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PLATINUM ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
We encourage you to support these area businesses who help support the DSCA
through workshops, professional services and discounts. |
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Please Share with Fellow Residents
If you find this newsletter helpful, we encourage you to share it with neighbors and fellow downtown residents who may not yet be receiving DSCA updates. Staying informed helps strengthen our community and ensures more voices remain engaged in the issues that shape downtown Sarasota.
Please use the button below to forward! |
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Five Finalists. One Open House.
Your Chance to Weigh In on Who Runs Sarasota. |
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Here's something genuinely cool happening in your city: Sarasota is in the final stretch of selecting its next City Manager, and you're invited to come meet them, get a feel for who they are, and share your thoughts.
Starting with 88 applicants back in December, the City Commission has narrowed the field to five finalists. The public gets a chance to meet them in person at an Open House on Monday, February 23, 5:30–8:00 p.m. at the Robert L. Taylor Community Complex. Come. Ask questions. Form an opinion. This is exactly the kind of civic process that doesn't get enough attention — and your voice matters here. The Commission is expected to make an offer by February 27, so this is your moment.
Review the finalists and their materials here. |
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A Note on Interim City Manager Dave Bullock
Interim City Manager Dave Bullock will conclude his service to the City of Sarasota on March 6, wrapping up approximately 10 months in the role. On behalf of DSCA, we would like to express our appreciation for Dave’s leadership. He never felt like an “interim.” He brought a steady hand, thoughtful leadership, and genuine engagement to the position. Many share the same sentiment, whether working closely with him or interacting briefly. We wish him continued success in his next chapter. With Dave’s departure, Jennifer Jorgensen, currently the City’s Director of Government Affairs, will step in as Interim City Manager to ensure continuity while the search for a permanent City Manager continues. By all accounts, the transition is expected to be smooth and relatively short.
Read more about Dave here. |
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DSCA Annual Meeting & Townhall |
DSCA 2026 Town Hall & Annual Members Meeting
Downtown Sarasota: Balancing Viable Change
Wednesday, March 4, 2026
Fogartyville Community Center
525 Kumquat Ct, Sarasota, Florida 34236
To survive, we must adapt to change — but what values have made this community unique, and which of those should we strive to preserve?
This is a conversation DSCA can engage in with its members to help guide collaboration as boards and managers navigate change. How can we apply lessons learned to maintain a balanced, livable environment while effectively managing growth and transition?
Join us for this Town Hall meeting as we participate in member-to-member conversations about balancing significant change.
Gain insights from other condo and HOA boards who are:
- reducing their financial risks
- increasing reserve funds
- maintaining building structural integrity
- strengthening their security profile
- while keeping a safe, livable environment.
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Performing Arts Center Returns to Commission with
Major Revisions March 2 A revised concept for a downtown Sarasota Performing Arts Center will come before the Sarasota City Commission on March 2 as a discussion item. DSCA has learned the new proposal is the direct result of extensive community input — including a presentation to the DSCA Board — gathered over many months in collaboration with key project partners. The project’s most recent formal appearance before the commission was at the March 17, 2025 meeting, at which the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation and its representatives presented project details, designs, and funding plans for a performing arts center at the Bay Park. Commissioners engaged in substantive discussion before delaying a decision on an implementation agreement that would have allowed planning to proceed. Concept 2.0 will be presented on March 2 and includes a performance hall of approximately 2,200 seats — down from the originally proposed 2,700 — along with a Flex Theatre capable of accommodating up to 300. The proposed location has shifted south of the 10th Street canal, and the target budget has been significantly reduced to under $300 million, compared to the original concept of $407 million. Separately, while not a part of the Foundation’s concept, DSCA understands that the city has been working with the Bay Park on a parking solution that would provide roughly the same number of spaces as the current surface parking. That solution is expected to be part of the broader conversation as the project moves forward.
Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation CEO Tania Castroverde Moskalenko described the new concept to DSCA as “right-sized,” emphasizing that her team listened carefully to voices from the community and Interim City Manager Dave Bullock. With input gathered over many months, the revised concept is now being brought forward.
With many seasonal residents in town, March 2 offers a timely opportunity for broad community engagement on a project that could shape downtown Sarasota for generations. DSCA encourages all residents to follow developments closely and make their voices heard.
The Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation press release announcing the revised concept follows below. Click Here To View Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation Press Release
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Considerations Regarding Special Events Ordinance Revisions
The City Commission is scheduled to receive input from the Special Events Department on March 2, 2026, as part of the continued first reading of revisions to the Special Events Ordinance. Redlined changes are now available; please refer to the provided link.
There remains uncertainty as to whether the latest revisions adequately address the requests made by the City Commission during the initial first reading held on November 17, 2025.
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A primary unresolved concern involves the frequency and concentration of nighttime block parties in the downtown area. During the prior season (July 2024 – June 2025), the Special Events Department approved 24 downtown evening block parties. Each of these events required street closures, permitted the sale of alcohol, and included exemptions from the City’s sound ordinance. For comparison, the City of St. Petersburg authorized only six such nighttime block parties during the same period. Other Florida cities maintain a similarly low frequency of these events.
The issue of permitted sound volume also remains unsettled. Under current regulations, sound levels are allowed up to 100 decibels. At the City Commission meeting on November 17, 2025, the Interim City Manager administratively revised the maximum allowable sound level to no more than 85 dBA (which measures the impact of sound on the human ear) or 90 dBC (which reflects bass or low-frequency sound). Three months later, DSCA is not able to confirm this change this change has been made.
The DSCA position is that these maximum sound levels should be codified within the ordinance itself, rather than left subject to administrative modification or staff delay. |
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Saravela: A Project Worth Watching A proposed 282-unit condominium development called Saravela is currently under review by the City’s Development Services Department. The project sits on a 1.6-acre site in the Rosemary District, fronting North Tamiami Trail with two sides of the building abutting narrow city side streets — 4th and 5th Streets. DSCA and members of the broader community have expressed significant concern, and we await further developments as the review continues. Two issues stand out. First, the City’s Zoning Code seems to clearly establishes a 7-day minimum rental period for residential uses — a longstanding provision that city staff have confirmed applies to this project. Representatives of DSCA have expressed concerns about the project to both city staff and commissioners. All await the Development Services Department’s review. Notably, because the Saravela is located within the Downtown Bayfront (DTB) and Downtown Core (DTC) zoning districts, the project is administratively approved — meaning there is no formal avenue for public review or community input.
For much more information on this story, read the Suncoast Searchlight’s in-depth coverage: A downtown Sarasota condo promised housing. Then it was marketed like a hotel. |
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1260 N. Palm (formerly “Obsidian”) Returns to
Commission Agenda May 4 The controversial condominium project at 1260 N. Palm Avenue in downtown Sarasota — long known as the Obsidian — is scheduled to come before the Sarasota City Commission at its May 4 meeting. When first proposed, the 18-story, 14-unit tower drew fierce opposition in part because its roughly 327-foot height would have made it the tallest building in the city. What continues to set the 1260 N. Palm project apart, however, is its particularly constrained footprint — just 0.28 acres — a factor that has been central to concerns about its compatibility with the surrounding North Palm Avenue streetscape. Opponents, led primarily by residents of the adjacent Bay Plaza condominium, argued the building was out of scale and out of character with the neighborhood. Last May, the City Commission voted 4-1 to uphold their appeal, reversing prior administrative and Planning Board approvals. The May 4 meeting will mark the next formal step as the matter continues to work through the city’s process.
For background, Your Observer has followed this story closely — see their coverage here and here. |
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City Website Chatbot Now Live
The City’s website now features an AI-powered chatbot located in the lower right corner of SarasotaFL.gov.
The chatbot can search City webpages and the Municode Library, answer questions, provide links to source information, and respond in multiple languages.
Residents are encouraged to try it and share feedback. Check it out: www.Sarastoafl.gov |
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DSCA February Board Meeting Wrap-Up |
In keeping with recent practice, the February 4 DSCA Board meeting was conducted in a hybrid format, with participation available both in person at the Broadway Promenade Club Room and via Zoom. Guest Speaker: Joe Polzak, Sarasota City Attorney Full Video: Click Here Speaker Video: Click Here |
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Check out the DSCA's latest seminar! Register today!
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Exciting Artificial Intelligence Workshop At Alderman Oaks in Downtown Sarasota - AI Made Simple for Seniors!
Are you curious about how artificial intelligence (AI) can make your life easier? Join us at the Alderman Oaks Retirement Center in Downtown Sarasota for a fun and friendly workshop designed specifically for seniors like you! Limited tech skills? No problem! We promise a relaxed environment filled with fellow “students of life” who are eager to learn together.
Hands-On Experience:
A Significant Portion of the Workshop Will Involve Personal Experience.
Be Sure to Bring Your Smart Phone, Tablet, or Laptop Computer.
Meet and Hear AI Experts Guide You in the Easy, Practical Steps of Utilizing AI.
Register Here
For questions, contact dfitts7@gmail.com
Alderman Oaks Retirement Residence |
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Associate Members - Post your event on our DSCA Calendar to share with the community!
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Upcoming Community Events
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Bayfront Winter Art in the Park | Saturday, February 21, 2026 |
10:00 AM to 05:00 PM | JD Hamel Park
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Exciting new art & craft show in downtown Sarasota along the bay at JD Hamel Park along Bayfront Drive. This boutique Art & Craft show focuses on the creators. Not music, not liquor and not food! Come explore the unique creativity in a fabulous park setting. 80 booths available. Shop for unusual one of a kind creations, unique gift ideas and apparel & accessories. Handmade crafters, artists, marvelous makers of all types, designers and innovative gift inventors all encouraged to apply. Find the perfect hostess, office or galpal gift. Click here for more information. |
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Meet the Petticoat Painters: Film and Artist Q&A | February 27, 2026 | 10:00 am – 11:30 am | Sarasota City Hall, Commission Chambers | 1565 1st St, Sarasota, FL 34236 |
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Join the City of Sarasota Public Art Program for a morning program spotlighting the Petticoat Painters as part of Now You See Us, the City Hall Cultural Heritage Exhibit on view through March 2026. The program includes a short film about the Petticoat Painters, followed by brief presentations and discussion with participating artists. Click here for more information. |
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Fresh Friday's Downtown Social | March 6, 2026 | 7 to 10 p.m. |
Main St. - Downtown Sarasota |
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Fresh Fridays transforms the heart of downtown into a vibrant outdoor gathering space where residents and visitors alike can stroll along Main Street, enjoy offerings from local vendors, connect with others, and experience an upbeat yet welcoming atmosphere. The Downtown Social theme highlights community and connection, bringing people together through live music, shared experiences, and the simple enjoyment of a lively night downtown. Click here for more information. |
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Sarasota Farmers Market | Every Saturday | 7:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
One of the traditional weekly, year round events in Sarasota, you'll find everything from fresh produce, food, flowers and plants to arts and crafts, friends and fun, it’s a community happening! Gathering among friends and even bring your dogs to check out the fresh produce and other unique things to browse upon. Main Street and Lemon Avenue in downtown Sarasota. Click here for more information.
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If you missed any of our newsletters Click here to view past issues to share with your condo community |
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We Are Downtown Sarasota Residents partnering with Businesses!
Are your neighbors receiving our emails? Help your neighbors stay connected and forward this email to downtown condo residents! Click here to subscribe here. |
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