Price is lower than anticipated in 2021
In late January 2021, the Sarasota County Commission seated at that time approved the construction of a new facility for the District 12 Medical Examiner’s Office, which serves not only Sarasota County but also Manatee and DeSoto counties.
The building would be located at 4480 Fruitville Road. The principal of the owner of that property, 4480 Fruitville LLC, is John LaCivita, president of Willis A. Smith Construction in Sarasota.
At the time, the commissioners also agreed that the goal would be to purchase the two-story structure after the conclusion of the initial three-year lease.
During the board discussion on Jan. 26, 2021, Carolyn Eastwood, director of the county’s Capital Projects Department, estimated that the addition of an upper floor to the original design — a recommendation that then-Commissioner Mike Moran had made — likely would raise the purchase price by $2.5 million, for a maximum of $26 million.
Moran had talked about the fact that the second story could serve as space for a compatible, future tenant, such as a nursing school or forensics lab. He also noted the potential need for more storage space for county departments.
In fact, the sale price ended up being $21.6 million.
During their regular meeting on Jan. 27, the commissioners voted unanimously to approve the purchase.
A county staff memo in the agenda packet pointed out, “It is the intent of the County to exercise [the purchase] option and execute the contract for sale on or before the end of the first 3-year [lease] term, May 14, 2026.”
The funding will come out of county revenue derived from the extra penny of sales tax through what is called the Surtax program. Formally, Surtax 3 revenue was designated for the purchase, the memo added. The Surtax 4 Program began on Jan. 1, 2025.
Construction of the building was completed in May 2023, as noted in the staff memo. “These facilities include a single-story building for the morgue for Sarasota County and a two-story building housing the administrative offices of the Medical Examiner for the entire district on the first floor, and a second floor for occupancy by the County,” the memo further noted.
The item was part of the board’s Consent Agenda of routine business matters. No one commented on matter before the vote, which is typical with items on that agenda. The funding for the purchase was included in the county’s current Capital Improvement Program, which the commissioners approved as part of the 2026 fiscal year budget.