New county court records storage facility is on the way

More than a year after bringing attention to Sarasota County Commissioners the challenging logistics and perils of court evidence and other vital legal records storage, relief is in sight for Clerk of Circuit Court and County Comptroller Karen Rushing.

At its Nov. 18 meeting, the County Commission unanimously approved a build-to-suit, lease-to-own proposal from the Swift Family Limited Partnership to build a 26,295-square-foot records facility on two contiguous lots it currently owns — at 2250 Aspinwall Street and 401 Mango Avenue — within one-half mile of Rushing’s office at 2000 Main St. Combined, the parcels comprise 1.16 acres.

The current non-hardened, undersized facility is about three miles north of downtown off Northgate Boulevard.

During the fiscal year 2025 budget process, commissioners discussed, then tabled, a proposal for a $25 million facility to be built among other county offices off Cattleman Road, still more than six miles from downtown, Rushing’s office and the courthouse complex.

Having advertised the opportunity to solicit bids, the Swift proposal remained the only viable option, and at a lower price than the Cattlemen Road suggestion. Jon F. Swift Construction will build the facility and rent it to the county, which has the option to purchase after the first year of occupancy.

Details of the deal include:

• Lease term of 30 years with option to purchase after one year and the end of each year thereafter.
• Triple-net lease (county is responsible for interior and exterior maintenance, insurance and property taxes).
• Annual initial rent of $1,057,200 with annual escalator of 3% or Consumer Price Index, whichever is greater.
• Purchase option after the end of the first year at $15.4 million and at the end of each subsequent year with annual escalator of 3% or Consumer Price Index, whichever is greater. 
• The purchase price includes furniture, fixtures and equipment, all fitting within the Surtax IV allocation of $18 million.

“This is a whole lot better than what we were thinking about awhile back,” said Commissioner Ron Cutsinger. “A lot less money, a much better location. We probably all have gotten feedback from our clerk. This is something she supports. Our relationship with Swift has been great. They've done a lot of our projects and I've always been impressed.”

Sarasota County Capital Projects Director Carolyn Eastwood told commissioners the current facility could be considered surplus and sold to help offset some of the costs. Additionally, the county is paying rent to store some records in other locations, costs that would also cease.