- March 26, 2025
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Elon Musk says: We’re going to Mars.
Reach higher. Go all the way!
Then came the front-page headline last week: “Proposal shrinks SPAC — The latest performing arts center plan reduces buildings from four to two.”
Fear and doubt and what may also look like fiscal pragmatism took hold.
Here’s the thing: For decades, Sarasotans have proudly proclaimed this city to be the cultural arts capital of Florida. And rightly so.
But if it is important to remain that, then go all the way. Not halfway. Not from four to two.
Think “Elon.” Show vision. Courage. Can-do determination.
With each passing day, Sarasota city and county commissioners are fast approaching crucial decisions that will determine the scope — and perhaps the fate — of the proposed new Sarasota Performing Arts Center.
But much more than that, they will determine what Sarasota thinks of itself now and, more importantly, what it will be over the next 50 years. City commissioners will decide whether they want Sarasota to be just another city, while county commissioners will decide whether they are parochial pols or whether they can be regional visionaries.
From the moment Michael Klauber, Virginia Haley and the former Van Wezel Foundation board (now the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation) had the vision for the Bay Park and a new performing arts hall in 2013, everyone knew what lay ahead — a gauntlet of resistance, obstacles, naysayers, backbenchers and what would appear to be exorbitant costs.
We are at one of those points in the gauntlet.
On March 31, the City Commission is expected to vote on whether to accept an implementation agreement with the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation. This essentially would be the commission saying it accepts the foundation’s proposal and to, well, just do it — build the new performing arts center.
That vote in all likelihood also would force Sarasota County commissioners to decide whether they will stick with what they previously agreed to do: Contribute their 50% share, or an estimated $187 million in tax increment financing; or, tell the city to shoulder the cost on its own for what would be a regional center that would serve all of Sarasota and Manatee counties.
In that vein, two county commissioners — Mark Smith and Ron Cutsinger — rejected during a TIF board meeting this past May a request for $36.9 million to partially fund the Renzo Piano architecture firm’s design work.
“My view has been to save the Van Wezel (Performing Arts Hall),” Smith told us this week. “We’ve seen the cost (for a new center) start at $150 million, go to $700 million and now back to $400 million. It’s a moving target. I have a fiduciary responsibility to taxpayers. No, I can’t commit to putting (TIF) money toward it.”
Newly elected Commissioner Tom Knight said: “No” on whether he would support using the county TIF funds for the performing arts center. “That money is to be used for the park. I would never support it for that building.”
(The interlocal agreement between the city and county stipulates that “tax increment revenues from the city and the county … as they become available … will be allocated to fund any or all of the following: i) capital improvements at The Bay park, ii) a portion of a new performing arts center and iii) bicycle, pedestrian and multimodal facilities within the district.”
Commissioner Joe Neunder: “That’s an awfully expensive project. I’m a true fiscal conservative. We’ve got a lot of infrastructure issues. I’m a numbers guy. What percentage of the county uses it?”
Cutsinger and Commissioner Teresa Mast did not respond before deadline.
To cast further doubt and fears, Ron Kashden, who ran unsuccessfully for City Commission in November and is an independent auditor for the Shubert Organization, submitted prior to the Feb. 11 commission workshop a 21-page report, titled “Pragmatic Review of the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation Proposed Project.” His conclusion:
“Current PAF concept is financially unviable … The scale of the proposal exceeds the available funding from the TIF district.” His report recommended and urged “a proper-scaled project could stay within the TIF’s funding capacity.”
At the end of the Feb. 11 commission workshop, at which commissioners saw a scaled down concept — from four to two buildings, with potential for a third building that would be a midsize theater, newly elected Commissioner Kathy Ohlrich referred to a new projected cost of the project ($407 million) as “the elephant in the room.”
Let’s be honest here. Surely, most everyone involved in visualizing a new performing arts center and familiar with such efforts knew such a facility would exceed $150 million. In Nashville, for instance, that city also is in the design phase of developing three theaters that would accommodate 4,300 seats at a cost of $600 million, or about $140,000 per seat. The scaled-down design in Sarasota would accommodate 3,000 seats at an estimated cost of $365 million, or about $122,000 per seat. Orlando’s Dr. Phillips Center, with 1,764 seats, ran $185,000 per seat.
But noteworthy is that in Nashville, the financing is going to be 80% public, 20% private. In Orlando: 75% public, 25% private.
In Sarasota: 50%-50%.
That is important in two respects for those who doubt: 1) The citizens of Sarasota city and county will get a new performing arts center at half the cost of what it would take if totally taxpayer funded; and, 2) The cost of a new performing arts center will never be lower than what is being proposed today.
And let’s be honest again: We’ve seen varying projected costs of $1 million, $9 million or $17 million to upgrade the Van Wezel. Those who believe doing so will serve this region’s needs adequately for another 50 years are, well, delusional.
The Van Wezel, iconic as it may be, is on the downslope of the curve toward becoming obsolete when compared to the needs and technologies of today’s modern performing arts centers. If it is difficult for Sarasota to attract first-run shows and entertainers, it will become increasingly so as the Van Wezel continues to age.
We’ll have a souped-up, DIY 1970 Corvette trying to race against 2025 Porsches. Sarasota will be just another city; a memory as the cultural arts capital of Florida.
Yes, $407 million for two structures, or $500 million for three is a lot of money. (Remember: only half of that coming from taxpayers.)
And yes, it’s mind-boggling to think there are enough private contributors when you consider the other major fundraising ventures underway in the region. As Kashden pointed out:
Altogether, including the performing arts center, that’s nearly $1 billion to fund arts and recreational facilities in this mid-size city.
Is all that money really here, and is it realistic to believe the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation can raise more than $200 million to cover its share?
Jim Travers, chair of the foundation, shows no doubt.
“I am confident we can do our part,” he told us. “We’ve done a lot on fundraising in advance. Many of the people moving here are coming here for the arts. The private donors have expressed more than interest.”
One, Travers noted, has expressed a readiness for naming rights. “On a project like this, you’re talking around $50 million for naming rights,” he said.
What’s more, Travers said, based on consultants’ estimates, the projections for the cash to be generated from the TIF district surrounding the Bay Park are underestimated. Current estimates do not include the effects of 12 new condominium projects either not on the tax rolls yet or slated to be built in the TIF district.
Tania Castroverde Mostalenko, CEO of the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation, said its consultants estimate the county’s current projection of $376 million in TIF funding is about 50% below eventual TIF revenues. The consultants are estimating more than $775 million total in TIF funds through the 30-year term.
“Bottom line,” Travers said, “we believe the money is there.”
Timing is everything indeed.
In one respect, the timing to pursue the original vision of the Bay Park and a new performing arts center is propitious. The formation of the TIF came just before a construction boom around the Van Wezel site and when the city of Sarasota is experiencing robust economic and capital growth.
But in one respect, the timing was unpropitious. It came when three hurricanes brought to the fore growing needs to retrofit much of the city and county’s outdated stormwater drainage infrastructure.
Most likely, if you queried the populace on what is a higher priority — fixing storm drainage infrastructure versus a new performing arts center, the answer would be the storm drainage. It affects more people.
And for sure, that makes sense.
But can both be accomplished at the same time?
Elon Musk would find a way.
With the leadership rallying the populace, along with rallying city and county commissioners — from Sarasota down to North Port — where there is a will, there is a way.
Not halfway. Go all the way.
We’re always hearing it’s too expensive; only a few benefit; it should not be built on the bay, yada, yada, yada.
But look at what the arts have brought this region over the decades. They have attracted affluent and highly affluent residents and snowbirds who love the arts and whose wealth has made this region one of the most generous, charitable places in Florida for helping those in need.
What’s more, success begets success. No other place in Florida would have the iconic design of a Renzo Piano performing arts campus, the equivalent of a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece, and sitting amid an extraordinary Bay Park for all.
As we noted Jan. 30, this undertaking is not for us. It’s for the next 50 years. It will take vision, courage and can-do determination. Defend the title as the cultural arts capital of Florida.
