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It was an exciting and memorable time this morning as we celebrated the official groundbreaking to renovate our historic municipal golf course, Bobby Jones Golf Club. City Commissioners, residents adjacent to the course, avid golfers, and the professionals who shepherded the process to this point were all on hand for the big event. Thank you, all, for your time and commitment to this initiative which, after much community input and discussion, will return municipal golf to our city with fewer holes to play, but with an emphasis on water quality and drainage improvements that will lay the framework for a fantastic nature park in the future.
This urban oasis is home to 70+ bird species plus many reptiles and mammals. We couldn’t be more proud of the legacy action taken by the City Commission to preserve the entire property for future generations of Sarasotans through a partnership with the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast.
The construction schedule for the restored 18-hole Donald Ross course is favorable with an anticipated finish date and opening to the public for play in November-December 2022. The 9-hole executive course is expected to open a couple of months later. In the meantime, a proposed design for the clubhouse and restaurant is underway, and staff are negotiating a term sheet with Indigo Golf Partners to manage the golf course operations, as directed by the City Commission.
Perhaps you have spotted our new trolley shuttle service, the Bay Runner, moving around town this week. The free service launched to the public Wednesday and provides complimentary trolley service between Main Street, St. Armands Circle, and Lido Beach.
The initial response has been overwhelmingly positive, with over 230 people riding the first day – incredible! Residents and visitors are excited to leave the car behind, forget about traffic congestion, and, as we say, “Live more. Drive less.” Check out a brief video from the inaugural day.
Removing just a few vehicles from the busy route from downtown to Lido Key will help ease traffic congestion, especially now during peak season.
A few reminders about the Bay Runner:
- Initial hours of operation: 8 a.m. to midnight seven days a week, including holidays. Staff will monitor ridership and adjust hours as needed.
- 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.: one trolley runs with a 30-minute frequency
- 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.: two trolleys run with a 20-30 minute frequency
- 8 p.m. to midnight: one trolley runs with a 30-minute frequency
- Twelve set pickup/drop-off locations are available. Visit SarasotaBayRunner.com for a route map plus parking garage locations. One more stop near Golden Gate Point will be added when the Florida Department of Transportation wraps up the US 41-Gulfstream Ave. roundabout construction
- The Bay Runner mobile app providing real-time updates is expected to be available soon. We will keep you posted.
- Riders are encouraged to bring shopping bags and beach items that easily fit in the seating area
- Pets are not allowed – service animals only
- The trolleys are accessible, and separate paratransit service is available
- Answers to Frequently Asked Questions are available at SarasotaBayRunner.com
The Bay Runner is a unique shuttle experience connecting residents and visitors to downtown and the barrier islands. Live more. Drive less. Ride the Bay Runner! Hope to see you on board soon.
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City Commissioners and staff celebrated the ribbon-cutting for Sarasota County’s northern extension of The Legacy Trail earlier this week. This newest segment of the increasingly popular paved trail stretches north to Fruitville Road and includes a trailhead at the southern end of Payne Park and School Avenue.
The funding for this segment of the trail was overwhelmingly approved by Sarasota County voters back in 2018, and the completion of this part of the project is two years and nine months ahead of schedule! Hundreds of thousands of people utilize The Legacy Trail annually, and now they will be able to reach the City of Sarasota more safely and efficiently while experiencing all that it has to offer. Bicyclists, joggers and walkers can use the trail to connect to our parks, schools, shops, restaurants and places of business - leaving their cars parked at home and helping to ease traffic congestion.
Our City staff are hard at work securing funding for projects that will enhance connectivity from Payne Park to the existing Alderman Multi-Use Recreational Trail and on to Ringling Boulevard, which we plan to transform into a “complete street” that promotes safe travel for all different types of mobility. We are also exploring ways to further extend that trail connectivity to other city areas, such as Newtown and the Bobby Jones Golf Club and Nature Park, for everyone to enjoy. The county is also working on additional segments of The Legacy Trail that will extend it to the University Town Center area to the north and the City of North Port to the south and even beyond to neighboring counties to form a regional trail network. What a fantastic recreational and economic asset that’s now quite literally in our backyard, and what an exciting time for the future of mobility in and around our region!
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Various meaningful symbols are sculpted into the new archway entrance at Fredd “Glossie” Atkins Park, which also serves as the gateway to the Newtown business district in Sarasota’s historic and predominantly African African community. The images include a star, flower, butterfly, hand and a string of pearls --- with each representing a unique token of appreciation to a Newtown resident who generously offered their time and love to this community park over the years, especially during the recent redesign.
From the inception in 2004, investing over $1 million in federal Community Development Block Grant and economic development incentive funds, a handful of devout residents made it their mission to educate themselves about the local process for creating a new community park. They learned about funding, design, landscape architecture and providing public input.
Then came the park redesign in 2020 shortly after the killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minnesota and racial tensions flared throughout the nation.
During that time, Parks and Recreation General Manager Candie Pedersen worked closely on the park redesign with several Newtown residents, including Valerie Buchand, Corell Byrd, Verna Hall, Barbara Langston, and Mary Mack. As they spent time together talking, sharing personal experiences and their vision to improve the park, Candie and these five remarkable women forged personal connections and discovered they had much in common -- from a love of plants and butterflies, to the admiration of a firm “I honor my word” handshake.
This collaboration and bond are now uniquely memorialized at the park, 2431 Washington Court. Each symbol on the new archway represents a resident: Valerie Buchand (star), Corell Byrd (amaryllis), Verna Hall (a string of pearls), Barbara Langston (butterfly) and Mary Mack (hand). To say they were pleasantly surprised by the gesture is an understatement. A heartfelt thank you to these determined women and their passion for Newtown's past, present,and future and building relationships.
 Left to right: Valerie Buchand, Candie Pedersen, Mary Mack, Barbara Langston.
Celebrate Women’s History Month at the Van Wezel! Please take a look at some of our upcoming performances which feature a strong female voice.
With widespread comparison to the vocal expertise of Whitney Houston and the piano prowess of Alicia Keys, it is no surprise that vocal powerhouse Sheléa has garnered recognition from the likes of Stevie Wonder, Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliott, David Foster, Queen Latifah, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson, Quincy Jones and more. Blending traditional pop, jazz, R&B and soul, Sheléa brings a contemporary edge to classics and a classic touch to contemporary pop standards when she comes to the Van Wezel on Wednesday, March 16 at 8 p.m.
Inspired by the beloved films, the romantic and adventure-filled new musical Anastasia is on a journey to Sarasota at last, Friday, March 18 – Sunday, March 20!
This dazzling show transports us from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by a ruthless Soviet officer determined to silence her, Anya enlists the aid of a dashing conman and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love and family.
For tickets and more information, visit VanWezel.org.
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