Sarasota partners with Van Wezel Foundation to build new $350M arts center
By Devonta Davis
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Apr 5, 2022

The Sarasota City Commission has approved a partnership with the Van Wezel Foundation to plan, finance, design and construct the new Sarasota Performing Arts Center.

The city has had a relationship with the foundation for over three decades, providing more than half a million dollars annually to support Van Wezel Hall.

“Together, the city and the foundation envision the Sarasota Performing Arts Center as a preeminent destination for the performing arts in the nation,” said Cheryl Mendelson, CEO of the foundation, in a release.

The new performing arts center has been talked about for a few years with the hopes of it becoming the centerpiece of the city’s plan to redevelop the 53-acre bayfront into a cultural and economic hub known as The Bay Park.

The price tag is expected to be between $300 million and $350 million, which is expected to come from the foundation and public and private funding. The foundation will launch a philanthropic campaign, to which the foundation’s board has already committed the first $20 million.

Public funding sources, including state and federal appropriations, will also be identified in collaboration with city management, the release states.

“The foundation is committed to our partnership with the city to create a landmark for Sarasota for generations to come,” said Mendelson.

The foundation will also change its name to the Sarasota Performing Arts Center Foundation. The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall will continue to operate until a new performing arts center is completed. The city will form a committee to determine its future.