DID board adds two new voices

As it enters a new year, the board of the Downtown Improvement District is incorporating two new leaders as the group ponders its next steps toward enhancing the heart of the city.

The two new members are already notable figures in downtown Sarasota and are poised to add two distinct voices to the DID board. Steve Seidensticker, owner of Louies Modern and The Francis, becomes the only restaurateur in a leadership position on the board, while Main Street Traders owner Daniel Volz is the group’s lone real estate agent.

Although they commended the work the DID has undertaken over the past several years, neither seemed content with the smaller-scale beautification projects the board has largely concerned itself with in recent months. For more than a year, the DID — which draws its revenue from property taxes imposed within its boundaries — has considered expanding to generate additional funds and broaden its scope.

Seidensticker said he’s still sitting back and learning the ropes, but there are some topics of interest on his radar already. He praised the efforts of the DID to improve the cleanliness and safety of the area but said one of the most common concerns he’s heard from downtown visitors is that the area could still be made more walkable.

“I think the thing I hear the most is the difficulty for the pedestrian,” Seidensticker said. “It’s not as pedestrian friendly as it could be.”

Beautification efforts already under consideration — including a proposal to install flower baskets on downtown light poles — could go a long way toward addressing that issue, he said. Still, he said expanding the DID could help the group more effectively tackle the problem by backing larger projects such as a free downtown circulator vehicle.

“There’s a lot we could do if we could expand the DID,” Seidensticker said. “I think transportation issues are the biggest issues we’re going to be faced with in the future.”

Bigger and broader
For Volz, the impetus for joining the DID board went beyond his personal interests as a merchant. Having spent some of his formative years in the area, Volz believes it is important to help guide the city as it goes through a period of expansion, viewing it as an opportunity to help strengthen Sarasota’s legacy.

“We’re growing as a city, and Sarasota — we’re on the cusp of really being able to put our best foot forward, whether that’s welcoming new people or attracting businesses, events and whatnot to the area,” Volz said. “I think it’s crucial that, in the next few steps, we’re really working on building the best possible Sarasota that we can.”

A member of the Downtown Sarasota Alliance board, Volz said one of the most significant issues he hopes to address was the divide between the different downtown stakeholder groups. Although businesses in different organizations might often be competing with one another for customers, Volz pushed for more collaboration with a focus on the bigger picture. With more people downtown in general, Volz said, everyone can benefit.

“I think one big disconnect is that downtown has a lot of different organizations,” Volz said. “While their efforts and the passions are to be commended, it’s also important for there to be some cohesive effort all together.”

Volz, too, spoke positively about the possibility of expansion. In addition to incorporating the various hotel and commercial projects that sit just outside of the current DID boundaries, Volz said a larger DID would mean more voices in the conversation — which would allow for a more substantial vision as the DID attempts to make improvements.

“I think one thing to keep in mind is the more people we have that are involved in the DID area, the more momentum we can gather as an organization — and as a city as a whole,” Volz said.

Steve Seidensticker
Owner of: Louies Modern and The Francis, 1289 N. Palm Ave.

Also known for: A prominent Sarasota restaurateur, Seidensticker is also the owner of Libby’s Café and Bar on Osprey Avenue.

Daniel Volz
Owner of: Main Street Traders, 1468 Main St.

Also known for: Volz is a real estate agent with Premier Sotheby’s International Realty and also serves on the Downtown Sarasota Alliance board.