DSA cancels New Year's event

The Downtown Sarasota Alliance Board of Directors agreed to cancel a New Year’s Eve event for downtown at its Wednesday, Nov. 2 board of directors meeting.

DSA Events Chairman and Vice Chairman Tony Souza, who just last month was pushing a Main Street celebration complete with fireworks on Sarasota Bay, announced the decision after learning of other events planned for Dec. 31.

“Formulating the event was problematic, and we were finding ourselves competing with businesses such as Mattison’s and The Gator Club,” Souza said.

In an Oct. 28 email to city staff and police officers, Souza explained the decision.

“The DSA is aware of plans for a smaller downtown event proposed by Paul Mattison, of Mattison’s, and Larry Siegel, of the Gator Club,” Souza wrote. “The DSA does not want to compete with these downtown businesses. Therefore, this year, the DSA is taking a hiatus from sponsoring a New Year’s Eve event and is looking forward to the creation of a First Night Celebration in 2012.”

Souza announced plans for a different kind of New Year’s Eve celebration for future years.

“Next year we want to create a family-oriented event on Main Street that will include all businesses,” Souza said. “This year, we don’t want to compete against our own membership.”

The DSA’s 2012 New Year’s Eve event plans involve creating an upscale New Year’s Eve celebration and partnering with downtown restaurant owners and downtown entertainment venues.

The celebration would include barring the sale of beer and liquor by Main Street vendors so the event would not compete with downtown restaurants and bars.

In its meeting materials, the option for next year’s event states: “The reason for this suggestion is this event and the DSA should contribute to sustaining the downtown business community, economically, by eliminating any perceived competition by the DSA.”

It’s not anticipated that any portion of Main Street will be closed for New Year’s Eve this year.