Sarasota names downtown economic steward

Sarasota has named Norman Gollub, former economic development manager for Greenville, S.C., as the new downtown economic development coordinator.

Gollub spent six years in the South Carolina city of 61,000 from 1998 to 2004; working to reduce commercial vacancies downtown and secure more than $825,000 for improvement projects, according to his resume. Gollub also led efforts to bring in $50 million in private development and form an overlay zone to guide revitalization.

Since 2005 Gollub ran his planning consultant firm in Portland, Ore., focusing on economic development and urban design for public and private clients. One of Gollub’s projects included securing funding grants and forming downtown revitalization strategies for Cascade Locks, Ore.

The job description for Gollub’s post in Sarasota will be similar to his job in Greenville. Gollub was offered the position and accepted, said Steve Queior, president and CEO of the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce.

Costs associated with the position are funded by three organizations — with the city contributing $40,000; the DID contributing $25,000; and the Sarasota Chamber’s “Sarasota Tomorrow” fund contributing $25,000. The chamber will provide an office and administrative supplies for the new economic coordinator.

“He is very well rounded, and I am very encouraged in terms of what he will bring to the city,” Deputy City Manager Marlon Brown said.

Sarasota received 66 applications for the post.

While in Greenville, Norman Gollub led an effort to move a loading zone and widen the sidewalk, enabling restaurants to expand.

For more on this story, see Thursday’s edition of the Sarasota Observer.