News Briefs

+ City to build State Street parking garage
Through their approval of a new development agreement with Pineapple Square, city commissioners committed the city to build a parking garage on the State Street parking lot within four years.

Pineapple Square developer John Simon sought the changed agreement to allow him the flexibility to build something other than condos, such as a hotel, on his property at Lemon Avenue and Pineapple Avenue.

The original agreement had firm rules that only allowed 157 condos and 85,000 square feet of retail space.

In exchange, Pineapple Square would return to the city control of the State Street parking lot. The new agreement calls for the city to build a parking garage on that site within four years, which the city’s master plan also dictates.

Under the current agreement, the city is also obligated to build a garage, with at least 350 spaces at a cost of $21,715 per space, or about $7.6 million.

In the new agreement, the city would build a garage with at least 300 spaces. The price would be determined during the bidding process, but the Palm Avenue garage is being built for about $17,000 per space. At that rate and size, the total cost of a State Street garage would be about $5 million.

Through the new agreement, the city will get back from Pineapple Square $4.4 million it had put in a fund for the developer. It was ultimately going to be required to put more than $7 million in that fund. All that money can go toward the new garage.

Some commissioners were uneasy with the idea of being obligated to build the garage within four years, but, in the end, they believed that Pineapple Square is too important to downtown’s success to deny.

“I think this is a very good project for downtown,” said Commissioner Terry Turner. “It’s a better deal for taxpayers.”

+ Energy-efficiency plan to save $2 million per year
The city finalized an $8.6 million contract, which is intended to reduce its energy consumption and save money.

The agreement with Siemens Industry Inc. includes converting about 15,000 water meters to automatic meter-reading technology; installing LED street lights; and installing upgrades for lighting water and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems in city buildings.

Siemens estimates the total savings for the city to be $1.9 million per year.

+ Community leader reveals her run for commission
Longtime Gillespie Park leader Linda Holland announced this week her intention of running for the District 1 City Commission seat.

Vice Mayor Fredd Atkins is retiring and will vacate that post in the spring.

Holland will face the Rev. Willie Shaw, Richard Dorfman and Fredrick Williams.

Meetings & agendas
+ Citizens Advisory Committee for Public Transportation — 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9, Gulf Gate Library, 7112 Curtiss Ave., Sarasota
+ Citizen Tax Oversight Committee — 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10, City Hall, 1565 First St., Sarasota

Contact Robin Roy at [email protected].