News Briefs

+ Vehicle disrupts Siesta shorebird nests
An all-terrain vehicle (ATV) or motorcycle tore through the nesting areas of least terns, black skimmers and snowy plovers Monday night, on the north end of Siesta Key beach, according to a June 24 news release from the Sarasota Audubon Society. In two reported incidents of vandalism, the unidentified suspect destroyed 13 least tern eggs and caused all of the black skimmers in the colony of more than 150 coastal birds to abandon their nests; the snowy plovers remained on their nests.

Anyone with information about the incidents should contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 888-404-FWCC (3922) or the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office at 316-1202.

+ Commercial space at State Street garage hits the market
Groups interested in occupying the commercial space at the forthcoming State Street parking garage have until Aug. 6 to make their offers.

Ian Black Real Estate, working on behalf of the city, is marketing nearly 19,000 square feet of available space within and adjacent to the planned five-story parking structure. The City Commission will consider offers for the space at an Aug. 18 meeting.

The city is selling 13,885 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor of the garage. According to Ian Black Real Estate marketing documents, the firm is seeking offers in the range of $120 per square foot — or roughly $1.67 million in total.

In addition, the city is also selling a 5,041-square-foot “pad parcel” adjacent to the garage at the corner of State Street and Lemon Avenue. The asking price for the pad parcel is in the range of $369,000.

The pad site comes with an allowable density of five residential units, but the structure could potentially house up to 18 residential units. The buyer will have the option to pay $15,000 for each additional residential unit. Buyers will also have the option to develop the upper floors of the pad site.

+ World of Beer to expand to Eat Here building
Downtown Sarasota will get another new establishment this fall as World of Beer plans to open a location at the Main Street space currently occupied by Eat Here.

World of Beer, which already has a location off University Parkway near I-75, will move into the building at 1888 Main St. later this year. Co-owner Dean Lambert said the new site excited him — particularly given the other activity being generated in the area.

“The area has been a little slower in the last few years, but it really seems to be filling in now,” Lambert said. “I think we’ll be a good addition.”

Sean Murphy, owner of Eat Here, said World of Beer contacted him with an unsolicited offer to buy out the rest of the restaurant’s lease. Murphy said the bar would be an excellent asset for the eastern end of Main Street, which also recently saw the addition of McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre. He said the move would have no impact on Eat Here’s other locations.

Meetings
& agendas
 Sarasota County Commission budget workshop — 11 a.m. Friday, June 27, Commission Chambers, Administration Building, 1660 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota