Feb 2 2026, City Commission meeting:  Historic Designation for Payne Park Auditorium? Stakeholders include Historic Preservation Board, Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation, The Players, et.al.  Local versus national designation, interior or exterior, and all the rules that go with these:  It's a bit complicated.   backup document here.  A motion was passed that After the renovations, after the first season of the leasholder Players Theater, the City will pursue historic preservation designation of the exterior of the Payne Park Auditorium.

Sept 2025 update:  Per Department Director, community input meetings on future plans for Payne Park are expected to happen sometime in 2026.