Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/115375
Sarasota News Leader March 15, 2013 Page 15 town, but many of the 2003 issues in the MOU remain unresolved or may no longer even be felt timely," he wrote. "A second meeting is being set up to further discuss the unresolved items and alignment of existing and future efforts," he added. Later Reid and City Manager Tom Barwin took a stroll through downtown together, looking at ways to heal an old wound. "We're both new here," said Reid. "And there's not a lot of staff that were here at the time. As a new manager, I'm trying to determine our status." The county commissioners on Wednesday, March 20, will hear a staff presentation on the county's space needs downtown for the next 30 years. And they may consider a city plea to extend the TIF plan for another 30 years. DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE BUILDING An old proposal to build a hotel on the parking lot at Washington Boulevard and Main Street is coming back in this context as well. The MOU gave the "air rights" over the parking lot to the city until 2018. So any hotel on that property would need county approval for the land deal, and possibly city approval for the "air rights." County Administrator Randall Reid/File photo Unlike his predecessor, Ley, Reid says he is a fan of county seats in cities. He comes from the county administrator's position in Alachua County, where the seat is in Gainesville. During the Wednesday meeting, he said, "I'll City Attorney Bob Fournier says the "air rights demonstrate we can have most of our neceswere never memorialized" beyond the MOU. sary facilities downtown. We're looking at a "Do they start one inch off the ground?" he 30-year window." asked. Reid noted that virtually all government buildHowever, the city would need to approve any ings are good for more than 30 years, so the site plan, plus a land-use and zoning change planning horizon for facilities must be at least that long. from "Government" to "Downtown Core." "The hotel proposal predates me," said Reid. "There is a proposed property swap, instead of selling it for cash, for a building in the Sarasota School of Architecture." "I like to say demographics are destiny. We're starting to grow again," he said. "And despite what some people say, government is going to have to get bigger, too." %