used for offices or retail shops on the ground level with one living floor above — a use that was envisioned by Anna Maria City when the district was set aside for residential/office/retail (ROR) use in the 1992 comprehensive plan.

The Pine Avenue Restoration Story

Pine Avenue and a Man with a Vision...

Last Updated January 12, 2009: Everyone on Anna Maria Island should know what the Pine Avenue restoration project is. It has been in the news now for some time, and construction is already well underway.

Because it is such an important project for the city of Anna Maria, and Anna Maria Island as a whole, we've decided to follow the Pine Avenue restoration story in a series of posts.

A Man With a Vision - We begin our story back in mid 2007, when a man with a vision took that vision to Anna Maria city commissioners and began winning support for what now is known as the Pine Avenue Restoration Project.

This artist’s rendering is of a sample business/residential structure proposed in a renovation project for Pine Avenue in Anna Maria. The drawing was done by local architect Gene Aubry and would be built at the corner of Crescent and Pine.