Merchants market Village as bridge work begins

Parking cones, barricades and orange-vested workers are starting to materialize on the Siesta Key north bridge. The bridge rehabilitation project, expected to last from the June 5 start date until Oct. 16, is officially under way.

And the Siesta Key Village Association is launching a marketing counter-attack to buoy Village business during construction.

The bridge project necessitates FDOT to close lanes on the bridge but never the entire bridge. However, at the SKVA monthly meeting Tuesday, June 5, organization President Russell Matthes outlined print, radio and a billboard advertisement aimed at attracting reticent mainlanders.

“It will affect us at some level,” Matthes said. “Every time there’s construction (on Siesta Key) it affects (Village merchants.) Even if there’s one barricade, people get weird,” he said.

Lane closures, which will take place between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m., are expected to start Monday, June 11, according to a spokeswoman for FDOT. There will be no closures from June 19, through July 8, and from Aug. 31, until Sept. 3, because of the Fourth of July and Labor Day weekend.

Project coordinators will meet weekly to discuss progress of the bridge rehabilitation project, said the FDOT spokeswoman.

SKVA will spend $21,400 in total for the advertising campaign, which the organization has been discussing for several years in anticipation of the bridge project. According to Matthes, a billboard on Bee Ridge Road near the intersection with McIntosh Road has been paid for already, but the radio advertisements, which will run on two local stations, are expected to cost approximately $10,000.

The billboard will stand for six months, outlasting the forecasted construction timeline. It features the SKVA logo and the line: “Siesta Key Village … a perfect time to visit.”

The radio spots feature a woman’s voice, bouncing over a laid-back jam, driven by guitar and steel drums, saying: “Siesta Key Village … a perfect time to visit. With the No. 1 beach, great shops, delicious casual to gourmet restaurants, wonderful accommodations, and entertainment for everyone. Siesta Key Village … a perfect time to visit.”

Print advertisements feature a slight variation of the billboard design.

“We wanted to keep everything consistent,” Matthes said.

As discussed during the last SKVA meeting Tuesday, May 1, each type of merchant gets equal attention in the campaign.

The organization has $51,950 in its two bank accounts and still has funds owed from the Siesta Fiesta, which was held in April, and two craft shows SKVA runs in the Village.

The marketing push led to some suggestions for funding future advertising efforts at the meeting. Cheryl Gaddie, SKVA board member and member of the membership committee, suggested opening a marketing fund for donations, or re-examining membership dues, which are $50 annually.

Rami Nehme, co-owner of Blasé Café, emphasized the importance of events, noting those are the real income drivers.

“Ten or 20 bucks from each member is going to create almost $900,” he said of Gaddie’s suggestions. “When you look at a campaign for $21,000, I think $900 will sound a little bit small.”

Radio advertisements will run during the summer, a season that Matthes notes can bring locals from the mainland who avoid the Village during tourist season.