Sarasota County leaders to consider land buy for jail expansion

Sarasota County commissioners on Tuesday are scheduled to consider the purchase of land on Main Street, just east of Washington Boulevard in downtown Sarasota, to complete an early step toward an eventual expanded Criminal Justice Center complex.

The county is proposing to buy the half-acre at 2100 Main St. for $4.87 million — an offer that expires on Friday, according to the sales contract. The listing price is $5.8 million and the average of two county appraisals of the property is $3.1 million.

The land is occupied by a church and owned by 2100 Main LLC, a Washington DC-based corporation. The deal with the county, however, is with 2100 Main Sarasota LLC, a Delaware-based corporation. Before the land can become county property, according to documents, a pending sale between the two limited-liability corporations must be completed.

Even if the land is purchased, further steps toward the county’s goal of expanding its jail complex hinge on a referendum in November 2026.

The new structure would first house inmates while a wing of the existing jail was demolished and replaced with a larger one housing 240 inmates per floor on levels 2-4, the fifth floor held in reserve for future housing of another 240.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, the projected 2025 population of the jail is 1,081, 308 more than the operational capacity. By 2032, it is expected to reach 1,177, 404 more than operational capacity. But, by the time the expansion would open in 2033, the projected population of 1,191 would leave a surplus of 117. The increased capacity should carry the county through 2041 before another expansion would need to be considered.

Assuming passage of the referendum, further stages to follow the land purchase would be:

• Solicitations for architect and construction management services in late 2026;
• Award contracts and begin design in October 2027
• Construction begins on new building in March 2029
• Occupancy of new building begins in March 2031
• Replacement wing of current jail begins construction in April 2031
• Occupancy of replacement wing begins in April 2033

The County Commission meets at 9 a.m. in the County Administration Building, 1660 Ringling Blvd. Visit SCGov.net for the full agenda.