New Trash Cans !!!  Thanks to Pete Theisen and Concordia Lutheran Church for installing handsome new trash cans along the School Ave sidewalk near Wood Street!  Litter in our neighborhood is a big problem in certain areas; having convenient trash cans helps!

Mon, 24 May 7pm AVNA meeting, once again live and in person: to attend, please RSVP on AVNA MeetUp website  or email AltaVistaSarasota@gmail.com to find out location (different than usual).

Update on the tile Mural at the old Ringling Shopping Center: lost forever.  I recently inquired of Richman Group, the developer, what plans are, now that Phase I (Lyra Apartments) is nearing completion, for the tile mural from the old Publix, that they were going to save, prior to demolition, hopefully to reinstall on the back wall of their garages building, along the soon-to-be Legacy Trail. Neighborhood initiative encouraged them to save portions of the mural, not original from the 50's, but still a much-loved local iconic work of art.   Alas, the Richman Group reply:  "In regards to the Publix mural, unfortunately we were unable to salvage any of the tile to be repurposed. There was a good amount of damage from vandals right before the demo and it wasn’t possible to keep the mural intact."   

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Thurs March 18, 2021​, Parks&Rec Advisory Board Meeting, 5pm at City Hall.  On the Agenda: discussion of:  Sarasota Orchestra new Music Center local site, potentially in Payne Park. City Commission also discussed at this at their March 1 2021 meeting.  

March 15 6pm City Commission Meeting, City Hall.   On the Agenda:  SHS (Sarasota High School) Pedestrian improvements around west side of campus (including pedestrian/bike shortcut between Sarasota Art Museum parking lot and Circus Arts/Bahia Vista parking lot); discussion of changes, lighting and landscaping. For more detail, see City Meetings webpage, click on Regular City Commission meeting March 15 agenda (Item IX.1) which includes 37-pg backup document; Page 3 shows detailed site plan for MURT.  Also see MURT page for more details.  

City Mature Tree Pilot Program incentive program open again Feb 2021, Phase II:  See  City News webpage or detailed guidelines. You purchase, have professionally installed, and maintain a tree, the City subsidizes.  First-come, first-serve, 75 slots.

New Downtown Cooling Plant: this is the Sarasota County construction project on School Ave. Watch for partial temporary roadway closures...  on School Ave at Ringling Blvd; this replaces the old, outdated A/C plant for these buildings, and will provide A/C to multiple nearby Sarasota County buildings.  CIP #83304, est. completion Sept 2021.

Sarasota Orchestra new Music Center 
Monday 22 February, 2021 7PM  AVNA Meeting by conference call.  The AVNA Board has written a letter to the City Commission "No Orchestra Near [ed. italics] Payne Park!" on behalf of the neighborhood organization, which has not yet, but will, hold general member discussion on Monday. To participate in AVNA meeting upcoming you need to RSVP or send email to AltaVistaSarasota@gMail.com to get the call-in code beforehand.  

Sarasota Art Museum updates:
Also, THANKS to Anne-Marie Russell, Executive Director and Chief Curator, who will be moving on (remaining as consultant):  What a Trooper!!   Ann-Marie worked for years on the planning, and then re-planning, of The SAM, throughout the lengthy construction, arranging art talks & performances pre-Museum, lining up years of internationally-rated exhibitions, finally the Opening of the new museum (followed fast by COVID-closing), and now, hopefully, the present and future success of this awesome new museum!

Congratulations to our neighbor Sarasota High School's Principal David Jones, district Principal of the Year. 

Fall 2020 City Survey about Bike Lanes on Ringling Boulevard (Lime to Pineapple). In conjunction with the Ringling Blvd Complete Streets planning. A few more details here.  Read all  details & take survey. 

 New Affordable Housing development to be built in Alta Vista?  Stormwater Infrastructure to be compromised???  Sarasota County is selling off their parcel of vacant land at 899 School Ave a.k.a. Hatton Street, which includes the stormwater drainage canal. See  Hatton St Affordable Housing pages for details. UPDATE: This issue is NOT moving forward at this time.  This is NOT on the JULY 7 or 8 County Commission Meeting.