DSA debates downtown New Year's Eve event

The Downtown Sarasota Alliance Board of Directors approved a New Year’s Eve event for downtown Sarasota at its monthly meeting Wednesday. The event would not allow the sale of beer and liquor by vendors so that the event won’t compete with downtown restaurants and bars.

Meeting materials included the reasoning behind the no-alcohol stipulation: “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.”

The proposal also included a fireworks celebration on the bayfront because Marina Jack owner Bob Soran agreed to contribute $27,000 toward a $30,000 fireworks show that would be similar to the downtown Fourth of July fireworks show.

But City Manager Bob Bartolotta quickly nixed that portion of the suggestion.

“We have a lot of concerns with fireworks happening that night, which would involve closing down U.S. 41,” Bartolotta said.

The number of expected visitors downtown that night would jump from 30,000 to 60,000 with the addition of the fireworks show, city officials said. Also, the fireworks would require the closure of U.S. 41 and would require 50 police officers to monitor the event.

So, instead of fireworks, the annual midnight ritual of dropping the pineapple at Pineapple Square is back on for another year.

In the meantime, anyone wishing to receive a permit for a fireworks celebration on New Year’s Eve is not prohibited from doing so.

The decision reached involves closing Main Street from Orange Avenue to Palm Avenue, offering a carnival on State Street for families and working with restaurants to request donations for the event and to create large outdoor café seating areas in the street.

In the meantime, the DSA will work next year to create a different New Year’s Eve celebration by partnering with downtown restaurant owners and downtown entertainment venues.

Before the DSA reached its decision, board member Chris Gallagher questioned the event as a whole.

“Why do anything?” Gallagher asked, theoretically. “If you did nothing, would not every restaurant downtown be filled? And if we do anything, are we bringing our target audience downtown or attracting a crowd we don’t wish to have?”

Bartolotta, however, said although the DSA could request a permit and then cancel the event, he didn’t recommend it.

“You have to have businesses sign off on a permit, get police officers and make an effort to hold the event,” Bartolotta said.

The discussion prompted DSA Vice Chairman Tony Souza to question why the city no longer partners with the downtown for such events to reduce the costs associated with off-duty police officers and permits.

“I have polled other cities and they still act as partners for such events,” Souza said.

Bartolotta said it’s strictly a financial decision by the city.

“We used to pay for everything, even the fireworks on July 4,” Bartolotta said. “But these are tight times.”