UPCOMING MEETINGS, NOTICES & HAPPENINGS

SHS construction & Hatton Street 2024-2026. 
A major renovation of some buildings at Sarasota High. To start, they will be moving classrooms into the portable classrooms, probably by January, in batches; doing it in six phases; expected to take 2+ years.  As regards Hatton Street, they are fencing off that shell lot west of Shade (across from the batting cage), plus the grass field east of Shade, to use for staging materials & equipment, worker parking, and other construction needs, for the duration of the project.  That is county-owned land, and No, nothing's being "built" there, just construction staging.

Players Theater at Payne Park Auditorium

Next step:  DRC (development review committee) meeting Dec 20, 2023, 9am, City Hall.  Later steps usually include City Commission meeting.

Be aware that DRC meetings are public, but public comments are not accepted at DRC.

December 2023 update:  The now-more-developed plan differs rather significantly from concept presented at the Sept 2023 workshop, with planned building size increasing from existing 8100sf to 24,349sf.

For more info, and to view the newly proposed plan graphic, see Players Stage at Payne Park

 

See thestagepaynepark.org

2023 UPDATE:  The Sarasota High School MURT.  ​The final phase of promised (in 2019) pedestrian mitigation -- widening & landscaping of the sidewalk along Tamiami Trail in front of the Sarasota Art Museum -- is still pending (as of November 2023).  The SHS MURT page has details.

In the Works:  Payne Park Tennis Center Fence Replacement Project.  Timeline as yet unknown, but it's in the budget; contract approved by City in Fall 2023:  almost half a million bucks (steel has gotten way expensive)!  For details see Oct 16 2023 City Commission Meeting, Consent Agenda Item VI-3.

Sarasota Orchestra in Payne Park redux; Oh, for Heaven's Sake!  At the Nov 6th City Commission meeting, this was somehow brought up again (see Old Posts: Sarasota Orchestra in Payne Park), with several commissioners wishing to revisit the issue of the Orchestra relocating In The City.  But following this discussion, a Nov 15 letter from the Orchestra said no, reiterating their plan for building their new Center on the lot they have purchased out on Fruitville near the Interstate.

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2023 new nearby developments happening:

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In-construction: Sarasota Car Wash, Fruitville at Lime (by the bowling alley, replacing the old Lime Laundromat).

BAHIA VISTA APARTMENTS

Starting construction now:  new apartment building at Tuttle & Bahia Vista intersection. See Bahia Vista Apartments for more info.

Payne Park Townhomes

A new 50-unit rental development in planning next to Payne Park.  See PPT page for details.

PARK DISTRICT    A major mixed-use development called "Park District" is being proposed for nearby Alta Vista, north of Payne Park, up over between Main St. & Fruitville.  The property of 8.5 acres, to be developed in phases, covers land between Main St & Fruitville, from Washington Blvd all the way to Audubon Place (just west of School Ave).

Phase I:  a mixed-use project with 331 multifamily apartments and 7,772 square feet of retail, between Fletcher and East Avenue.  Existing 62,000sqft office building to remain.

Park District (22-ASP-13) ...Downtown Core (DTC) zone. The   applicant will be required to provide 10% of the total units to be attainable. See also DRC (development review meetings) 11/16/22 and 8/2/23. Staff contact: Alison Christie, Alison.Christie@sarasotafl.gov. 941-263-6516

ARTIST'S COURT
-Artist’s Court (22-ASP-09) 200 South Washington Blvd. (nearby Alta Vista, just across Washington Blvd from the Terrace Building)

A 9-story, 139-unit multifamily apartment building, townhomes & parking, on 1.39-acre site, zone Downtown Core (DTC). No attainable housing planned.

See also DRC meetings 10/5/22,12/21/22, 2/15/23.  Waiting for final plan set submittal.  Staff contact: Amy Pintus, Amy.Pintus@sarasotafl.gov. 941-263-6489.

I PREDICT

that this parcel, between Payne Park Village and the Health Center parking lot, between School Ave and Legacy Trail/ Lyra, currently a vacant lot, will be developed at some future time.

(And no, that little road, previously called Shopping Way, is NOT a public street; it is under same private ownership.)

What do you think will be built there?  Condos?  Hotel?  Tallest building in Sarasota?  Affordable housing (yeah, right!)?
Oh, don't ya wonder?

Citizen Participation in local government.  Do you know about CityPAC Sarasota: a local nonpartisan civic political organization that holds City Commissioners (and candidates) accountable based on "resident-friendly positions on issues relevant to a liveable city", including discussions and votes on all things pertaining to responsible and balanced development -- always an issue here in Sarasota, as well as ordinance enforcement on residents' quality-of-living-here.  On their website they monitor current issues and commissioner votes. You can also subscribe to their free e-news City Hall Monitor, which gives good summaries of things discussed at each City Commission meeting, plus useful links and upcoming things to watch.

Click-2-Fix: the City's mobile app. Free; search for “CoS Click-to-Fix” on your Apple or Android app store. 
311Connect: the County's mobile app (new March 2022). Free; search for “311Connect” on your Apple or Android app store. 
See also Useful Links for descriptions. 

GET YOURSELF IN THE CITY NEWS PIPELINE!

In case you ever wondered how to keep up with City news, a few good sources for City news are:

- City webpage news tab: features the list of recent news item announcements.

- City list of upcoming public meetings.  Includes agenda items and links to backup documents. Scroll down for archives of past public meetings, including always-essential detailed backup documents.

- City News: comprehensive weekly email from mayor's office, which also includes upcoming City meetings with links to agendas. Sign up to receive this and/or other communications from City. at  https://www.sarasotafl.gov/services/email-subscriptions​