Commissioners Approve Agreement With Van Wezel Foundation For New Performing Arts Venue

SARASOTA, FL — The Sarasota City Commission narrowly approved a partnership agreement with the Van Wezel Foundation to plan and build a new Sarasota Performing Arts Center in Bay Park.

It will replace the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, which will continue to operate until the new performing arts center is complete.

The agreement, which calls for the new venue to be funded half by money privately raised and half by the city and other public resources, passed in a 3-2 vote during Monday’s commission meeting. Mayor Erika Arroyo and Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch voted against it.

Though plans for the venue are far from finalized, as it was recently presented to the commission, the public-private project will likely cost more than $300 million.

The foundation, which will be renamed the Sarasota Performing Arts Center Foundation, plans to launch a philanthropic campaign to raise funds for the venue. Its board has already committed the first $20 million to the project, according to a news release from the organization.

Public funding sources, including state and federal appropriations, will also be identified in collaboration with city management, the foundation said.

The city will raise some funds for the project through various measures, including Tax Increment Financing, tourism development tax and issuing a revenue bond, said City Manager Marlon Brown, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

“Together, the city and the Foundation envision the Sarasota Performing Arts Center as a preeminent destination for the performing arts in the nation by offering extraordinary cultural and educational experiences that open a world of new possibilities for all,” said Cheryl Mendelson, the foundation’s CEO.

For more than three decades, the foundation has partnered with the city, providing more than half a million dollars each year for the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and serving more than 58,000 students, educators and families, according to a news release from the organization.

“Now our partnership between the city and the foundation enters into a new era that will shape the future of Sarasota and the greater Southwest Florida region,” said Jim Travers, the foundation’s board chair.

As plans for the new performing arts center move forward, the foundation has assembled a team of global theater experts. The next steps include the architectural selection process and ongoing community engagement about the project, the organization said.

The foundation has assembled a team of global theater experts to bring the new performing arts center to life. The architectural selection process will commence, and ongoing community engagement will continue over the coming year.

“The Foundation is committed to our partnership with the city to create a landmark for Sarasota for generations to come,” said Mendelson. “This is our legacy together — the future is now.”