The Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Revitalization project represents a multi-year journey to foster a catalytic redevelopment opportunity within Newtown, Florida’s largest African American Historic District. Driven by structured facilitation and intentional power-sharing between the City of Sarasota and the Newtown community, the project establishes a framework for equitable, community-driven growth.
As the project architect, Hoyt Architects leveraged advanced visualization technology to support an iterative, transparent design process. We developed a dynamic virtual corridor model that facilitated active engagement with property owners, municipal leaders, and community stakeholders, ensuring the physical design remained directly aligned with the community's vision.
MLK Way
Type
Case StudyProject Goals The master planning effort was driven by three core, community-defined priorities: activate and revitalize the street, prevent gentrification and displacement, and establish a unique brand that honors Newtown's history.
The Challenge The focus area spans a 2,500-foot, 10-block stretch of the MLK corridor. Revitalization efforts were physically constrained by narrow lots and a 60-foot right-of-way, and legally restricted by the existing Commercial Business Newtown (CBN) zoning code.
Key Zoning Recommendations To make the community's vision a reality, we recommended strategic updates to the local zoning code to encourage equitable development, including:
Density & Massing: Increasing density to 50 units per acre (with affordable housing incentives), removing FAR requirements, and allowing up to 4-story heights at key intersections.
Site Flexibility: Aligning non-residential parking requirements with downtown Sarasota standards to reduce surface parking burdens.
Placemaking: Allowing painted wall signs to support the corridor's unique cultural branding.