County Commission sought the discussion as part of planning for 2026 referendum on new jail in downtown Sarasota
It took nearly four months for the request to come to them, but the Sarasota city commissioners this week voted unanimously to allow interim City Manager Dave Bullock and Deputy City Manager Patrick Robinson to talk with Sarasota County Government staff about the potential use of a city surface parking lot as part of a reconfigured Criminal Justice Corridor in downtown Sarasota.
Commissioner Kyle Battie was absent from the discussion; thus, the vote was 4-0.
Over the past few years, the Sarasota County commissioners have been talking with county staff members about plans for a 2026 General Election referendum on a proposal for a new jail, given the ongoing concerns about efforts of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office to prevent overcrowding in the current downtown Sarasota Detention Center.
Earlier this year, county staff members brought up the potential incorporation of a city-owned surface parking lot into the plans for the reconfigured Criminal Justice Corridor on Ringling Boulevard in downtown Sarasota.
As The Sarasota News Leader reported, on April 22, during county staff’s last presentation regarding proposals related to a new jail, County Administrator Jonathan Lewis conceded that, in spite of the county commissioners’ direction in late February for county administrative staff to pursue discussions with City of Sarasota leaders about the potential use of the Ringling Boulevard surface lot, nothing more than initial outreach had taken place with city staff.
The City Commission did take its annual summer break during the month of June.
During the regular City Commission meeting on Aug. 18, Deputy City Manager Robinson explained that county staff has been considering various options for construction of a new Criminal Justice Center. The existing building, on the north side of Ringling Boulevard, used to house the administrative offices for the Sheriff’s Office. It still is home to the offices of 12th Judicial District State Attorney Ed Brodsky and his staff, 12th Judicial Circuit Public Defender Larry Eger, and “ancillary nonprofits,” Robinson added. He directed the city commissioners to look at the relevant map in their backup agenda materials.
What he was seeking that day, Robinson said, was “basically, thumbs up or thumbs down,” regarding a city-county discussion about the city’s surface parking lot on Ringling.
Robinson did remind the commissioners that the county helped pay for the creation of that parking lot as part of years-long negotiations to resolve a dispute between the two local government boards over the timeline for the final county payment into a trust fund for the former downtown Sarasota Community Redevelopment Area (CRA).
When city Commissioner Kathy Kelley Ohlrich asked Robinson whether the county is interested in purchasing the surface parking lot, he responded, “That’s yet to be determined.”
Then Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch asked whether he had more details, noting that parking needs in the city “are real.”
Robinson told her that county staff has identified an alternative location for the new Criminal Justice Center (CJC), if the City Commission declines use of the surface lot. Thus, he added, it was not a necessity for the city commissioners to agree to a discussion between staff members of the two local governments.
Moreover, Robinson pointed out, the planning for a new jail and the new CJC is not expected to be completed soon.
Nonetheless, Robinson said of the surface parking lot, “This is a great option, as far as the location is concerned.”
When Ahearn-Koch asked whether city staff has any long-range plans for the property, Robinson responded, “No. There’s nothing planned there,” adding, though, “It’s a revenue-generating surface parking lot.”
However, in response to a follow-up question from Ahearn-Koch, he said that he was uncertain about the range of income the city receives from the facility. He would get that information for the commissioners, Robinson said.
Other than five spaces marked for the deputies who handle security in the Judge Lynn Silvertooth Judicial Center to the west of the lot, Robinson noted, all of the users of the parking lot have to pay for their spaces.
Her first thought upon seeing the agenda item, Vice Mayor Debbie Trice indicated, was a concern that the leaders of the Sarasota Police Department, whose headquarters stands almost immediately south of the parking lot, on Adams Lane, might have plans for the site.
The agency does not, Robinson assured her. Instead, he continued, the Police Department would be able to expand, if needed, onto undeveloped land that the city owns in the same general area.
Then Trice pointed out that she had gained the impression over the years that “the city sells land low and buys it high, so I would strongly advocate against selling that land to the county,” regardless of whether the City Commission ultimately decides that the property could be used for the new Criminal Justice Center.
“I think it makes sense to talk,” Mayor Liz Alpert told Robinson and her colleagues.
Commissioner Ohlrich agreed with Alpert. Everything should be on the table for the city-county discussion, Ohlrich added. “The best deal is what we want.”
“I’m very much on the fence,” Commissioner Ahearn-Koch said. With the city growing, she continued, “I think it’s important to think long-term” about how to make best use of the city’s assets. “I’m not a huge fan,” she noted, of selling city land.
Before any deal were negotiated, Robinson pointed out, he and interim Manager Bullock would ask the city board members for guidelines regarding the structure of an agreement. Moreover, Robinson said, the City Commission would have to approve such an agreement.
“Let’s just be very careful,” Ahearn-Koch told him.
Ohlrich ended up making the motion to authorize the discussions, and Trice seconded it.
On Aug. 20, Bullock emailed County Administrator Lewis to inform him about the vote. He asked Lewis to let him know when county staff is “ready to chat.”
Lewis, in turn, let the county commissioners know about the City Commission action. “We will keep you updated,” Lewis added.