Sarasota doesn't need a new arts center. So why does the city want to build one?

Fredd Atkins
·2 min read
Fredd Atkins (Photo by Michael Kinsey)
Fredd Atkins (Photo by Michael Kinsey)

I served on the Sarasota City Commission for 18 years, and I am concerned about the city's recent decision to build a new performing arts hall on Sarasota Bay that will cost taxpayers at least $175 million. This has the potential to be the single largest discretionary capital expense in our city's history: as a comparison, the renovation of Ed Smith Stadium in 2011 cost $20 million.

Here are some facts about the existing Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall:

  • It consistently ranks high among performing halls in its category across North America.

  • It is structurally sound.

  • It has been updated over the past two decades with enhancements that are designed to last 50 years.

  • It is eligible for historic designation.

A new performing arts center will come at a staggering cost for a city our size. But let's go beyond the cost and just ask ourselves a simple question: Why do we even need a new performing arts center?

Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota.
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota.

According to a 2015 study commissioned by the Van Wezel Foundation, the Straz Center in Tampa is the largest performing arts hall in the southeastern United States. It serves a metropolitan area that is five times our size. This is why the Straz Center is the venue of choice for popular musicals like "Hamilton," and building a larger performing arts center in Sarasota won't change that fact.

We should also keep in mind that the Sarasota Orchestra plans to build a hall on Fruitville Road near Interstate 75. It is clear that this facility will also compete with a new performing arts center for events.

When teachers, first responders and hospitality workers are struggling to find affordable housing in Sarasota, how can we justify the use of any taxpayer money on a project that the public neither wants nor needs?

Fredd Atkins was a Sarasota city commissioner from 1985 to 1995, and from 2003 to 2011. He is currently a candidate for the Sarasota County Commission’s District 2 seat.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota has much greater needs than a costly new arts center