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🌱 Patch AM: What could replace Sarasota Military Academy’s massive downtown campus?

You won't want to miss 🌸💕FREE $1000 PERMANENT MAKEUP Raffle Grand opening CC STYLING STUDIOS 10 year re-grand opening🌸 on the Sarasota…

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Greetings Sarasota! We're your go-to source for what's happening in town. Read on to get plugged in! ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • What could replace Sarasota Military Academy's massive downtown campus?
  • How a big apartment project saved two of downtown's oldest trees
  • What a new $3.5M grant means for the Van Wezel

Also on today's calendar: 🌸💕FREE $1000 PERMANENT MAKEUP Raffle Grand opening CC STYLING STUDIOS 10 year re-grand opening🌸 and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: What did the Buffalo say when his son left? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Sunday: A shower and t-storm; humid, with a high of 89 and low of 77 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
  • Monday: A t-storm around in the p.m., temps: high: 92, low: 77.
  • Tuesday: A t-storm around in the p.m., with a high of 92 and low of 77 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Sarasota Military Academy's 5-Acre Downtown Campus For Sale (patch.com) — Sarasota Military Academy is putting its nearly 5-acre downtown Rosemary District campus up for sale, opening one of the largest redevelopment opportunities in the city's urban core. The tuition-free charter school plans to consolidate middle and high school students at its Bethel Lane campus east of I-75. Zoning allows dense residential or mixed-use projects, so neighbors can expect significant future changes on Orange Avenue.
   

2. Two grand trees saved from major downtown Sarasota development (heraldtribune.com) — Two massive grand trees in downtown Sarasota have been spared as the city's Planning Board approved design changes to the 324‑unit 1899 Fruitville apartment project, shifting garage access to protect them. The complex will replace a cluster of historic bungalows that currently house 17 shops and restaurants, several of which plan to relocate together and form a new Sarasota Bungalow Village on Fruitville Road and Briggs Court. Residents can expect both new housing and a reshaped local business scene.
   

3. City receives grant for Van Wezel resilience projects (yourobserver.com) — Sarasota has secured a $3.5 million state grant to add flood barriers, drainage upgrades, and other protections at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall after storm surge from Sarasota Bay flooded key areas during the 2024 hurricanes. The project requires no city match and aims to keep future performance seasons on track by hardening the beloved bayfront venue against rising water risks.
   

4. Bringing fun to learning local history (yoursun.com) — A new Sarasota Trivia Game, created over seven years by Sarasota-raised Kim Patten Manning and her husband John, turns local history into a 216-page book and playable game. Packed with stories from Ringling circus days to early tobacco factories and water systems, it offers residents a fun way to explore why Sarasota is called Florida's Cultural Capital.
   

5. Volunteers survey Sarasota Bay scallop population (mysuncoast.com) — Volunteers fanned out across Sarasota Bay by boat, kayak and snorkel to help Sarasota Bay Watch measure the bay's scallop population and overall health. Their findings, shared with state wildlife officials, track how growth and nitrogen pollution have affected local waters, and reflect early improvements tied to Sarasota's updated wastewater practices. Families and kids joined in, spotting scallops, predators and other marine life.
   

📸 Around Sarasota

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Pride Night subscriptions, tickets now on sale for Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe's upcoming season —Sharon Kunkel Read on Patch
  • Bentley Goodrich Kison Attorneys Selected for Best Lawyers in America® —Kelly Fores Read on Patch
  • Update: Pet Reunited
    Oliver, a cat who went missing in Sarasota, FL, has been safely reunited with their family after 22 hours, 42 minutes. More details here https://www… (Nextdoor Arlington Park)
  • I had to go and have a simple procedure and I went to Doctors Hospital.
    I want to say that I have never felt so listened to and welcomed and cared for than my experience today. !!! Every person was kind and helpful!! (Nextdoor The Ranches At Bern Creek)
  • Neal Communities posted a job opening for Forward Planning Manager in Sarasota. Apply here.
  • O'Reilly Automotive posted a job opening for Retail Service Specialist in Sarasota. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Sarasota here.

Ok Sarasota! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Bison! (Thank you Judy M. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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