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THE STREETCAR NAMED 'DESIRE' DID members hear discussions of the possibilities for economic growth resulting from the creation of a downtown circulator — Stan Zimmerman As part of a mobility study, the City of Sarasota is considering laying down rails for a streetcar route in and around downtown. On Tuesday, Jan. 22, the Downtown Improvement District members heard consultants say streetcars are more than just a way to get around. The streetcars are just one aspect of the study, which includes buses, bicycles, pedestrians and even baby buggies. But streetcars caught the district members' attention like nothing else. "It's 20 percent about moving people and 80 percent about economic development," said downtown business owner Forrest Shaw. "Streetcars create transit corridors that attract development that creates a measurable return on investment." Shaw is part of the Sarasota Streetcar Initiative, which has studied and promoted the idea for the past four years. It is a trendy idea. Fort Lauderdale is building a streetcar system, and Tampa's is in operation. (Full story here) PLEAS FOR PRESERVATION The School Board agrees to take another look at saving part of the interior of a Paul Rudolph building at Sarasota High School — Rachel Brown Hackney The chairwoman of the Sarasota County School Board says district staff will work with representatives of local architectural firms and preservationists on a way to try to save at least part of the interior of a Paul Rudolph-designed building at Sarasota High School. Although School Board members said earlier this month they did not plan to accommodate requests to preserve the interior of the building, designed in 1958 by the world-renowned architect, Jane Goodwin told the approximately 60 people attending the Jan. 18 Convocation of Governments at Sarasota County Technical Institute that she had met on Jan. 15 with Sarasota Architectural Foundation board members and "discussed going back to the drawing board …" The discussion was not on the agenda for the convocation — which included representatives from all the county's municipalities and the County Commission — but three people who spoke during the public comments portion of the meeting pleaded with the School Board to save the interior of Building 4 at Sarasota High. (Full story here) Click Any Headline To Go Directly To That Article AT A GLANCE TOP STORIES