Sarasota Livin'

I attended the opening meeting of the Innovation41 charrette on Feb 8th. I wanted to at least catch the closing to see what they came up with but was unable to make it..

Innovation41 is an exciting initiative for the US 41/North Tamiami Trial Corridor in Manatee and Sarasota Counties. The US 41 Corridor is a critical gateway to the region's most culturally and economically significant resources. The goal of this initiative is to create a master plan that will redefine and reposition the corridor to be a truly identifiable place with an unique sense of identity and cohesive character.

Lots of consultants from several different firms. Someone from Development Economics in Washington DC told us that housing in Sarasota is pretty expensive... but I won't make fun since there were also some good ideas.

I liked the way they thought about the "subject area" which is about five and a half miles - from 10th St north to just past the airport.

They broke up the length into segments based on the majority use

• Cultural District / Entrance to Downtown
• Mixed Use Neighborhood
• Commercial Corridor
• University Gateway
• Airport

Then started to develop "marketing plans" for each segment. Think about some of the small crappy motels being remodeled into "boutique" hotels and branded like "Route 66"

I wish this process luck. North Sarasota (especially along the trail) needs some freshening up. The colleges, museums, theaters and other establishments are a great asset to Sarasota. I would love to see many more Ringling / New College students stay in Sarasota after they graduate.