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Geezus....DT Sarasota needs a freekin trolly like a hole in the head.
Closing the entire Main street to vehicular traffic is plainly stupid, and promoted by the pedantic, academic, artsy, "za-zou-vogue" phonies who long for creating a "Euro Zone" replete with bistro tables, umbrellas, and small shops selling overpriced chotchkies, bad Italian wine, and lousy smelley cheese....all the while "strolling" with their dogs.
This crap never works in any city which has no historical/culural foundation for this style of "Euro foolishness".
DT Sarasota will not be a "destination" for the vast majority of people in the MSA...why? any fool can see that's not where people are buying housing, living, shopping and playing...and the future of continued de-centralization is obvious.
But there again, there are a subset of the "za-zou vogue" who are hellbent of gentrifying the other ghetto of north of Fruitville from Lime west to 10th street. Most buyers are not looking to "gentrify" anything.
These are the same fools whose code words are "walkability", "urbanism", "community", and high "denisty" transformation.
This city has no need for goofy ideas like a trolley.....hell, we don't need "light rail" either....lol. Most people around here don't even use "mass transit aka the bus system".
Some in this city have lost their freekin minds.....probably the same idiots that think Marina Jack serves great food.
Listen up SK ~ SRQ is a circus town & if you know anything, the Burns Court area used to be cracklandia ~ change is inevateable & seriously, the homeless have it hands down in the "Euro Zone". I'm not exactly head over heels with what's going on in terms of condo/hotel building, however, we are living in the tourist/retirement zone so let them go ahead & play ~ what you resist most you become.
We've owned interests here in Manatee-Sarasota since the late 50's.
Perhaps you have not been in SRQ MSA long enough to know that Sarasota ceased being a "circus town" (with all of its trappings) decades ago.
The Northport-Bradenton-Sarssota-Venice MSA has really never been truly a "tourist zone" either in the strictest sense. Unless you're blind you can see that for yourself. Retirement, well yes. The area however is an area with very high numbers of "seasonal residents"....which are never considered "tourists" demographically.
A tourist city is Orlando and of course Miami, it's not Manatee County or Sarasota County. Clearwater is s tourist city, Tampa not so much. Ft Myers is still somewhat a tourist city, Bonita, Estero not so much. Key West? very tourist.
The massive increase in building huge multi-family units and apartment especially in Manatee County are not being built
to accommodate "tourists" OR seasonal part time residents either.
Pay attention. The market is also no longer referred to as "God's Waiting Room". The entire area has in fact become younger in many pockets, and has attracted much younger professionals and entrepreneurs, younger women, and married couples with much much younger children.
The MSA has also benefited from the advent of the digital revolution. Younger people have moved here because many of them can conduct business and services remotely. This event has boosted interest and migration.
Sarasota ain't just "Sarasota"...and younger investors and house buyers don't give a damn about the panache of "living West of the Trail"....they don't give a crap about that bs, like the much older locals, including the Real Estate Carnival Barkers of yore (they even tried to pooh-pooh Neal when he built Univ Park, then the same effort to badmouth LWR or ANYTHING east of 75 !.......that didn't work either).
There are also many many very early retirees with resources...I meet them all the time.
DT Sarasota is not likely to become a constant "draw" or destination "city centre". The newer younger residents have no burning desire to leave their own zone, on a predictable continuum. They might be as likely to make an occasional trek to DT St Pete at the Vinoy Basin - or ChannelSide.
Please SRQ do the right thing & install those meters at all public beach parking; it's such a no brainer ~ daytrip over to the east coast & see how well it works there.
As far as limited mobility ~ if & if Main street was closed from 41 to 301 with a trolley running down the middle ~ could be feasible ~ kinda NOLAish ... I understand there's now mats rolled out on SKB for the mobility impaired ~ the hike from parking lot to beach is quite the walk...
You don't need to go to the east coast to see people pay for beach parking. Englewood Beach (Charlotte County) has paid parking (75 cents/hr) and this winter people complained they couldn't find parking spot. Just north of Englewood Beach is Blind Pass Beach (locals call it Middle Beach cause it's in the middle) and Manasota Beach which are free (Sarasota County) and both are always packed with cars.
Paid beach parking would generate a lot of money but woe to the politician that tries to do that unless they promise free passes to residents. I am in Charlotte County and have to pay $50 or more (can't remember exact fee) for a yearly beach parking pass, but it's worth it to me, no complaints, even on rare days I can't find a parking spot.
If the whole area tried to get to DT SRQ or the beaches we'd have a gridlock worse than NYC.
So proper planning would not be to try to draw the entire area to DT. I think DT speaks for itself in that it is a nice place to take a stroll and has the anchors such as Whole Foods and some other places. It will be a town center for those who live in all the condo buildings (being built and already in existence) as well as a place to go for those nearby.
Walking streets (malls) are great - anyone who has been to big cities in various parts of Europe (Copenhagen, etc.) can attest to this. This may be hard for some to believe, but pedestrians don't enjoy breathing diesel and fumes from the (lack of) inspected cars...and those motorcycles that burst your eardrums are not very enticing either.
Not to say they should make the entire downtown a walking mall - but it wouldn't hurt to have such an area.
I think there are some massive cultural differences among our population. Some crave a world lived behind locked doors and gates with security and, when they venture out, want to park either in a secure lot or immediately in front of their destination.
Others value peace, quiet, nice views, actually seeing other people than themselves, breathing fresh air (instead of always A/C),etc.
I'd say more people belong to the former group - based on real estate sales, etc.
A friend and I were discussing this recently and he commented "there are millions of people who know no other life than that (sequestered and identifying based on their subdivision) where a bed,bath and beyond...in fact, likely 3 or 4 of them, are within 15 minutes".
Being of an older population we probably have more of this in the SRQ area than in some other locales...as those folks likely always lived in such a way.
In some ways it's the "LA California" life vs. the New England life. Or, the modern suburban life vs. the small town and/or new urban type of lifestyle. To each their own - but at the same time it seems DT has a touch of uniqueness that it would be nice to keep.
I should say that without DT, I probably would have not bought in the area. I loved the little downtown shops and the playhouses, opera, eateries, farmers market as well as the proximity to the bay and beach. Without those SRQ has almost nothing over many other destinations.
The facts are that the vast vast majority current population does not reside, shop or even traverse DT SARASOTA.
The facts are families by far and large DO NOT LIVE, or even wish to live in or close to DT Sarasota. Younger families with children are literally the lifeblood for any MSA - not childless retirees, grandparents and empty nesters.
It's "families" stupid.
It's parks, schools and Pet stores (so to speak)...it ain't expensive, worthless Whole Foods. It ain't the Van Weeeezel or Playhouse on the Square, or dodging the homeless at the DT Library or 5 Points, or buying stupidly overpriced Jewelry at Shroedes, or having crazily overpriced bs food at Classico or some fake Peruvian food, or day-old "washed" sashimi at the za-zou-vogue Chinese place owned by the same NY clowns that own another place at Lockwood Commons (serves and sources the same lousy fish, but charges 2X the price at the "Downtown on Main Store").
The MSA and especially DT has relatively NO history of being a PEDESTRIAN community, and it never ever will. Why ? populations are far too dispersed. NO one living on Bird Key is going to be walking to the Ritz. Hell, hardly no one who lives around Cherokee Park wants to walk to even Morton's Market (have you seen the Parking lot there?) Hell, people don't walk from Main Street to Marina Jack...lol.
Few area residents within the many communities of LWR, even visit DT Sarasota regularly. Why ?
Few area residents within the many communities of Bradenton even visit DT City of Bradenton/River Walk regularly!
Who the hell lives say near Cortez/Palma Sola drives to DT SRQ or DT Bradenton more than say 2X a month? maybe??
DT Sarasota has essentially 3 gas stations (except on south trail and Washington?), and one pure drug store (except south trial of course).
I guess it also depends oh how one truly defines what is "downtown", right?
Also who the hell is clamoring to live in the Rosemary District? lol.....Newtown anyone? lol
One expensive Whole Foods and one small Publix at 10th....notwithstanding Siesta?
Most migrating middle class families are not searching DT SRQ for a house to buy. Period
The facts are that the vast vast majority current population does not reside, shop or even traverse DT SARASOTA.
The facts are families by far and large DO NOT LIVE, or even wish to live in or close to DT Sarasota. Younger families with children are literally the lifeblood for any MSA - not childless retirees, grandparents and empty nesters.
It's "families" stupid.
It's parks, schools and Pet stores (so to speak)...it ain't expensive, worthless Whole Foods.
Few area residents within the many communities of LWR, even visit DT Sarasota regularly. Why ?
Few area residents within the many communities of Bradenton even visit DT City of Bradenton/River Walk regularly!
Who the hell lives say near Cortez/Palma Sola drives to DT SRQ or DT Bradenton more than say 2X a month? maybe??
Most migrating middle class families are not searching DT SRQ for a house to buy. Period
No doubt you are correct about families with children in schools. Also, about the "car culture" that so many of these folks live in. They don't go the beaches because it's a 45 minute drive (at best) due to the continual expansion of the car culture and "strip mall living".....which also relates to payola and lack of planning. We don't have to guess about these things - just visit the SE Coast...where it has all played out.
However, I would argue that some of the value (prices and draw) of the Sarasota area is based on the perceived value of the DT, Beaches, etc.
"Sarasota County is home to a large share of residents aged 65 and over, which make up nearly one-third of its full-time population. Projections indicate that this share could grow to almost 40% by 2030. While the aging of the population is a national trend, it is accentuated in Sarasota County due to its influx of retirees from other areas"
So, at 33% and increasing to 40%....for FULL TIME residents - add the 20% of part time residents, and it's clear that the young families with kids in school you speak of may be a minority (you also have to remove all the single people, childless younger folks, etc.).
It's not a matter of your statements being untrue. Mom and Pa who came from a gated community in Texas are going to move to a gated community in Sarasota. But statistics and trends do show a vast amount of older and single folks who don't and won't need schools.
Some of them are content in the lifestyle provided by a gated community with a pool and golf course and community center and strip mall next door....others are not.
While the money and larger numbers of the population may always be outside of DT (basic math - there is vastly more room and prices are much lower for what you get, etc.), it's smart planning to not undermine the goose that laid that golden egg. Without the various features - natural and manmade - of the DT area, it's unlikely that the inland empire would be as good of a draw. Kayaking in a large retention basin next to the interstate which was created to drain the mall is not akin to floating around Robinson Preserve.
The facts are that the vast vast majority current population does not reside, shop or even traverse DT SARASOTA.
The facts are families by far and large DO NOT LIVE, or even wish to live in or close to DT Sarasota. Younger families with children are literally the lifeblood for any MSA - not childless retirees, grandparents and empty nesters.
It's "families" stupid.
It's parks, schools and Pet stores (so to speak)...it ain't expensive, worthless Whole Foods. It ain't the Van Weeeezel or Playhouse on the Square, or dodging the homeless at the DT Library or 5 Points, or buying stupidly overpriced Jewelry at Shroedes, or having crazily overpriced bs food at Classico or some fake Peruvian food, or day-old "washed" sashimi at the za-zou-vogue Chinese place owned by the same NY clowns that own another place at Lockwood Commons (serves and sources the same lousy fish, but charges 2X the price at the "Downtown on Main Store").
…..(snip)
Also who the hell is clamoring to live in the Rosemary District? lol.....Newtown anyone? lol
One expensive Whole Foods and one small Publix at 10th....notwithstanding Siesta?
Most migrating middle class families are not searching DT SRQ for a house to buy. Period
Wow, angry much? Such a diatribe against downtown Sarasota makes me wonder what someone did to you.
I've had a delightful lunch at Classico and it was no more expensive (much better quality food) than Applebee's.
I don't have a dog in your fight with downtown since I don't live in Sarasota but we enjoy visiting many of the locations you trash. Since tables and sidewalks were filled with people on Friday early evening seems we aren't the only ones.
A new electric-vehicle shuttle service could be headed to downtown Sarasota later this year in the city's latest creative attempt to help reduce traffic congestion.
The free service would include six to nine, six-seat electric shuttles that could be hailed on a mobile app to ferry residents, visitors and workers around downtown without moving their cars.
Today's Herald's article about paid parking being good for downtown merchants is something I agree with. It makes cars turnover instead of hogging free parking all day (likely full-time employees or residents who get there early and stay put). Seems like a no-brainer to me and one that merchants should embrace instead of reject.
And on a different note, can someone answer this for me: the waterfront park City Island (I think that's the name) has signs saying it is not legal to do "back-in" parking yet I see some cars doing just that. I prefer to back in because I drive a van and it's safer to pull out when I can see everything that's behind is now in front. Is this not enforced? And why is back-in parking disallowed anyway?
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