Andrew McAnsh

Andrew McAnsh (1874 – October 23, 1946) was a Scottish-American businessman. He lived in the Chicago area for most of his life and was active in that area. McAnsh would play a prominent role in the development of Sarasota, Florida, being a real estate developer there.

Early life and career Andrew McAnsh was born in Scotland in 1874. He would be the son of John and Christina (McGill) McAnsh. He and his family immigrated to North America or 6 years old. from Chicago in 1922, McAnsh founded the Mira Mar Corporation and began developing the Mira Mar Apartments (which took less than sixty days to build). He subsequently built the Mira Mar Hotel (in less than a year) and the Mira Mar Casino. McAnsh struck a deal with the Sarasota civic authorities and arranged for the hotel, apartments and casino to be supplied with free power and water, as well as exemption from property taxes, for the first ten years of its existence. In doing so, he took advantage of an offer previously provided to John Ringling, which Ringling had turned down. His wife would die on June 10, 1945. McAnsh would be a 32nd Degree Mason. He would spend the winters in Sarasota until he died on October 23, 1946, in Chicago.

He is listed as a Great Floridian.