In a recent blow to funding, Sarasota County minimizes its contributions.
By Tyler Oldano
Original Air Date: August 2, 2024
Host: A public-private partnership is forging ahead with a new performing arts center, a project that would be the City of Sarasota’s most expensive ever. The city has committed to covering half the cost, but this is a moving target, and there are many unanswered questions, which in turn, raises anxiety levels, reinforcing those who question whether a new, $350 million building is needed at all. Most recently, Sarasota County, which is supposed to cover part of the cost, has made it clear it will minimize its financial contributions. Tyler Oldano has that story for you.
Tyler Oldano: On January 5th 1970, The Van Wezel Performing Arts Center opened its doors to the public. Since then, it’s continued to provide live entertainment for Sarasota residents. That could change soon though. Plans to build a new, bigger, performing arts center nearby the Van Wezel have been in discussion since last year, but a lot of questions, particularly financial questions, remain unanswered.
It’s going to cost money — a lot of money — and calculating how much is no simple task. The performing arts center project is tied to the ongoing bay park project, which looks to transform the current bay into a park. The master plan of which includes a new performing arts center. Funding for the Bay Park Project partially comes from a Tax Increment Financing fund, or a TIF fund. In simple terms, the TIF takes the property taxes from one area and dedicates them solely to a project. In this case it’s mainly the bay park project, but in the TIF agreement, there’s a clause that says whatever money is left over can be used on a new performing arts center. Some say that TIF’s are a good way to finance private projects. Sarasota City Commission Candidate, Ronald Kashden says that it can have some downsides.
City commission candidate Ron Kashden
Ronald Kashden: You know, every year they calculate this is the appraised value and this is the taxes on that appraised value. If you cut a piece of that pie and reserve it for this project, then that just means that you have less dollars for everything else. So one of the questions that the county has started and some of the residents the city have started to say is given the large slice of the pie, is this where we want to allocate the funds?
TO: The county recently threw a wrench into financial planning, raising questions about the city’s overall liability. In a recent meeting, Sarasota County commissioners made it clear they are not sold on the idea of a new performing arts center, and that they will minimize their contributions for a performing arts center through the TIF.
To be sure, the TIF funding alone covers only part of the construction costs for a new performing arts center. That’s where the city of Sarasota comes in. They’ve agreed to cover half of the final cost. But that final cost hasn’t been decided yet. This was voted on a few years ago, when the project was estimated to be 350 million dollars, but the costs of big projects like this one typically rise . Even if the new arts center is estimated to bring 150 million dollars to Sarasota, City Commissioner Jennifer Ahearn-Koch says that she’s worried about the cost.
Jennifer Ahearn-Koch: You know, I think a lot of people want it, but is it necessary because we’ve already committed to Bay Park? I don’t know if we have the means to commit to a new performing arts center.
TO: For Ahearn-Koch it’s not about whether she or the supporters want a new performing arts center, but if funds can allow it.
Sarasota City Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch
JAK: The intent of the group, the board, the supporters, all good intentions. It’s all the all, really. You know, you look at the numbers and the economic development and the impact, and we are an arts town. And I hear all of that. And, you know, I can’t disagree with any of that. it’s just can we do it? Can we actually pay for it? And can they pay for it?
TO: Kelly Franklin has questioned the need for a new building altogether and has defended the historic Van Wezel Performing Arts Center. She says that the fact that questions like these haven’t been answered before the project is being drafted is irresponsible.
Kelly Franklin: And the irresponsibility of this commission in May? With these questions open for the last ten years, green lighting, spending more time and energy, drawing sketches of a fantasy without a purpose that denigrates Sarasota’s cultural identity to its core. It trashes our architecture, the thing we’re known for. It’s not just bad governance, it’s bad business.
TO: For city commission candidate Ron Kashden, the economics behind these decisions are what worry him most.
RK: So the economics have to make sense. You don’t want to put the great credit rating that the city currently has, in jeopardy over, missteps on this scale.
TO: The question is, when will the city and its residents actually know about the specific details for the new performing arts center. The designer said that they’ll release plans in the summer, but so far nothing specific has been released.
In the meantime, Kelly Franklin is organizing a grassroots campaign to defend Van Wezel. Franklin knows a lot about the Van Wezel. She studied the building for her masters in architecture history. To her, it’s a vital part of Sarasota’s arts culture. She says that some people in the theater industry are confused as to what exactly is happening.
KF: Nationally, we’ve heard from both the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, and I’ve heard from somebody who used to run the Van Wezel l and worked at the Straz and is now on Broadway, basically saying, we all love playing that. What are you guys doing? And the answer is, we don’t know what we’re doing and we can’t admit it.
TO: In terms of improving the arts in Sarasota, critics of the project say while building a new, larger, facility could draw more shows to the area first on paper, reality is more complicated. Some shows are geographically restricted, meaning if they have a performance in Tampa, then they may not be allowed to perform in Sarasota due to the close proximity. More than anything though, Franklin says a lot of her issues with the project stem from the lack of planning.
KF: We need to stop and talk and figure out what we need and what we have to spend, and we should do that. But instead we’re drawing pictures. And I literally can’t answer the question of, is it bigger than a breadbox?
TO: We reached out to the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation several times via their press email. They’re the group who’s behind the push for the new performing arts center. They didn’t respond to all of our requests for comment. Tyler Oldano, WSLR News in Sarasota.
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