The Lake Sarasota Community Blog

After nearly 20 years of community discussion, the Palm Avenue parking garage, located northwest of the Palm Avenue and Main Street intersection, will open to the public tomorrow Friday, December 31 at noon. The contractor, Suffolk Construction, will receive a temporary certificate of occupancy allowing the facility to open in time for New Year's Eve celebrations in downtown. Parking will be free for the first month. The garage will be open daily 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.

SARASOTA BECOMES FILM SET; TRAFFIC DELAYS EXPECTED Sarasota, FL: The City of Sarasota is coordinating with Sanborn Entertainment , a new Sarasota County based television production company, to facilitate filming a portion of a TV pilot over the weekend. Motorists and pedestrians should expect intermittent traffic delays from U.S. 41 and the John Ringling Causeway to the Bird Key/Coon Key Bridge. Message boards will be posted alerting drivers to the delays. "We're very excited the City of Sarasota was selected for this shoot," said Deputy City Manager Marlon Brown. "It will cause some brief driving inconveniences. But, we're working with the production crew to minimize traffic congestion, while ensuring they're able to film." Just three weeks ago, Sanborn Entertainment announced its collaboration with Sarasota County to bring a television production studio to the area along with 117 jobs over the next three years. To learn more about the economic d...