County administrator and commissioners talk of building’s features and opportunities
During his last two years on the board, former two-term Sarasota County Commissioner Alan Maio used to point out that he was the one who told administrative staff, “Get us out of this building,” referring to the County Administration Center standing at 1660 Ringling Blvd. in downtown Sarasota.
That remark, he would add, came during the board’s December 2019 strategic planning retreat.
Not only was the six-story structure aging, Maio would explain, but staff had projected that the expense of keeping it in shape for public use would cost close to $50 million over the next 20 years.
Constructed in 1973 and renovated in 1990, the building became county property in 1993; GTE Florida Inc. was the seller.
On Tuesday morning, Aug. 25, Maio was in the audience as members of the public joined county leaders and staff for the formal opening of the new County Administration Center, whose construction Maio helped set in motion. That building stands at 1 Apex Road, just off Fruitville Road in Sarasota.
Representing an investment of approximately $100 million, County Administrator Jonathan Lewis stressed to the audience, the facility has been designed to serve the community for the next 50 to 70 years.
With slightly more than 120,000 square feet, compared to the 170,000-square-foot building located on Ringling Boulevard, Lewis noted that it nonetheless is “a more resilient, efficient and sustainable home for county government,” which was what Maio and his colleagues had sought.
“It was designed to improve access to government services [and] strengthen day-to-day operations,” Lewis added.
Not only did residents and business owners suffer damage during the 2024 hurricane season, Lewis continued, but the building standing at 1660 Ringling Blvd. “was flooded … Essentially, even in recovery, three out of the six floors became noninhabitable. … That displaced a lot of county employees, who kept serving our community, day in and day out, just from a lot of weird locations. It made this center look all the more prophetic on the part of our County Commission …”
The new Administration Center, Lewis pointed out, is not in a flood zone and, therefore, “better positioned to keep county government operational and serving our residents when they need us the most.”
Moreover, he said, “This building was designed for employees to maximize their opportunity for public engagement, [with] modern work places, updated technology and a continuation of the traditional employee wellness amenities” that have been provided for more than 20 years.
The new facility, Lewis added, will be a major asset in helping the county “recruit and retain talented people to serve our community every day.”
‘The right decision’
Commission Chair Ron Cutsinger told the audience, “We had a decision to make. We could have spent tens of millions of dollars [in the Ringling Boulevard building that was] poorly located, trying to rehabilitate it to make it functional in a vulnerable [flood-prone] area.” Instead, he added, “We could invest in a new [structure]. It was the right decision.”
The new Administration Center was constructed in compliance with modern building standards, he emphasized, to “ensure the continuity of government operations during emergencies.”
“I walk by those generators every time I come here,” he noted.
Moreover, Cutsinger stressed, “This building belongs to the people of Sarasota County. … This is a place where every voice can be heard.”
Then Cutsinger offered what he characterized as “a personal note.” Explaining that he lives in Englewood, in South County, he said, “Over the past six years, I’ve driven up to the Administration Center three or four times a week. I can assure you I will not miss the drive from Fruitville [Road] to downtown Sarasota.”
“Think of how many thousands of people now will not have to make that drive [to downtown],” he added. With a chuckle, he said he hoped having the new center open would relieve some of the congestion on Fruitville Road.
From his perspective, Cutsinger continued, the new building is in “a great location. It’s a beautiful campus overlooking the scenic Celery Fields.”
When County Administrator Lewis returned to the podium to wrap up the formal remarks, he noted Cutsinger’s comment about the view, adding, “That triggered a thought.”
So many of the county’s employees — including him, he acknowledged — “will be lucky enough to occupy this building. It’s a great view.”
Cutsinger further noted the artwork that photographers had donated to the county for a display in the central lobby. “It’s astonishingly beautiful artwork. … We’re grateful for their generosity.”
Commissioner Teresa Mast, in whose District 1 territory the building stands, followed Cutsinger to the podium, announcing that she was going to go “off-script,” though she was sure staff members were “cringing right now.”
Pointing out that staff had provided the commissioners all sorts of statistics, including those related to the facility’s energy efficiency, Mast said, “I’m going to talk from the female perspective for the moment.
“I grew up in this district,” she explained, “and it has been my home for nearly 50 years.” Where she was standing that day “used to be nothing but the Celery Fields and some farms,” she added.
Having gone to a school nearby, Mast continued, she also could remember “cow patty fights” with her brothers on ranchland in the same area.
Then she talked of “some of my hopes and desires” for what the walls of the new building might be able to say, if they could talk, in decades to come.
“I hope that there are many prayers spoken in these walls,” she began. “I hope there’s tons of laughter. I’m sure there will be tears.”
A few days before the ceremony, Mast continued, she was driving with her 8-year-old grandson when he asked her what she does. She immediately replied, “ ‘That’s a good question, buddy.’ ” Then she told him, she said, “We try to get everybody to play nice in the same sandbox.”
She asked the audience members “to think about that for a minute,” before adding, “We have diverse opinions; we have diverse thoughts. … You’ll never make everybody happy, but this is our sandbox. … And my prayer is that we all work together in a very collaborative fashion in order to come to the best decisions for this community as possible.”
Naming names
While he was at the podium for his opening remarks, County Administrator Lewis also recognized individuals and groups, who, he noted, had helped “make this project possible,” including the current commissioners, his administrative staff; and representatives of Fawley Bryant Architects of Sarasota, the firm that designed the building, and Ajax/Tandem Construction of Sarasota, the contractors.
Along with Commissioner Maio, Lewis said that another former board member, Mike Moran — who was elected the county tax collector in November 2024 — also was present.
Moreover, Lewis offered plaudits for the county’s Capital Projects Department personnel who had shepherded the initiative.
Lewis also told the audience, “Internally, we have jokingly referred to [Assistant County Administrator] Brad Johnson as our ‘junior interior designer’ ” for his work on the undertaking.
However, Lewis pointed out that the person who had “lived and breathed this project since the board voted on it … in 2023 is the deputy county administrator, Steve Botelho. I’m talking about color swatches, weeds in the landscaping, coming in on weekends … His protection of our community’s investment is what this is about.”