Ringling Corridor expansion halts

Sarasota County commissioners all agreed Friday that until the city of Sarasota makes a decision about transferring the old police station site on Ringling Boulevard to the county, they would not put a priority on any more projects in that area. 

The police station site was written into a memorandum of understanding that the city would transfer the property to the county. 

The city previously stated it wanted a better understanding of what the county planned to do with the site, and did not want it to be a parking lot.

County Administrator Tom Harmer presented five county services projects that could be done on or near Ringling Boulevard, including an expansion to the jail, relocation of central energy plant, a new judicial space and a parking garage. 

But the commissioners directed Harmer to set staff priority on the public-safety campus proposed for Cattlemen Road and Bahia Vista instead of the downtown projects. The campus, estimated to cost $95 million, would combine Sheriff’s Office services. The county’s new emergency operations center is located there.

“I am wildly disappointed with the actions — or nonactions — with the city on that property,” said Chairwoman Carolyn Mason. “It’s bad governance not to live up to that previous agreement.” 

Commissioner Alan Maio said “there is no excuse for bad manners” in reference to the city’s lack of response after Mason addressed the city commissioners about the property during a January meeting. 

“I’ve been scratching my head for three months ... you’ve had to scratch your head for longer,” he said. “If this is some sort of clever device to make us do something else, the signal needs to go out that it’s failed miserably.”