A COMMUNITY PORTRAIT
Growth Magnet
From Sarasota County’s northern border with Manatee to Charlotte County on its southern edge, signs of growth are everywhere. Start with downtown Sarasota, the county’s professional and cultural heart. New condos, apartment buildings, high-rise hotels, tony shops and offices are up or in progress all around downtown. The city of roughly 57,000 has seen 4,000 new housing units in the past three years. Sarasota is experiencing what City Manager Tom Barwin says is “probably the biggest growth spurt in the city’s history.”
Sarasota isn’t even the largest city in the county any more. In the county’s southern tier, North Port, with more affordable housing and a younger population (median age of 44), is now home to about 66,000 residents. Ruth Buchanan, North Port economic development manager, calls it “the workforce engine for the metro area.” The influx of new residents is dominated by wealthy Baby Boomer retirees but includes young families and entrepreneurial millennials. The story continues here »
Amenities, Workforce, Industries, Contacts and More
Sarasota has been a circus town since John and Charles Ringling made it the winter home of their circus in 1927. Plus, vital statistics. Go to story.
More than 13,000 people worked in the county’s construction industry in 2017, a 4% increase over 2016. Plus, looks at health care, manufacturing, tourism and more. Go to story.
Company briefs on Offrs, AdRizer, Clickbooth, RevContent, Voalte, RPS, Big Top Brewng, Enzymedica, and PropLogix..Go to story.
The county has roughly 4,500 more workers this year than it did a year earlier. Growth is being driven by construction, health care/education and leisure/hospitality. Go to story.
Higher education, the arts, beaches, parks and preserves, transportation, sports, civic groups are driving the economy. But growth and prosperity don't come without challenges. Go to story.
Interviews and profiles of Tom Barwin, Mark Pritchett, Michael Saunders, Craig A. Johnson and Bayne Beecher. Go to story.
Opinions on the region from four newcomers: Michael Donahue, Maria Mandler, Stefani Dueol and DestinWells. Go to story.
