Downtown parking changes are on hold
Plus $20M for flood work, new Flint flights from SRQ, and a Friday museum tour.
Happy Thursday, Sarasota. Downtown parking is back under review. The county also funded two flood projects, and Allegiant added a direct Midwest link at SRQ.
Downtown parking is in flux again. Sarasota has temporarily suspended its recent parking changes after pushback from businesses and residents.
The pause followed a rally at Sarasota City Hall, where neighbors brought their parking concerns directly to officials. Business owners objected as well.
A suspension is a timeout, not a final answer. The debate over paid parking downtown remains open, and the rules could change again.
For now, check the posted sign where you leave the car. Do not rely on what the block charged last month, and watch for the city's next decision before making a regular parking plan.
Direct Flint flights are coming to SRQ
Allegiant plans direct flights between Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport and Flint, Michigan, starting February 10, 2027. The SRQ schedule is Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Fort Myers and St. Pete-Clearwater each get separate Flint routes beginning February 11.
For Sarasota travelers, the useful change is the direct SRQ connection three days a week.
County puts more than $20 million toward flooding
Sarasota County approved more than $20 million for two flood projects. The August 26 vote set aside $13.5 million for St. Armands Key. Another $6.4 million goes to Celery Fields.
The Celery Fields work adds 60 acre-feet of storage to the Central Cell. That is more than 19.5 million gallons. Tropical Storm Debby filled the current system in 2024. Water reached Phillippi Creek, Pinecraft streets and nearby homes.
Work at St. Armands may add pumps with backup power and tide check valves. Other options include stronger outfalls, underground tanks, porous pavement, planted drains and flood barriers. The city is putting $479,000 into that project.
Local foundations put operating costs on the agenda
Eight local foundation leaders answered one question: what is changing in giving here? Their answers keep coming back to basic operating costs.
Wendy Deming of Bishop-Parker Foundation says groups once sought money for new programs. Now they ask for help with pay, rent and utility bills. Phillip Lanham of Gulf Coast Community Foundation names housing, the environment and crisis aid as urgent needs.
Veronica Thames of Manatee Community Foundation says more than 86 groups get over $26 million a year from the county. John Annis of Barancik Foundation says donors who ask for data should help fund the people and tools needed to produce it.
Sarasota's giving boom comes with more private power
David Callahan, founder of Inside Philanthropy, says the region's giving boom is also a shift in who decides what gets funded. The local field is large. More than 700 nonprofits employ tens of thousands of people from Manatee to Sarasota.
Callahan says the nation now has about 1,000 billionaires. He cites 74,000 families with at least $100 million and 434,000 with at least $30 million. Donor-advised funds grew from a few hundred thousand five years ago to about one million.
His warning is about power as well as money. Public spending is shrinking while private wealth grows. That gives rich donors more say over which public needs get support.
A docent-led museum tour runs Friday morning
- When
- Friday, September 4 · 11:00 AM-12:00 PM
- Where
- Sarasota Art Museum
- Address
- 1001 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34236
- Price
- Included with admission; members and visitors 17 and under free
Sarasota Art Museum has a Highlights Tour Friday from 11 a.m. to noon. Museum guides lead a talk and walk through the art on view. Each tour can change with the group.
The tour is free for members and comes with museum admission. Adult admission is $20. Visitors 17 and under enter free. Veterans and active-duty military families also enter free through Labor Day.
Meet in the Wendy G. Surkis and Peppi Elona Lobby. The museum is at 1001 S. Tamiami Trail. Parking is free during normal hours.