by: David Conway Deputy Managing EditorMatt Kihnke has experience building condominiums in Sarasota, but he thinks the site at 1335 Second St. presents a distinct challenge for a developer.
“I think that location necessitates, kind of, an epic building,” Kihnke said. “That’s really what we were looking for — a boutique, high-end product for downtown.”
One might expect to meet James Bond—shaken, not stirred martini in hand—in this jaw-dropping penthouse condominium high above Sarasota Bay. Creating an alluring mix of sophisticated finishes and high technology, the 6,211-square-foot space is a showpiece made for entertaining.
The owners engaged Los Angeles-based interior designer Troy Adams when they decided to buy the upper floor of MK Equity’s Sansara building. Their goal was to totally redesign the space to accommodate two master suites and a central area, full of smart home gadgets worthy of Bond’s “Q.” Wicked Smart Homes installed hidden panels, mechanized lifts, and a kitchen controlled via iPhone. Read More about Home & Design Magazine Features MK Equity’s Sansara »
As a general rule, real estate developers’ egos are directly proportional to the size of the projects they build. One exception to the stereotype is Matt Kihnke, developer of the new, contemporary high rise, SANSARA, in downtown Sarasota. Originally from Chicago, Kihnke and his brother have built numerous notable buildings in the Windy City and beyond.
Inspired by his mother, who began investing in real estate when he was a child, Kihnke learned the business from the ground up. After graduating college, he started rehabilitating homes, and then joined his brother on residential projects. Soon they moved on to new construction high-rise development with a distinctive flair for modern design. Kihnke’s love of architecture is evident in the sculptural, artistic quality of his first construction project in Florida, SANSARA.
Read More about Florida Homes Magazine features Matt Kihnke, Real Estate Developer »
The race to go vertical with the first condominium tower in downtown Sarasota since the real estate market’s 2007 crash has a new contestant.
A Chicago-based development group has filed plans to build a 10-story building at Pineapple Avenue and Ringling Boulevard, on land it has owned for more than eight years and had tried to sell.
The $30 million Sansara project joins a series of other luxury condo developments that have been proposed in and around downtown since the market’s resurgence.
Read More about Another tower planned for downtown Sarasota »
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