Sarasota County closes $19M deal for former fruit orchards

The former Albritton fruit orchards east of Interstate 75 near Clark Road are now owned by Sarasota County, which purchased the land this fall for $19 million. The seller was Albritton Groves, which previously operated fields there for blueberry picking from mid-March through the end of May.

Sarasota County will use the land for soil needed to cover waste at the Central County Solid Waste Disposal Complex, which is also on property the county bought from the Albritton family. When the county purchased the land 20 years ago for its landfill, it negotiated a first right to purchase option of any adjacent lands, according to a memo from County Administrator Jonathan Lewis in July, when commissioners approved the issuance of revenue bonds to finance the new land acquisition.

According to Lewis, the Albrittons notified the county in August 2022 that they planned to sell 341 acres at 9665 State Road 72.

Because of the “substantial growth of the county and projected additional growth,” the Solid Waste Department determined it would be “both necessary and in the public interest” to acquire the property to provide “future borrow soils” for intermediate, daily and final cover of waste at the Central County Solid Waste Disposal Complex, Lewis said in his memo. After evaluating alternative sites, impacts and costs, he noted, the county “determined that the property is necessary for solid waste and county needs.”

Sarasota County let Albritton Groves know in September 2022 that it planned to make an offer, and in April 2023, county commissioners approved a contract for the sale and purchase of the property for $19 million. Contract amendments were filed to extend the time for surveying the property and for the owner to clear out of the premises.

County commissioners authorized the county in July to issue Solid Waste System Revenue Bonds to fund the acquisition over a 15-year period. Repayment of the Bonds will be from tipping fees and other revenues in the Solid Waste System Operating and Maintenance Fund. The sale was completed Oct. 8, according to Sarasota County property records.

Now owned by Sarasota County, the land on State Road 72 that was once used for blueberry picking will instead be a source of soil to cover the county landfill nearby.

“Soil is a vital component of landfill operations as it’s used to prevent odors, deter pests and wildlife, control litter and divert rainfall from waste,” Sarasota County spokesperson Genevieve Judge says in an email to the Business Observer. 

“Our community needs to know that this property is not an extension of the county’s existing landfill,” Judge says. “This purchase is a proactive project that will result in $50 million in savings for county residents, remove dump truck trips from our roadways and provide opportunities for generations to come.”

The Albrittons did not respond to a request for comment from the Business Observer regarding any potential future plans. According to the Albritton Fruit Farms website, a new pick-your-own blueberry location may be coming soon. 

This article originally appeared on sister site BusinessObserverFL.com.