Event to be held at Longboat Key Town Hall
As a facet of Sarasota County Government’s partnership with the Town of Longboat Key to build a public library on the barrier island — as part of the Town Center Green Project — county staff will hold its first public meeting on the initiative on Monday, Feb. 12, the county has announced.
The 1:30 p.m. presentation will feature the architect, as basic components of the library will be discussed, a news release says. The event will be held at the Longboat Key Town Hall, which stands at 501 Bay Isles Road on Longboat Key.
A second public meeting will be held at 1:30 p.m. on March 18, also at the Town Hall, the release adds.
Each presentation will be followed by a breakout session, during which members of the public will have an opportunity to provide comments regarding potential enhancements to the project, the release explains. This will allow members of the community “to have a direct impact on the future of the library’s amenities,” the release points out.
The expense of the library, which will be county-built and operated, “may be supplemented by private donations for any enhancements,” the release notes.
Following the public meetings, designs will be created to show the proposed enhancements, the release says. Those designs, along with cost estimates, may be used for fundraising purposes, the release adds.
“This will be Sarasota County’s first new library project since 2018,” as well as the county’s first library project on a barrier island, the release points out.
The Sarasota County Commission “took an important step in making this initiative become a reality in 2022,” when the board members allocated $1 million toward the development costs, the release adds. An architect and construction manager were awarded contracts for the project, the release notes, with the design phase officially underway in December 2023.
Sarasota County staff “has been working closely with the Town of Longboat Key to design and plan a library that will best serve the town’s residents,” the release continues.
“We are excited to bring library services to Longboat Key,” said Renée Di Pilato, director of the Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources Department, in the release. “From traditional collections and programs to dynamic technology and meeting spaces, the library will undoubtedly serve as a vital community anchor within the town,” she added. “This is something residents have been requesting for a long time, and we’re happy to see it coming to fruition.”
To view the most recent information as the project progresses, visit SarsotaCountyLibraries.org or call 311.