Milton damage forces county to vacate administration center

In the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, not only does the Sarasota County government face massive recovery efforts throughout the county, but also how — and perhaps even to what extent — to get its own house in order.

Significant wind and water damage was sustained by the Sarasota County Administration Center at 1660 Ringling Blvd. in downtown Sarasota.

The building was “extensively impacted by Hurricane Milton,” Sarasota County Director of Communications Jamie Carson said in a statement. “We’re working to remediate the building and assessing its future use.” 

That future use is in question as construction continues on the county’s new administrative building in Fruitville Commons just east of I-75, the Fruitville area quickly developing as the epicenter of all things county government. In 2021, the county sold the Ringling Boulevard property to Benderson Development for $25 million and is leasing it back through the end of 2025. 

A groundbreaking for the new administration center, which is located next to Celery Fields, was held in September 2023.

Courtesy image

Under terms of the lease, Benderson is responsible for maintaining the roof and structure of the building and the county covers all other maintenance. Remediation teams have already been inside, removing debris and drying the building as the assessment of its future use is made. In addition to administrative offices, the building contains the County Commission’s primary meeting chambers on the first floor and the third-floor “Think Tank,” where much of its budget hearing process is held.

Meanwhile, the business of county government must go on.

“To ensure the continuity of government for our community, we’ve implemented plans to relocate personnel and equipment during the remediation process,” said Sarasota County Director of Communications Jamie Carson in the statement. “As for now, the building remains closed to the public, and we’ll keep the community updated as we continue to assess and complete the remediation process.”

This week, both the Tuesday and Wednesday County Commission meetings were held at the south county headquarters, the Robert L. Anderson Administration Center at 4000 S. Tamiami Trail in Venice, as they likely will be for the foreseeable future. In the short term at least, because of Hurricane damage there commission meetings will be only audio recorded and posted online the next day and not live-streamed with video.

Meanwhile, county services may be accessed online at scgov.net, and residents may call 311 or 941-861-5000 for assistance.