Newsletter 162

NEWS FROM THE SUNCOAST …..

COST TO COLLECT STORM DEBRIS ESTIMATED AT $72M

Picture the NASA Vehicle Assembly Building, with its 4.8 million cubic yards of space under a 550-foot high ceiling covering eight acres of floor space — the massive building constructed to help catapult the United States to the moon. By the time Sarasota and Manatee County workers and contractors have picked up every broken branch and scrap of debris left behind by Hurricanes Helene and Milton over the last six weeks, they will have more than filled every inch of space in one of the largest buildings ever constructed. Manatee County officials estimate about 3 million cubic yards of debris was created following the storms, with Sarasota County estimating another 2 million cubic yards. Already local officials have picked up about 1 million cubic yards, which would fill 20% of the Kennedy Space Center building, with plans to get the rest picked up within 90 days of when the storms hit, documenting each pile and verifying each load to be eligible for 100% reimbursement through the federal government for the costly task. The estimated cost in Sarasota County alone is nearly $72 million. Even with hundreds of hauling contractors working around the clock, the debris collection will take months. Sarasota County Solid Waste Director Brian Usher said the county’s effort began even before the first storm hit, by engaging contractors who had previously done business with the county and planning for debris storage sites. Usher said he understands seeing storm debris linger in front of residents’ homes can have a psychological effect on residents recovering from the damage, given that county government workers are local residents affected themselves. “We recognize what it means to have, you know, family belongings out in front of the house,” he said, “which is why we target our resources to those hardest hit areas first.” In Sarasota County, seven debris management sites have been strategically located near the most impacted areas to efficiently organize the 90 to 100 hauling units collecting storm debris each day. Unincorporated Sarasota County has been further broken down into 41 collection areas where residents can check the status of collection efforts in their neighborhoods on the county website. The map is at https://www.scgov.net/government/solid-waste/post-hurricane-solid-waste-information under the storm debris collection tab. Usher said it would help debris collection if people would not put out debris that is not storm related “because we’re seeing a lot of that.” “This is a point-blank message. It’s slowing us down,” he said. “… And illegal dumping is slowing us down.” The county must verify that its expenses for reimbursement by the federal government with evidence the debris collected was eligible for repayment. That includes identifying debris with a residence, which becomes impossible when landscapers and local residents illegally dump vegetative debris in a county right-of-way or in front of a community. For more information on this story, courtesy of Sarasota Herald-Tribune, please click here: Debris Collection Cost Estimated $72M.

RED TIDE LINGERS IN LOCAL WATERS

An ongoing red tide that started to affect Sarasota and Manatee County beaches last week continues to linger in local waters, but beachgoers may see mixed conditions depending on their beach of choice and which way the wind blows this weekend. Red tide has been blooming offshore of communities impacted by Hurricane Milton for weeks, but until recently favorable winds have mostly kept its impacts away from local beaches. Satellite imagery shows that most of the red tide bloom has drifted south away from the area, but also closer to shore in parts of southern Sarasota County. Water samples found either low or medium levels of the red tide organism, Karenia Brevis, at several Sarasota and Manatee County shorelines. “It really depends on where you are and on which way the wind is blowing,” Sarasota Bay Estuary Program Director Dave Tomasko said. “It looks like it is worse down from Venice down to the Boca Grande area.” Tomasko recommends that beachgoers check official state and federal websites, rather than seek advice on social media forums, to plan trips to local beaches. He often references satellite imagery published by the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, results published by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and checks the wind direction on weather forecasting websites to see if the wind is blowing red tide toward shore. “The state of Florida and the federal government spend a lot of money to produce these tools to help people figure out what to do,” Tomasko said. “So use those tools, and find out for yourself.” “When I go to the beach I look at multiple sources,” he said. “I look at the satellite imagery, I look at the FWC results and then I look at the wind forecast. If there are low values and wind blowing out of the east, boom, I am going to the beach. If I see higher values and winds blowing out of the west, then I expect to see red tide.” There’s more to read here: Red Tide Lingers In Local Waters.

BRADENTON RESIDENTS QUESTION COMDEMNATIONS

Wendy Brown spent thousands of dollars to address the immediate needs of a beach house that has been in her family for 75 years following Hurricane Milton, only to find a red notice placed by the city of Bradenton Beach on her front door that the home is to be condemned. Brown is among many Bradenton Beach residents who face a mandate by the Federal Emergency Management Agency that limits repairs or improvements of a property to 50% of its value or it must be upgraded to meet current flood regulations. Nearly 30 residents from the Pines Trailer Park and the Sandpiper Mobile Resort communities attended the Bradenton Beach city council meeting recently. Many raised alarm over condemnations that they do not believe are justified. They often questioned the motives behind decisions made to condemn mobile homes in two communities in Bradenton Beach in mass, sought definitive answers, and expressed frustration with city staff in charge of decision-making. “It took on about 12 inches of water inside,” Brown said. “We are, just like everybody else, at a standstill. We want answers.” “If it’s the FEMA 50/50 rule, we’ve got a builder in there I can guarantee it’s going to be less than that 50/50 rule,” she said. “But we can’t start until you tell us that we can. Why aren’t we moving forward? Why aren’t we getting answers?” Well-known Anna Maria Island Developer Shawn Kaleta is caught in the middle. He is the manager of Pines Park Investors LLC, which owns the Pines Park mobile home community, and he must navigate the situation as the land owner while residents and the city settle the fate of the mobile homes in the park themselves. He said that he is working to find any solution that can help residents stay in the community, and also asked city officials for definitive answers to questions posed by residents to him as the land owner. “The residents and myself just have questions on how possible is it to restore each and every unit. How realistic is it?” Kaleta said. “I’ve made a commitment to the residents, from our side, to keep the park there (as) whatever it can be inside the code.” “Many of them are clearly substantially damaged,” he said. “I’m just asking for clarification. Gash Caudill found a red tag on the front door stating that his home has to be demolished following hurricanes Helene and Milton, even though not a single building inspector has set foot inside of his Bradenton Beach home. Like many residents, he questioned why the city has been so quick to leave condemnation notices for residences but so slow with inspection of them. Do they stay? Do they go? Then moving forward we just want to make sure we keep the integrity of the community and we keep the park.” Please click here for more: Bradenton Questions Condemnations.

CAR INSURANCE STORM CLAIMS RISE

Eva Kelly-Cubells knows her 2016 Chevy Cruze — and tens of thousands of other cars swamped in hurricanes Helene and Milton — did not go quietly. The 86-year-old Punta Gorda resident and her cat evacuated to a friend’s house on Sept. 26. There, Kelly-Cubells thought, she would be a safe distance from the canals and ponds that surround her manufactured home for Hurricane Helene’s anticipated visit. Deep in the night, though, she heard the water surging across the nearby road and then something even more ominous: a cacophony of car horns going off. “Then it would stop, and you’d know that was the end,” Kelly-Cubells said. The number of insurance claims on cars filed in Florida’s back-to-back hurricanes is approaching six figures: 91,975 filings for damaged passenger and commercial vehicles as of Monday, Oct. 28, data from the state Office of Insurance Regulation shows. And although Milton’s property damage claims dwarf Helene’s, Helene’s auto claims are 70% greater than Milton’s, state figures show. Luckily for drivers, unlike most homeowner policies, car insurance covers flooding. But that coverage, consumers like Kelly-Cubells are finding, has limitations. Policies will cover the present value of the vehicle, not the replacement cost. Meaning consumers are paid what their vehicle is worth, not the cost of a new one. In her case, Kelly-Cubells’ $9,500 payout from her insurer on her lost vehicle won’t be enough to get her back on the road in a comparable vehicle. All holders of auto policies in Florida and elsewhere may also see some pain next year from the 2024 hurricane season. This season’s storms are expected to deal a multibillion-dollar blow to the nation’s insurers in payouts, when the auto losses in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee get factored in. What kind of financial hit this will deal to Florida motorists’ insurance rates won’t be known for at least a year, insurance agents say. But, spoiler alert, it’s not expected to be a good thing for the state’s residents who are already paying the third-highest car insurance rates in the United States at an annual average cost of $3,594 for full coverage, according to Bankrate.com, a personal finance website. The state falls just behind New York and Louisiana, Bankrate.com estimates. The storms are likely to aggravate matters more because just like companies that insure property, companies that insure drivers must rely on capital reinsurance markets to shoulder the risk of weather-related events and other catastrophes. And seeing one-two punches like Helene and Milton certainly won’t improve those back-up insurance capital markets, industry watchers say. “When reinsurance gets tight, costs to the insurance companies go up,” said Caple Howden, who runs an Orlando insurance agency bearing his name. “And so insurance companies, unfortunately, pass their costs on to the consumers.” There’s more to read here, courtesy of the Palm Beach Post: Car Insurance Storm Claims Rise.

FPL SEEKING $1.2B IN HURRICANE COSTS

Florida Power & Light customers likely will face increased monthly bills in 2025 after the utility recently requested approval to collect nearly $1.2 billion to cover costs of restoring power after Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton, and to replenish a storm reserve fund. FPL also has differing rates based on whether customers are in the utility’s traditional service area or a Northwest Florida area that was part of a purchase of the former Gulf Power. Under the proposal filed recently, residential customers in the traditional service area who use 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity would see their monthly bills go from the current $121.19 a month to $133.99 in January, according to FPL. Such customers in the Northwest Florida area would see their bills go from the current $135.38 to $143.45. “FPL worked relentlessly to quickly restore power to our customers in the aftermath of each of these hurricanes,” FPL President and CEO Armando Pimentel said in a prepared statement. “We’re mindful that customers pay these restoration costs, which is why we continue to invest in storm hardening and smart grid technology. This avoids many outages, speeds restoration and reduces restoration costs while helping customers bounce back faster, from getting kids back to school to getting Florida’s economy back up and running.” In a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing recently, FPL’s parent company, NextEra Energy, outlined that the utility would seek to recover storm costs. But a more recent filing at the Public Service Commission provided detailed information. FPL wants to recover an estimated $1.179 billion over a 12-month period starting in January, with much of the cost stemming from Hurricane Milton, which made landfall Oct. 9 as a Category 3 storm in Sarasota County before crossing the state, according to a filing at the Florida Public Service Commission. The filing said Milton affected electric service for 2 million FPL customers, and the utility used 20,000 workers from as far away as Canada to restore power. The Public Service Commission would need to approve FPL recovering the money, but utilities have regularly received such approvals in the past. In addition, storm-cost recovery was contemplated in a broader 2021 rate agreement for FPL. Storm costs are essentially a temporary add-on to customer bills. Utilities typically use as a benchmark residential customers who consume 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a month — though actual electricity use varies widely. The filing estimated FPL costs of about $811.1 million related to Milton, $157.8 million related to Helene and $113.5 million related to Debby. Those costs would be partially offset by a nearly $75.4 million storm reserve that the utility had before Debby. The utility also wants to collect $150 million to replenish the storm reserve, along with interest-related costs. Duke Energy Florida and Tampa Electric Co. also had to undertake massive power-restoration efforts after the hurricanes, making it likely they will seek to recover costs from customers. They have not filed proposals, according to the Public Service Commission website. FPL this spring finished recovering about $1.3 billion in storm-restoration costs primarily related to hurricanes Ian and Nicole in 2022, according to last week’s Securities & Exchange Commission filing. There’s more on this story here, courtesy of CBS News: FPL Seeking $1.2B.

BREACHED DIKE IS DEBBY TRAGEDY LINK

A breach in the dike separating the areas drained by Phillippi Creek and Cow Pen Slough in central Sarasota likely played a key role in August’s catastrophic flooding of the Laurel Meadows subdivision after Hurricane Debby, according to a new study. “It should have never gotten into their homes; that’s astounding,” said Stephen Suau, an engineer and hydrologist who founded Sarasota County’s stormwater division 25 years ago and conducted the independent study. The flooding after Debby’s unprecedented rainfall dumped more than a foot of rain in 24 hours, inundating 84 of 86 homes in Laurel Meadows, where the “streets are designed to flood but not their homes,” Suau said. Laurel Meadows was designed for families and built between 2000 and 2005. The dike, built decades ago to facilitate farming, suffered an unnoticed breach sometime in recent years, creating an opening for Debby’s floodwaters to flow through, inundating a subdivision miles away. This dike failure was one of several causes behind Sarasota County’s severe inland flooding during a hurricane season that saw three storms—Debby, Helene, and Milton—batter the area in under two months. Unlike Debby, Helene and Milton were not heavy rainmakers but caused record storm surges and unprecedented coastal flooding. Sarasota’s Pinecraft neighborhood was also devastated by Debby’s rains, prompting county officials to review their stormwater management practices. Detailed discussions are expected next year. Suau, who presented his findings to the Sarasota Citizen Action Network, has forwarded recommendations to Sarasota County officials, while the county continues its own computer modeling of Debby’s flooding. Public Works Director Spencer Anderson noted that modeling should conclude by November and will be reviewed in a January workshop. The county plans to propose new policies or regulations to reduce future flooding. “All of those things are topics we’ll bring back to the board for policy direction,” Anderson added. “While Steve was doing his thing, we got hit by a couple more hurricanes,” Anderson said. That modeling is anticipated to be complete by the end of November and should be reviewed at a Sarasota County Commission in a workshop now set for Jan. 21. Officials will present recommendations for possible regulations to reduce future flooding. “All of those things are topics we’ll bring back to the board and then they may give us some policy direction on moving forward with new regulation or new policies that the board wants to see, to manage the stormwater regulation all through the floodplain and mitigation of future flooding,” Anderson said. Please follow the jump for more on this story: Breached Dike Is Debby Tragedy Link.

78 YEAR OLD FISH CAMP DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR

The North Jetty Fish Camp – built in 1946, using an old trolley car from Ybor City, was damaged beyond repair by hurricanes Helene and Milton. Nicole Rissler, director of parks recreation and natural resources for Sarasota County, discussed that in a Nov. 6 YouTube update video. Most recently, Justin and Ashley Bloomquist and Justin’s brother Brian operated the concessions at North Jetty Beach. They took over that contract to operate the North Jetty Grille, which opened in 2014, and the North Jetty Fish Camp from Gary and Joyce Durbin and Michael and Omayra Schloss in July 2021. The Bloomquist brothers also operate the Pilot House at the Venice Beach Pavilion and Shark Tooth Beach Concessions on Nokomis Beach. They worked hard to refurbish the old trolley car and even rechristened the popular spot the “Trolley” – though many regulars still referred to it as the Fish Camp. “We painted it, we tried to restore it and make it look like a trolley car again,” Justin Bloomquist said. They repainted the former trolley car its original red – replacing a yellow and cream coloring – and painted the inside green with gold trim, again to recapture authenticity. “Me and Ashley really wanted to learn about the history of it and respect it and do what we could,” Bloomquist said. Bloomquist noted that people would stop by the North Jetty Grille – which is a few steps closer to the beach – for a hot dog and then head over to the Fish Camp for a beer. People wanted to patronize both places, even though proceeds from both wound up with the Bloomquists. The Sarasota County Property Appraiser’s website had the structure there listed as dating back to 1937 – though that’s the same year that the Venice Jetties were built when a channel was dredged between Roberts Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The Fish Camp was expanded upon piecemeal but was primarily a piece of Old Florida – a place to buy bait, tackle and snacks for fishing or just sit and meet with friends. In 2018, Sarasota County stepped up its effort to document the Fish Camp because neither it nor the state of Florida had a written record of its historical significance. The remains of the Fish Camp will be removed from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers right of way in the coming weeks, with items or portions of the structure set aside for a possible display. Please click here for more: Fish Camp Damaged Beyond Repair.

MOTE MARINE REOPENS & WELCOMES LOU

After a turbulent summer and fall marred by back-to-back hurricanes that battered the Sarasota region, the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium reopened its doors this week, welcoming visitors back with resilience — and a heartwarming new resident. In a press conference held at the facility, Mote’s President and CEO Michael Crosby expressed his gratitude to the community for its patience and support during the months-long closure. The storms left portions of the aquarium damaged, forcing extended repairs and the temporary relocation of several marine animals. Ahead of Hurricane Helene in September, Mote welcomed a newly rescued manatee, Lou, to its manatee habitat. Weighing 2,200 pounds, Lou is the new tank mate of longtime Mote resident, Buffett, who arrived at the aquarium decades ago. “When Milton came in, we had not fully recovered from the mess of Helene. We got a bit of storm surge but Milton was also dead on coming for us. I’ve never seen a hurricane that was dead on, aiming for Sarasota, this area as Milton was, so in anticipation, we had specialized staff that gave time, attention, and care to try to maintain the transport to our aquaculture research park, we really needed to evacuate them and our air-breathing animals,” Crosby explained. Mote relocated reptiles, otters, birds, and sea turtles to one of its eight research parks to ensure the safety of all the animals on the main property just off of Lido Key in Sarasota. Now that Lou, and the other Mote marine life, have returned to the research facility, Crosby’s team of scientists and marine experts are continuing the work to successfully rehabilitate injured sea animals, combat red tide, and find critical solutions to marine challenges. The facility’s two-month closure caused a revenue loss of over $2 million, Crosby said. The estimated recovery costs of the Mote Lab & Aquarium are around $10 million. Researchers and staff worked diligently in the wake of Hurricane Milton in order to recoup some of the loss. The facility receives grant revenue as part of its annual budget, which was impacted by the closure, Crosby said. “Over 50% of our revenue comes from research grants… that’s been a bit challenging. We’re hoping to be able to bounce back from that revenue loss and we are confident we are coming back stronger, and it’s with the support of this community that we’re able to do that,” he said. Looking ahead, beyond Mote’s reopening this week, the facility leaders are anticipating the opening of its state-of-the-art facility near UTC Mall in Sarasota in the first part of 2025. Progress continues on the 110,000-square-foot facility and Crosby expects the certificate of occupancy for the new aquarium before the end of the calendar year. Please click here for more: Mote Marine Reopens & Welcomes Lou.

SARASOTA REGAINS SPOT ON KEY RANKING

After falling a few years in a row on U.S. News and World Report’s list ranking the best U.S. cities for retirees, Sarasota has returned to the top five. Sarasota − No. 1 in 2020 and ’21 − ranked as the fourth best place to retire this year. It placed behind top-ranked Naples, Virginia Beach at No. 2 and third-place New York City as seniors this year emphasized happiness their top concern to the Washington, D.C.-headquartered media company famous for its consumer ranking information. In recent years, the scoring matrix had more heavily weighted affordability as that was the top concern among retirees, according to U.S. News. High-priced Sarasota fell to No. 11 in 2022 and No. 18 in 2023 as real estate prices in the area soared, fueled by shifts in migration patterns following the COVID-19 pandemic. The national average for housing costs in the United States was $281,900 with housing costs in Sarasota coming in at $430,600, according to the media company. Despite losing points on affordability, other factors, including happiness, health care, desirability and retiree taxes and job market allowed Sarasota to return to the top five for the first time in since 2021. Many other cities with temperate weather and entertainment options also scored well. “The 2025 Best Places to Retire rankings reflect top cities across the country that best meet retiree needs and desires,” Dawn Bradbury, assistant managing editor for real estate at U.S. News, said in a news release. “What we found this year is retirees seek a destination that will not only stretch their dollar, but is also a place for enjoyment. This is why the Midwest and South dominate the top 25.” In particular, Florida cities placed highly, taking eight of the top 25 places. Following Naples and Sarasota, Jacksonville (7), Pensacola (17), Tampa (18), Port St. Lucie (19), Melbourne (20) and Fort Myers (24) were the Florida cities ranked in the top 25. Other changes to this year’s scoring included focusing more on city level data and not on data from surrounding metro areas. Please click on the link for more: Sarasota Regains Spot On Key Ranking.

FLORIDA SETS TOURISM RECORD DESPITE STORMS

Florida posted a record third-quarter tourism total this year, with the numbers bolstered by U.S. visitors as international travel continued to lag behind pre-pandemic levels, according to the Visit Florida tourism-marketing agency. Despite the state taking hits from two hurricanes in August and September, Visit Florida recently estimated 34.61 million people traveled to Florida during the third quarter, up from 33.995 million during the same period in 2023 and 34.551 million in 2022. “The hard work and resilience of Floridians have been instrumental in keeping our tourism industry strong, showcasing the best of what our state has to offer,” Visit Florida President and CEO Dana Young said in a prepared statement. The report estimates that 31.758 million people from other states visited Florida from July 1 through Sept. 30. That was up from 31.2 million during the third quarter of 2023 but down from 32.022 million during the same period in 2022. Meanwhile, Visit Florida estimated 2.27 million overseas travelers and 582,000 Canadians visited the state during the third quarter this year. That was up from 2.227 million overseas travelers and 568,000 Canadians in 2023 and 1.931 million overseas travelers and 598,000 Canadians in 2022. While this year’s visits from overseas and Canada were higher than in 2023 and 2022, they have not returned to levels from 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic slammed the tourism industry in early 2020. In the third quarter of 2019, Florida drew 2.502 million overseas visitors and 703,000 Canadians. Florida attracted 29.295 million U.S. travelers in the third quarter of 2019. During the first three quarters of 2024, Visit Florida estimates the state had 109.7 million visitors, 1.8 percent more than during the first nine months of 2023. The new estimates came as Visit Florida has launched a $5.75 million effort to let tourists know that the soon-to-end 2024 hurricane season hasn’t closed the state. Visit Florida’s marketing effort started by highlighting areas that did not sustain heavy damage in the storms, such as Amelia Island, Islamorada and Pensacola. It will expand to focus on “fully recovered destinations” in Tampa, Naples and Fort Myers, while assisting counties most affected by the storms, from Pinellas, Sarasota, and Manatee to the more-rural Taylor, Dixie, and Levy. There’s more here: Florida Sets Tourism Records Despite Storms.

DEBATE FLARES OVER DEVELOPMENT PLAN

On a cool Thursday evening in Venice, dozens of Sarasota County residents went to war with “America’s Largest Homebuilder.” The arena was the Robert L. Anderson Administration Center and the judges were members of the county Planning Commission, who ultimately voted not to recommend approval of a proposed 170-home D.R. Horton development bordering the conservation and flood prevention area known as the Celery Fields. Passions, and sometimes tempers, were high during the hours of public comment preceding the advisory board’s nonbinding vote on whether the Sarasota County Commission should approve the housing. The County Commission will ultimately decide the development’s fate, albeit with the planning board’s recommendation in mind. Some eyes welled with tears as public commenters passionately explained what the Celery Fields mean to them, while other eyes in the gallery glazed over at in-depth explanations of floodplain engineering. Planning Commission Board Chair Colin Pember was responsible for keeping calm the more than 125 attendees, who, at the beginning of the meeting, spilled out of the main hall and into overflow space. Pember found himself in a position somewhere between a hall monitor and a substitute teacher as he tried to manage a large crowd of mostly middle-aged and older residents, fed up with what they see as rampant over development. He repeatedly admonished the crowd not to clap, laugh, or jeer during public comments or presentations. Smith Properties wants to sell about 49 acres of farmland to the Celery Fields’ southeast, across from Raymond Road, to national housing developer D.R. Horton. For the 170 homes to be built, Smith Properties is petitioning the county to change its zoning from “open use rural,” which allows for 1 unit every 10 acres, to “residential single family,” which allows 3.5 homes per acre. The Celery Fields was initially designed to be a critical stormwater collection zone to remedy repeated flooding in the Phillippi Creek area, but after the county bought it, the site has become a nationally renowned wildlife sanctuary and tourist attraction for bird-watching. Charlie Bailey, a land use attorney with the Williams Parker firm, represented the deal to the commission. Bailey made the case that the development plans − which include a sixty-foot buffer of foliage and wetlands, a vast centralized drainage pond for stormwater management, and plans to mitigate light pollution as much as possible − exemplified responsible growth. “We’re not here to develop Celery Fields,” Bailey said. “A lot of the testimony was protecting the Celery Fields, protecting the Celery Fields, protecting Celery Fields. We submit that the design of our project does that.” Bailey said the development team worked with environmental groups such as the Sarasota Audubon Society to design the properties so as to disrupt the habitat as little as possible. He argued that the development would create more wildlife habitats than the existing grazing land does. Sara Reisinger, president of the Sarasota Audubon Society, was one of the 40 or so public commenters who spoke out against the proposed development. She said the Celery Fields attracts around 130,000 visitors a year from all over the world. Outside of the environmental factor, Reisinger said, the increased traffic from such a development could be dangerous. There’s more on this story here: Debate Flares Over Development.

ARCHITECT PICKED FOR ORCHESTRA HALL

A Boston-based architectural firm known for designing music centers and higher education buildings has been selected to create a new Sarasota Orchestra music center which has been in discussion for years. After months of search and interviews, the orchestra has selected William Rawn Associates, which has received much praise for its Boston Symphony Orchestra Seiji Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood, and the Boston Symphony’s Linde Center for Music and Learning at Tanglewood, among other buildings around the country. Ozawa Hall was ranked the second-best American concert Hall built in the last 50 years and the 13th-best in the world in Leo Beranek’s “Concert Halls and Opera Houses.” Joseph McKenna, president and CEO of the orchestra, said he expects the new Sarasota Orchestra building to top the next rankings list. “They have a really great acumen for blending acoustic performance space and education space and that’s what our project is all about,” McKenna said. “We want a building that has an iconic look and has great acoustics and great functionality for the orchestra and everyone else who is going to use it.” The orchestra operates out of the Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center, near the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, where it presents its major Masterworks concert series. In 2018, the organization announced it wanted to build its own home away from the Sarasota Bayfront and not be part of plans for a new performing arts center being planned by the City of Sarasota and the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation. Rawn Associates’ connection to Sarasota Orchestra goes back about 20 years when it was invited to Sarasota for early talks about a new music center and the Sarasota arts scene, and then again about 10 years ago. “This is a project that’s been on our radar for literally more than a decade,” said principal Doug Johnston. “It’s in the sweet spot, the intersection of performance spaces, buildings we do quite a bit of, and education spaces.” The firm’s many projects include Klarman Hall at Harvard Business School, the Duke University Rubenstein Arts Center, the Berklee College of Music in Boston and the School of Nursing at Johns Hopkins University. The orchestra is looking to create a venue that will contain an 1,800-seat concert hall and a 700-seat recital hall, as well as administrative and education spaces. Last year, it closed on a 31-acre site on Fruitville Road just east of I-75 for the facility. Johnston described it as a “pretty remarkable site in terms of its accommodation for all its needs. There’s enough buildable area, it has really wonderful visibility to a growing population of Sarasota, the capacity for all the parking we might need on the site.” He said the firm will be focused on water and resilience and “we know we have to plan for the thoughtful way the site can make its neighbors better, rather than having an impact on its neighbors.” There’s more on this story here: Architect Picked For Orchestra Hall.

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER APPROVAL POSTPONED

Final approval for a new performing arts center in Sarasota has been postponed until March, as officials brace for the city’s biggest projects in decades. The Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation is overseeing plans for the new venue under a partnership with the city of Sarasota. The nonprofit first signed an agreement with the city in April 2022 to work together on planning, the design, funding, construction, operating and management of a new arts center. The initial deadline for a project green light was the last day of this month. But that date was pushed back after a series of hurricanes impacted Sarasota in the late summer and fall. Now, the foundation will have until March 31 to present a new implementation agreement for the Sarasota Performing Arts Center (SPAC) to the City Commission. The latest agreement addresses details such as a preliminary site plan, a permitting and construction schedule, budgeting and funding options, and what approvals are necessary to begin development, according to the contract commissioners approved. Jennifer Jorgensen, the city’s director of governmental affairs, appeared before the commission on Monday morning with two SPAC executives, CEO Tania Castroverde and Chairman Jim Travers. Jorgensen said that after the foundation had asked for a postponement, it determined the implementation agreement itself needed to be revised. Castroverde said more time would “allow us to strengthen the implementation agreement by answering additional questions from the commission.” Castroverde added the extension would allow the foundation to personally brief newly elected Commissioner Kathy Kelley Ohlrich on the project. There’s more to read here: Performing Arts Center Approval Postponed.

SELBY GARDENS RAISES MILLIONS

About a year before it plans to break ground on the second phase of the transformation of its downtown Sarasota campus, Selby Botanical Garden has raised more than 66% of its funding goal for the project. Officials at Selby, named one of Time’s ‘World Greatest Places 2024”, announced they have raised $40.3 million toward the $60.9 million phase two goal. It will include construction of a new hurricane-resilient glass house conservatory complex for its living collections, which will be more accessible to the public, as well as an indoor-outdoor learning pavilion to accommodate expanded school programs and lifelong learning. It also will add a stone garden, a garden of live oaks and improved walkways and pathways through the campus. In January, Selby cut the ribbon on three major new buildings that were part of the first phase of the transformation, including the Morganroth Family Living Energy Access Facility, which provides a four-story parking garage; the Green Orchid restaurant operated by Michael’s on East; a new gift shop and 50,000 square feet of solar panels that make Selby the first botanical garden in the world to produce more energy than it uses. The first phase also included the Steinwachs Family Plant Research Center, which houses research facilities, the Elaine Nicpon Marieb Herbarium and Laboratory, administrative offices and a research library. At the same time, Selby opened its new Jean Goldstein Welcome Center, an open-air pavilion that provides ticketing windows and a gallery and theater to provide an overview of the campus for visitors. Altogether, Selby has passed the $103 million mark in fundraising for the master plan, including $8 million set aside for an ongoing endowment. 99% of the funds are from private gifts. An anonymous Selby Gardens trustee has provided a $15 million gift for phase two, while board chairman Dr. Joel Morganroth and his wife, Dr. Gail Morrison Morganroth, the campaign co-chair, have made a new $5 million commitment to the project, bringing their total gift to $10.5 million. “We are absolutely thrilled to witness the incredible generosity of our community, which will inspire a wave of innovation and possibility for Selby,” Gail Morganroth said in a statement.
There’s more on this story here: Selby Gardens Raises Millions.

GIVE GENEROUSLY

Faced with widespread destruction from three back-to-back storms, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County has already received an outpouring of contributions to the annual Season of Sharing campaign that runs through late January. Expecting an explosion of hardship among residents following hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton, three major donors have kicked off the annual Season of Sharing fundraising campaign with a combined $1.75 million in donations. The contributions include $1 million from The Patterson Foundation and $250,000 from the Baltimore Orioles, which also pledged an additional $250,000 in matching funds. “In times of crisis, it’s essential for us to stand together as a community,” said David M. Rubenstein, principal owner of the Orioles. “We hope that this match challenge inspires our fans and community members to give generously and help provide immediate relief for those affected by Hurricane Milton.” Also, the Brian and Sheila Jellison Family Foundation has pledged a $500,000 matching grant to Season of Sharing. “These storms have brought unimaginable challenges to our community, and we feel a deep responsibility to support both immediate recovery efforts and long-term rebuilding,” said Christie Jellison Mucha. Roxie Jerde, president and CEO of the Community Foundation, commended the donors for “living their values” with their commitment to support their neighbors. “This partnership exemplifies the spirit of collaboration that is at the heart of Season of Sharing,” she said. “For 25 years, Season of Sharing has been a vital resource for people in our community experiencing financial distress, whether that’s a personal crisis or created out of a broad disaster, like hurricanes or the COVID pandemic.” Jerde called Season of Sharing a “constant yet flexible safety net” that empowers residents to “emerge from economic crisis with dignity, and in the process, strengthened our entire community.” The Patterson Foundation also will provide an additional match of $100,000 for every $500,000 raised in donations – a practice it has carried out during Season of Sharing’s nearly 25 years of existence.

You can help by clicking here: Donate Now to Season of Sharing.
There’s more on this story here: Give Generously.