- January 8, 2026
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For last year's edition of Stories to Watch, readers were informed a new Sarasota city manager was on the way. It didn't happen. So this year, the Observer is hedging its bets with no guarantee the long-awaited replacement for Marlon Brown, who retired from the post in October 2024, with a prediction that it absolutely, positively might happen in 2026.
Also what might happen is the implementation of an implementation agreement with between the city and the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation to continue planning for a new performing arts center. Given no mention of that critical step since March 2025 that, too, is no guarantee. A couple of controversial urban residential projects also may move forward pending mediation and a revisit by the City Commission.
For certain is critical dredging of Phillippi Creek, continued development of The Bay park, two new county government buildings opening and new leadership at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. These and more will be stories to watch in 2026.
Fifteen months after the retirement of Marlon Brown, the city of Sarasota still has no permanent city manager. The city’s new collaboration with Sumter Local Government Consulting of Alpharetta, Georgia, though, is intended to yield a positive result in 2026.
The city is on its second interim city manager in Dave Bullock, who came out of public sector retirement to succeed Doug Jeffcoat after eight months as the city’s first top temp. Jeffcoat returned to his day job as public works director just three months prior to retiring after 30 years with the city. Bullock is expected to hold down the fort until commissioners select Sarasota’s next permanent chief executive.
Having parted ways with Colin Baenziger and Associates of Daytona Beach Shores —the executive search firm selected by staff through the standard procurement process — in May 2025, commissioners wanted more direct involvement in the securing of a field of candidates. The commission also took the process out of the hands of the city’s Human Resources Department and assigned City Attorney Joe Polzak and City Auditor and Clerk Shayla Griggs to shepherd the task.
They found what they were seeking in Sumter, a young, small, self-described “hungry and scrappy” firm that pursued the city’s business as a resume builder and, eager to please, is more than willing to let the City Commission take the lead.
The firm has laid out an ambitious schedule with screening of semifinalist candidates as early as January, interviews of finalists in February and perhaps an offer extended sometime in March. That said, whether the commission hires a new city manager by the second anniversary of Brown’s departure remains to be seen.
After missing half of its 2024-25 season because of flood damage wrought by Hurricane Milton, it’s business as usual for the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. The building underwent a couple million dollars' worth of restoration, including replacing bay water-soaked carpet in the Grand Foyer and other public areas with epoxy-coated concrete.
As the long-term future of the building remains to be determined should a new Sarasota Performing Arts Center be built, the city is making investments into resilience of the building and addressing deferred structural and mechanical systems maintenance, which will be covered by reserves built by the building’s operating revenue.
The work, Interim City Manager Dave Bullock told an audience at a September meeting of the Tiger Bay Club, will take about two years to complete.
Already completed are flood panels, which have been purchased, installed and tested in September and are now placed in storage. According to the city, additional flood-proofing construction (covered by state funding) is anticipated for mid-2026 and more mitigation efforts are in the design phase. Theatrical upgrades are scheduled for 2026-2028.
The scope of work was part of a recommendation by Karins Engineering, which was commissioned by the city to prepare a report for use by the Purple Ribbon Committee, which made a repair and maintenance proposal to the city as part of its repurposing report for the Van Wezel in the event a new PAC is built.
Redevelopment of the 53-acre city-owned property into The Bay park will reach a critical juncture in 2026 as it seeks the next round of the public funding portion for planning and construction of Phase 3. Meanwhile, Phase 2 work continues in both the resilient shoreline along Sarasota Bay and in the Cultural District fronting Tamiami Trail.
Last year, the Bay Park Conservancy (BPC) completed work on the south side of the Canal District with dredging of the 10th Street boat launch basin, rebuilding of the south seawall and construction of new day docks. Work will continue on the east and north seawalls, adding more day docks, building a fourth boat launch ramp and parking lot enhancements in the Centennial Park portion of The Bay, all as part of Phase 3.
The BPC is seeking $20 million in tax increment financing revenue collected by the city and county on improved property tax value on downtown properties immediately surrounding the park, funds that must be invested within the park or on improved access to the park. The City Commission approved its one-third share for Phase 3 but the County Commission has taken a wait-and-see approach as the state Legislature takes up a possible statewide referendum to possibly eliminate real estate property tax.
No property tax, so the county’s cautious approach goes, then no TIF district revenue to pay for construction of The Bay.
Meanwhile, planning continues for Phase 3, the most significant element covering the parking lot of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall with green space. Construction also continues on Phase 2 with remaining Cultural District projects that include renovations of Municipal Auditorium and construction of a town square shade structure, both scheduled for this summer.
Not noticeably absent by the traveling public from the terminal at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, but certainly by airport staff and others, will be now-retired president and CEO Rick Piccolo, who hung up his wings after three decades of leading the airport.
Piccolo handed the keys to Paul Hoback, who joined SRQ following a 25-year stint at Pittsburgh International Airport, rising there to the rank of executive vice president and chief development officer.
Hoback brought to the position many attributes and experiences that align with the goals of the Sarasota-Manatee Airport Authority, having most recently led a $1.7 billion renovation and expansion of the PIT passenger terminal and other improvements. He also oversaw all of the airport’s capital development, operations and maintenance.
Hoback joins SRQ as the airport addresses growth needs of its own. January 2025 marked the opening of Concourse A with five new ground-based boarding gates, all leased by Allegiant, with longer term plans to expand the concourse and eventually connect it with Concourse B.
Meanwhile, renovations to modernize Concourse B and bring enhanced food and beverage options to passengers have largely been completed, and work remains underway on improvements to the terminal area near the entrance to security screening.
Next on the SMAA Board of Directors’ agenda is implementation of a parking master plan that includes a parking structure to replace the short-term surface lot and streamline rental car operations among other infrastructure improvements.
In November 2025, SRQ was voted by editors and readers of USA Today as the nation's best resort destination airport.
The eastern migration of the Sarasota County government will continue this year with the opening of two significant buildings in the Fruitville Commons area. Construction delays at the new Sarasota County Administration Center, just north of Celery Fields on Apex Road, have postponed the move of several county departments.
Since the closure of the former headquarters at 1660 Ringling Blvd. on Oct. 24, 2025, staff formerly housed there have been working from offices in scattered locations. There is no date certain on the completion of the new 120,000-square-foot, $75 million building, but once it is occupied it will feature a brand new meeting chamber with 230 fixed audience seats, 50 more than the prior meeting room, plus bench seating for approximately 18 more.
Just about a mile away at the corner of Apex Road and Palmer Boulevard is the new $33 million, 55,600-square-foot, “one-stop shop” to house the county’s Planning and Development Services operations.
The purpose of the One Stop Shop is to centralize all the planning services operations and improve efficiency and convenience to customers and residents. Planning for the facility began in the summer of 2022, the design process completed in winter 2023.
Previously scheduled to open in fall 2025, it too will not be occupied until sometime this year.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has pledged a referendum to eliminate property taxes placed on the 2026 statewide ballot. To become reality, it must meet the 60% threshold required to approve an amendment to the state’s constitution.
Although it has yet to be taken up in the halls of the Florida Legislature, the matter will with 100% certainty headline the 2026 legislative agenda. Some critics have charged that because multiple referenda on the subject may appear on the ballot, each with a different strategy for local jurisdictions to compensate for the lost revenue, none will be able to achieve the necessary 60% margin.
The threat alone has already begun to reverberate in the halls of governance as the Sarasota County Commission in particular is taking a cautious approach to how the matter takes shape early in the legislative session. Commissioners have instructed staff to loop them into the budget process months earlier than normal. It has also prompted them to delay release of tax increment financing district funds for The Bay park, revenue needed for the organization to begin Phase 3 construction.
Among the options that may be considered is relief of property tax for Florida primary residences only, leaving the burden on part-time residents to make up at least part of resulting deficit. As for the rest, Florida voters may have the option of choosing their flavor among other forms of revenue generating measures.
In January, two controversial residential developments that were declined by the Sarasota City Commission will go before mediation before likely finding their way back to before the dais.
In 2024, commissioners denied Obsidian, the proposed 327-foot, 18-story tower at 1260 S. Palm Ave., and a 58-unit apartment development on vacant property at 1701 and 1715 N. Tamiami Trail.
In July, commissioners voted 4-1 against the apartments, siding with residents of The Strand, which stands along Whitaker Bayou northwest of the site. They claimed the change from the original plan for commercial development there would bring more traffic and exacerbate flooding problems that already exist. Commissioners were not swayed the developer’s argument that residential rather than commercial on the site would be less impactful.
In May, by a 4-1 vote the commission upheld the appeal by the residents of Bay Plaza, who opposed the administrative approval of Obsidian. Bay Plaza’s position is that the developer manipulated interstitial space to artificially achieve greater height, was out of scale with the surrounding neighborhood and posed significant risks during construction given its proximity to their building.
Both project developers filed for a Florida Land Use and Environmental Dispute Resolution Act hearing, effectively mediation with the city before a special magistrate following a process outlined in state statutes. Any resolution from that process will go again before the City Commission for approval or denial.
The last time the public heard about the implementation agreement between the city of Sarasota and the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation over the proposed Sarasota Performing Arts Center was in March 2025. And for the time being at least, the long overdue agreement that would facilitate continued design of the PAC remains in the wings.
Estimated at upwards of $425 million, the proposed location of the Sarasota PAC — it may no longer be called the SPAC under threat of litigation by the Saratoga (New York) Performing Arts Center, which apparently has a monopoly on the combination of those four letters forming an acronym — the next stage of the facility design is on hold until the implementation agreement is reached.
The original proposed location by Italian architecture firm Renzo Piano Building Workshop at and over the 10th Street Canal along Tamiami Trail on the north side of The Bay park would be moved closer to the original park master plan location. That's at the southeast quadrant of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall parking lot.
Built-in off-ramps for the city’s continued participation include the requirement of the implementation agreement. Like all other development within the 53-acre, city-owned The Bay park, the project would be half funded by private philanthropy and half by the city and county from tax increment finance district revenues culled from the downtown area surrounding The Bay.
The Sarasota County Commission has signaled a disinterest in releasing those funds for the Sarasota PAC, and the potential looming of a statewide referendum to eliminate property tax — ostensibly on non-Florida residents — could significantly reduce those TIF dollars from original projections.
So far, neither the the foundation nor the city have announced a date to revisit the matter.
Limited capacity of Phillippi Creek to carry stormwater to Little Sarasota Bay was blamed for severe flooding in south Sarasota neighborhoods during the 2024 hurricane season. In the aftermath, Sarasota County government created a new Stormwater Department, spun off from Public Works, which went right to work planning to dredge the creek.
The dredging began in December with a plan to ensure a 30-foot-wide, 4-foot-deep mean low water area along the centerline between Tuttle Avenue and its mouth at the bay. The project will be managed by West Coast Inland Navigation District but paid for by Sarasota County taxpayers to the tune of $14.48 million.
Sarasota County government reports there are 44,818 homes and 2,108 commercial properties within the Phillippi Creek basin.
The county has set up a web page for residents to monitor the progress of the project at SCGov.net/PhillippiCreek.
Meanwhile, engineering and planning work will begin in 2026 for two other significant dredging projects, Whitaker Bayou and Hudson Bayou in the Sarasota city limit and to expand the stormwater holding capacity at Celery Fields.
In November, the County Commission approved nearly $30 million in federal Resilient SRQ funds for all three projects.
