Florida Studio Theatre To Expand In Downtown Sarasota With New Arts Plaza

SARASOTA, FL — After 49 years, Florida Studio Theatre will expand its downtown Sarasota footprint with a new 11-story building.

The Mulva Arts Plaza, named after Patrick and Mary Mulva, who made the lead gift for the project, “will enable FST to meet its growing needs and strengthen the theatre’s role as a vital cultural and artistic resource for the Gulf Coast region,” according to a news release from the theater.

FST will break ground on the new building, which will be adjacent to the existing Hegner Theatre Wing, in December.

The new space will allow for the expansion of FST’s Mainstage and Stage III Series and will include two new cabaret theaters and 200 parking spaces.

Housing is also a large piece of the project. It includes 55 extended stay studio apartments for FST guest artists and 30 two-bedroom affordable housing units for year-round local arts workers in Sarasota.

“At FST, we never do anything capriciously,” said Richard Hopkins, FST’s producing artistic director. “We make sure that we need to do something before we actually begin to do it. So, we find out what the community needs, what our audience needs, and what the next generation needs. And our response to these needs is the Mulva Arts Plaza.”

FST has an ongoing campaign to raise the rest of the funds needed for the $28.5 million capital project. To date, just over $17.2 million has been raised, the theater said.

Founded in 1973, FST has grown to a village of five small theaters in downtown Sarasota that collectively welcomes about 230,000 show and event attendees each year. Its programming includes Mainstage, Cabaret, Stage III, Children’s Theatre, The FST School, New Play Development and FST Improv.