- December 13, 2025
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Illustration by Marty Fugate
While recovery work continued after our seasonal residents migrated north for the summer, there was a significant amount of news here.
Returnees will note that although much of the storm damage along the city’s waterfront parks and assets remains, remnants of the 2024 hurricane season are otherwise few and far between.
Some old favorite businesses reopened over the summer, restoration of local barrier island beaches is largely complete, and, for the most part, life in Sarasota has returned to normal.
So before venturing out into your season of golf, beach time and cultural activities, here is your chance to brush up on 10 of the top local stories while you were away.
Returning seasonal residents strolling along Pineapple Avenue in Burns Court will notice a major change beneath their feet. In compliance with an order from the Florida Department of Transportation, the city removed all non-standard markings along sidewalks, street crossings and roadways, as is being done statewide.
In a memo to the city dated June 30, 2025, the agency stated the city must conform to the FDOT Design Manual and the Manual of Uniform Minimum Standards for Design, Construction and Maintenance for Streets and Highways.
Any local jurisdictions found in violation of the order risked losing millions in state funding. Known as Avenue of Art, the sidewalks contained murals painted by 240 artists from 20 countries, each on one segment of sidewalk. The order also required removal of crosswalk art at the intersection of Second Street and Cocoanut Avenue and a crosswalk across Main Street.
"All four areas within the city limits where artwork was installed on the pavement or sidewalk will be removed in order to comply with FDOT’s revised pavement art policy," said city Communications General Manager Jan Thornburg in a statement to the Observer. "FDOT’s June 20, 2025, memo clearly states that non-compliance shall be cause for withholding state funds. The city is not in a position to jeopardize state funding.”
The FDOT claimed to have ordered the removal of non-standard markings in part because they can interfere with the operation of autonomous vehicles and other emerging technologies, and further stated the markings can cause "distractions or confusion that compromise roadway safety."
Although it may not come as a shock that Sarasota still has no permanent city manager, it does have a new face in the interim position. Public Works Director Doug Jeffcoat was filling the role left by the retired Marlon Brown, but he has since retired and former Longboat Key Town Manager Dave Bullock was named to the interim role.
What may or may not be surprising is the city is no closer to naming a new permanent city manager than it was almost a year ago after Brown retired in mid-October. But it does have a new executive search firm to help the City Commission — which has taken a more direct, active role in the process — to recruit and then narrow a field of candidates.
In September, commissioners selected Sumter Local Government Consulting of Alpharetta, Georgia, to assist the search. Sumter is at the beginning of its work, having recently completed a series of one-on-one meetings with commissioners to assess their expectations of a new crop of candidates.
Founded by 15-year local government executive Warren Hutmacher, the 4-year-old Sumter pursued Sarasota as a resume-builder as it seeks to establish a greater foothold in Florida. Hutmacher told commissioners they would work with him and him alone throughout the process.
Jeffcoat retired after 30 years with the city and was succeed by now-former City Engineer Nikesh Patel, who has worked with the city since 2021.
Planning is underway and work to restore the historic Mira Mar building will soon begin now that the City Commission has cleared the way for owner Seaward Development to demolish the structures behind the 400-foot-long frontage on South Palm Avenue. In their place will be twin condominium towers that will provide revenue to cover the upwards of $30 million cost to save the Mira Mar.
Over the objections of some residents of nearby The Mark, the Sarasota City Commission on May 29 unanimously approved rezoning for the project, which includes rehabilitation and restoration of the historic portion of the existing Mira Mar property that occupies nearly 400 feet of Palm Avenue frontage.
The Mira Mar Residences will preserve parts of the historic Mira Mar apartments and pay homage to the former hotel and auditorium that was constructed in the early 1920s. Historic rehabilitation on the existing buildings is expected to begin in December 2025, with the residential towers expected to be completed by the end of 2028.
Rather than endure a by-right development that could have resulted in a 10-story, lot line-to-lot line, higher density apartment building — or even taller and more dense as a possible Florida Live Local Act development, the City Commission opted to rezone the site from Downtown Core to Downtown Bayfront to permit the 18-story condo towers. Prices of those 70 residences it brings will start at $3.8 million.
For the first time in three decades, the spacious corner office on the third level of the terminal at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport has a new occupant. While you were away, the Sarasota-Manatee Airport Authority named Paul Hoback to replace the retiring Rick Piccolo as president and CEO of the airport.
Hoback comes to SRQ from Pittsburgh International Airport, where for 25 years he gradually rose up the ranks to executive vice president and chief development officer. He most recently led a $1.7 billion transformation of the airport’s passenger terminal, baggage handling system, structured parking addition and more. Like SRQ, PIT is a destination airport, having been de-hubbed by USAirways before it was acquired by American Airlines.
Currently, PIT serves about 10 million passengers per year compared to SRQ’s four-plus million. Hoback joins SRQ at a time when the SMAA Board of Directors is in the midst of planning for further expansion, including structured parking and refining rental car operations.
Hoback took the reins of SRQ on Oct. 20, with Piccolo staying on two additional weeks to assist with the transition. In August, Hoback told the Observer he is looking forward to spending that quality time with the 50-plus year airport management professional.
“I can't wait to get down there and learn everything I can and be that sponge working closely with Rick,” Hoback told the Observer earlier this year. “I'm really looking forward to learning everything I can from him. I couldn't be more fortunate to have been given the opportunity to lead the airport after all the amazing work that Rick has done.
“It's such an honor.”
Following two years of work, Sarasota’s Purple Ribbon Committee submitted its report to the City Commission on its recommendations for adaptive reuse of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall if there is a new Sarasota Performing Arts Center. The panel spent the better part of its time gathering information from various arts, tourism, education and other organizations, as well as a deep dive into an engineering report of the structure, spending its last few months assembling the report.
Its conclusion: If there's a new Sarasota PAC, spend the necessary resources to keep the building operating at optimal capacity for five to seven years, if not longer, and consider non-competitive uses for the building up to and including demolishing it should it sustain severe damage from a future storm. The site could open up for more The Bay park space, perhaps even an amphitheater.
Central to the recommendation was a second engineering study by Karins Engineering, commissioned by the city, which recommended approximately $17 million worth of maintenance and improvements, including flood-proofing measures and replacement of critical mechanical systems.
The report did not offer definitive guidance on what the Van Wezel’s new purpose should be, although it suggested possible options including immersive experiences, flexible event space, a family entertainment center, or museum or science center, citing some examples from elsewhere and Florida and across the country.
That’s only if the building is to be replaced. As of now, the city and the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation have not reached a long-delayed implementation agreement for a new hall, and the City Commission has not scheduled it for consideration.
The constant state of change in and around The Quay continued while you were away as vertical construction began in earnest on the One Park condo tower and continued on Ritz-Carlton Residences II. This summer also marked the start of demolition of the 50-year-old Hyatt Regency next to The Quay on Boulevard of the Arts.
That will make way for the first phase of redevelopment of the site, dubbed 1000 Boulevard of the Arts, that will feature a 174-room Hyatt-Centric Harborside Hotel and 117 luxury condominiums that will occupy the first of two towers on the property.
The construction of One Park and Ritz-Carlton Residences II leaves only Block 9 in The Quay to be developed. That property is owned by the investment team of Property Markets Group of Miami and Sarasota-based MoneyShow, which is developing One Park. The city has approved a companion tower to One Park on the parcel — One Park West — currently used as a construction staging area.
The team of PMG and MoneyShow had challenged the plans by Kolter Urban, which is redeveloping the Hyatt site, claiming the site plan showed building over a vacated alley with sections owned by both entities, and an access configuration it claims will require service vehicles to encroach on One Park West. The Kolter project virtually surrounds Block 9 to the lot line on two sides, eliminating any light, air and views from its planned One Park West condominium tower.
To drop the complaint, PMG proffered donating Block 9 to the city for a pocket park if Kolter would in turn donate a slice of its site to provide access to the park from Boulevard of the Arts. Kolter declined that suggestion.
After years of planning and raising funds, construction has begun on Florida Studio Theatre's much-anticipated McGillicuddy Arts Plaza, a multi-use expansion to its current facilities. In addition to a second main theater and two more cabaret theaters, the Arts Plaza will include 125 spaces of structured parking between the first-floor performance spaces, 24 apartments and a 33-room hotel.
The building of the structure will be next to FST’s existing building on First Street between Cocoanut Avenue and U.S. 41.
In addition to the new performance spaces needed to meet patron demand, the Arts Plaza will allow FST to consolidate its housing for long-term visiting performers and staff, now scattered throughout the downtown area. The hotel rooms will provide short-term accommodation for performers and will be open to the general public as well.
Florida Studio Theatre received its final critical approval from the city when the Planning Board approved code adjustments that will allow it to add non-standard signage attached to the building, reminiscent of that attached to iconic performance halls such as Radio City Music Hall and the Chicago Theater. They include vertical building identification signs on the west, south and east elevations, punctuated by an architectural feature at the top of the eight-story building will also include branding.
Planning Board member Dan Clermont said he was happy to approve a non-traditional building treatment in downtown.
“I'm excited about this,” Clermont said. “It's fun to have something other than a condo building or apartment structure for us to consider. That, to me, is the essence of Sarasota and the direction that Sarasota needs to take. Many of our arts buildings are rather nondescript. This one is out there, so thank you.”
Groundbreaking for the addition was held Oct. 29.
Two familiar establishments long associated with tropical refreshments made their return with the mid-summer reopening of O'Leary's Tiki Bar & Grill in Bayfront Park and, more recently, the new location of Tommy Bahama Restaurant at St. Armands Circle.
Closed for nearly eight months following hurricanes Helene and Milton, O’Leary's is back with a refreshed thatched roof, resilient decking materials, tiki bar support beams cemented into the ground and sealed glass walls to prevent floodwater intrusion.
Perhaps coincidentally, on the same day of the official reopening, was the removal of the wrecked sailboat pinned against the dock since Hurricane Milton.
Across the Ringling Causeway on St. Armands Circle, the Tommy Bahama Restaurant recently opened in its new location formerly occupied by Shore. With a nod toward mid-century architecture and decor, the two-story location with retail store at street level beneath the restaurant is a marked departure from its former location on the opposite end of the circle, which conveyed a tropical island ambience.
That space suffered extensive flooding from the hurricanes. When the Shore location became available during cleanup operations, Tommy Bahama jumped at the opportunity to move to somewhat higher ground.
Although it opened before last season ended on March 1, another waterfront landmark, The Old Salty Dog on City Island, is also back in full swing, and in August listed by USA Today among the top 29 best bars in America.
The 1200 block of North Palm Avenue looks the same as it did when you left, the row of shops in the one-story building wedged between the Palm Avenue Garage and the Bay Plaza condominiums still standing. Whether that retail strip is replaced by the 18-story, 348-foot tall Obsidian remains in question.
On May 12, residents of Bay Plaza had the opportunity they had been warning city commissioners about for two years as they appealed the Planning Board adjustments to permit developer Matt Kihnke to build the tallest building in downtown, one that would house only 14 luxury condominiums. By a 4-1 vote with Mayor Liz Alpert opposed, that appeal was granted.
All has been quiet since, although Kihnke has filed for a FLEUDRA (Florida Land Use and Environmental Dispute Resolution Act) hearing, effectively a mediation with the city before a special magistrate following a process outlined in state statutes. Any resolution that comes of this process would go before the City Commission for approval or denial.
Elsewhere in downtown, there was the reveal for the redevelopment of the Zenith tower at Five Points, an 18-story, mixed-use residential tower consisting of 96 dwelling units and 41,837 square feet of commercial and office space. It will include seven residences priced as attainable, qualifying for the city’s affordable housing bonus density program. The developer is Jebcore Z Tower of Sarasota, a subsidiary of Jebcore Companies led by Jim Bridges.
Work on The Bay park Phase 2 reached Tamiami Trail over the summer as construction on elements of the Cultural District got underway. Earth moving equipment has reshaped the long parking lot between 10th Street and Boulevard of the arts into an oasis of trees, landscape, sidewalk and reduced parking, providing a softer frame for the historic buildings the Bay Park Conservancy is renovating as part of the project.
The BPC considers the Cultural District as the “front door” of The Bay along North Tamiami Trail. The Phase 2 project includes rehabbing historic buildings, including the Chidsey Library, Sarasota Garden Club, Municipal Auditorium and others, connecting them with a tree-lined promenade. A new Town Square will provide event and gathering spaces for programming, events and activities.
Other Phase 2 work includes improvements on the south side of the Centennial Park Canal, where the city will install floating day docks as part of Phase 3, as well as a resilient shoreline project to help protect the park from future storms.
Meanwhile, Phase 3 planning is underway, which will move construction into Centennial Park and the east and north seawalls of the canal, increase boat launch capacity, add trailer parking capacity and rehabilitate the restroom facilities.
