County approves rezoning of parcel to prepare for sale

Two empty buildings on a valuable plot of land next to I-75 will soon be demolished.

It’s a prominent first step in Sarasota County Commissioner Joe Barbetta’s three-year quest to shed county-owned land, although economic conditions and inter-agency discussion could put the effort on hold.

The roughly $100,000 needed to bring the buildings down is already appropriated and available in the county budget, said Sarasota County Operations and Maintenance Director Dave Cash during the Aug. 20 budget workshop.

But, other commissioners were reticent to pledge that the 2.2-acre site located on Cattlemen Road would ultimately be sold into private hands. And, although county staff hasn’t prepared a resolution to authorize the sale of the land, commissioners can expect to make a decision on more than 10 similar properties, including the parking lot at the intersection of Washington Boulevard and Main Street, in a format designed to choose surplus land to put on the market.

County commissioners voted unanimously to clear the plot and rezone it for industrial- and light-warehouse use, which would be suitable for an office building. The private appraiser hired by Sarasota County valued the land with a net worth of $490,000, with demolition costs deducted.

“I’m not sure I know what the market is for office-building land,” said Sarasota County Commissioner Nora Patterson. “My guess is it’s not at its peak; in fact, my guess is quite the opposite.”

The market demand for new office space is still low, Cash said. But, the consultant on the project said it would still be advantageous to demolish the buildings and prepare the plot for office use, even if Sarasota County holds the asset to play the market or uses it for other government activities.

Sarasota County Administrator Randall Reid said the latter option could include the relocation of Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office staff, which has been discussed. The new emergency operations center is on an adjacent land plot, making the case for the sheriff’s office expansion.

“The marketability of it may be in question, as you can see it’s a bit of an odd shape,” Cash said. “There’s really no use to the county other than storage in that building, which we can accommodate elsewhere.”

But, demolishing the two buildings and replacing them with Sarasota County offices defeats the goal of tapping into the taxable values, Barbetta said:

“It would be ludicrous for us to think of putting a building there. I’m convinced that if we allow government to maintain property like this they’ll find a use for it.”