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Happy Arbor Day! For an impressive 36 years, the City of Sarasota has been honored by the National Arbor Day Foundation with a Tree City USA award for maintaining and expanding the City's urban forest.
City Parks and Recreation staff joined Laurel Park Neighborhood residents and Mayor Kyle Battie this morning for a special tree planting ceremony and proclamation in Laurel Park. The proclamation recognized the civic benefits of trees, including providing shade and beauty, providing habitats for wildlife, enriching the air we breathe, increasing property values, providing serenity and relaxation, beautifying the landscape, and reducing energy consumption by shading and cooling our homes and city centers.
 After the proclamation, a Japanese Blueberry (Elaeocarpus decipiens) tree was planted in the park's center. The Laurel Park Neighborhood Association donated the tree in honor of Betsy Sublette, who served 18 years with the association. Thanks to all involved!
With three Cinco de Mayo special events scheduled for Friday May 5, downtown Sarasota is going to be the place to be!
The regular monthly Fresh Fridays event will take place near the Art Ovation Hotel at Palm and Cocoanut avenues, plus Circo will host a block party on 2nd Street and El Melvin is throwing one on lower Main Street. All the special events permitting is in order and we’re looking forward to a fun and festive 5th!
Bay Runner: Due to street closures, the Bay Runner’s Main Street/Palm Avenue stop will temporarily be relocated to Pineapple Avenue/Ringling Boulevard on May 5 only from 8 a.m. to midnight.
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Thanks to all who attended and shared their thoughts about the St. Armands Complete Streets project during a public meeting last week. About 40 stakeholders were in attendance and heard from staff about proposed options with the project. Due to rising costs, the original complete streets project is on hold. We’re now asking the community what level of improvement they would like on St. Armands Key.
Three options are being discussed: 1. Keep it how it is 2. Move forward with streetscape improvements 3. Wait for full funding for the complete streets project
What do you think? We’d like your feedback through this brief online survey. It should take 5-10 minutes to complete. You can share which option you prefer and why. The survey is open through May 5.
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The Ringling Trail Complete Street recently was named ‘Project of the Year’ by Florida public works professionals – and we couldn’t be prouder of our project team. Congratulations!
Led by Assistant City Engineer Dan Ohrenstein and Capital Projects Manager Camden Mills, the Ringling Trail offers the first protected bicycle lanes in the region and safely connects cyclists between the Bayfront, downtown and The Legacy Trail. To accommodate the community’s desire for safe multimodal options, one lane on Ringling Boulevard between Pineapple and Lime avenues was repurposed as a protected bike lane. Landscape islands were constructed, parking wheel stops were reallocated as lane dividers and bright green paint was added to help alert motorists to the bicycle lane.
 When it initially opened to the public in December 2022, there was a learning curve as drivers and cyclists adjusted to the new street configuration. The community has adapted well and now economic growth and the phrase, ‘Build it and they will come’ are intertwined with this project. Cyclists on The Legacy Trail are venturing downtown on the protected bike lane and even continuing to the Bayfront and barrier islands, and re-energizing with a bite to eat before finishing their ride.
The American Public Works Association Florida Chapter recognized The Ringling Trail as Project of the Year in the category Transportation: $2 million - $5 million. The project was $2.7 million and was funded through the Sarasota County Penny Sales Tax, Economic Development Funds, multimodal impact fees and federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars.
Wednesday, May 3 will be a busy day for our Public Art program!
First, the Public Art Committee (PAC) will meet at 1 p.m. at City Hall where the three finalists for the US 41-Fruitville Road roundabout sculpture will make their final presentations. This comes following extensive input over the past several months from PAC members and a very well attended virtual community meeting last week. That meeting is available on demand on the City of Sarasota website www.SarasotaFL.gov or by clicking here. The PAC is expected to make a recommendation on May 3, which will be considered by the City Commission late this summer. Any sculpture that is selected for fabrication will be required to meet Florida Department of Transportation safety criteria and not be a distraction to drivers or pedestrians.
Then at 5 p.m., staff will host a Public Art Plan open house. For the past year and a half, the City’s Public Art lead, Mary Davis Wallace, has been drafting a master plan to strengthen the program and carry it into the future. During the open house, attendees will hear about proposed strategies and guiding principles for public art and even possible initiatives. In 2020, the City Commission expanded the Public Art program citywide and many opportunities lie ahead to bring public art experiences to all parts of the city and build upon Sarasota’s reputation as a cultural arts community.
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If you've been to Bayfront Park recently, you've probably noticed some major changes taking place. Last month, construction began on an all-new playground and splash pad combination, with plans including a shipwreck-themed playground, seating and shade structures, lighting, and a new splash pad built from the ground up. Demolition of the original structures is complete, and additional fill dirt was imported to raise the splash pad to the same grade as the playground to create one unified space.
Crews began pouring the concrete foundations for the shade structures and gazebo this week. Splash pad construction will come next. The project is on track to be completed this fall. We can't wait to welcome you back to this all-new, ability-inclusive play area!
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A new episode of “Chat with the Chief” has dropped!
This one highlights the City’s Homeless Outreach Team, including how they connect with the unsheltered, available resources offered to those in need and how they collaborate with our many community partners.
The HOT is comprised of civilian caseworkers and SPD officers who are full of hope and hearts of gold. During the podcast, the Chief and his guests will share tips on the best ways you can help the homeless and explain why handouts are actually harmful.
Find “Chat with the Chief” wherever you get your podcasts or just click here.
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For more than 20 years, the Sarasota Police Department has taken part in the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics. Last week, once again, members of the SPD took to the streets of Sarasota for this great cause.
SPD received the torch from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office in the parking lot of Paradise Plaza Publix on South Osprey Avenue. Torch in hand, members of the SPD set off on a route just shy of four miles that included two legs -- and kept an 8:58 pace. Well done!
Each year, more than 5,000 officers and civilians in Florida carry the torch on a 1,500-mile relay through the state's 67 counties.
The Torch Run raises millions of dollars for Special Olympics athletes each year. This year’s goal is $4.5 million. The event will culminate on May 19 to kick off Special Olympics Florida’s State Summer Games at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports.
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 Check out more pictures from this year’s run here.
The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall recently announced two new shows coming to Sarasota this December.
From the Emmy® award-winning mind of Derek Hough, this live dance show is the first national tour for the performing dynamo in four years. Playing at the Van Wezel on Dec. 9, Derek Hough Symphony of Dance features all new high-energy choreography, stunning stage production, astounding versatility and, as always, Derek’s magnetic stage presence. Fans will journey through a true fusion of dance and music, as Derek explores styles ranging from ballroom and tap to salsa and hip-hop -- and everything in between.
On Dec. 17, Wheel of Fortune LIVE! brings America’s Game® to Sarasota! The all-new live stage show is the one-and-only way you can have the chance to spin the wheel outside of Sony Pictures Studios. At Wheel of Fortune LIVE!, contestants are selected from the audience to go on stage with the chance to solve puzzles and win fantastic prizes, including trips to destinations like Paris and Hawaii or up to $10,000 in cash.
Tickets for both shows are on sale today and can be purchased online at www.VanWezel.org, by calling the box office at 941-263-6799 or by visiting the box office Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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