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New College wasn’t reformed. It was politically vandalized. What is happening to New College of Florida is not “reform.” It is not “efficiency.” It is not some noble crusade to improve higher education. It is a political wrecking operation, carried out in public, with the blunt tools of state power: appoint the board, fire the leadership, terrorize the faculty, ridicule the students, erase the culture, then grab more land and call the whole thing a “transformation.” New Colle

The postcard version of Sarasota is easy to understand: blue water, white sand, palm trees, sunsets, restaurants, boats, and beautiful homes. That version is real. But it is not the whole story. Sarasota is also a working city, a retirement destination, an arts community, a beach town, a business environment, a place of rapid growth, a collection of neighborhoods, and a region facing the same pressures as many desirable coastal communities: traffic, housing costs, environment

For years, Sarasota elected leaders treated development like destiny. Now voters are living with the consequences: clogged roads, flooding fears, strained infrastructure, vanishing neighborhood character, and a county that feels less like a Gulf Coast community and more like a city struggling to manage a boom it never honestly planned for. Sarasota County’s 2026 County Commission races are not really about party labels. They are about growth — who profited from it, who enable

The next chapter for the former Hyatt Regency Sarasota property is taking shape, with new details released for a mixed-use waterfront development planned at 1000 Boulevard of the Arts. The project, led by Kolter Urban, is planned to include 117 condominium residences and a 174-room Hyatt Centric hotel in an L-shaped development near The Quay and The Bay Park. The former Hyatt Regency hotel and parking structure have largely been demolished, a building permit has been submitte

Der Dutchman, the Amish-style restaurant and bakery on Bahia Vista Street, has earned another national honor, placing No. 2 on USA Today’s 2026 10Best Readers’ Choice list of the best buffet restaurants in the United States. The Sarasota restaurant moved up one spot from its 2025 ranking, when it placed third. Located at 3713 Bahia Vista St. in Sarasota’s Pinecraft neighborhood, Der Dutchman has been serving Amish kitchen cooking locally since 1985. The restaurant is part of

Independence Day events begin July 3 in downtown Sarasota and continue across the region July 4. Sarasota’s celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary will stretch across two days and include a downtown block party, a morning parade, an evening drone show and the traditional fireworks over Sarasota Bay. Spirit of ’76 The City of Sarasota begins the holiday weekend Friday, July 3, with Spirit of ’76, a free celebration scheduled from 7 to 10 p.m. around Five Points Park and

Sarasota County’s attempt to stop thousands of apartments from being built in rural communities is now facing the legal challenge the county attorney warned was likely all along. Two developers and a church have sued the county after commissioners voted in April to block six of the seven projects proposed under Florida’s controversial Live Local Act, setting up a court battle that could determine whether local governments have the power to keep the state’s affordable-housing

The University Town Center area continues to expand its retail and dining footprint, with more than a dozen new tenants expected to occupy over 86,000 square feet. Newly announced names include Mister O1, Just Salad, Playa Bowls, Pure Green and Zen Dumpling, along with retail and lifestyle brands including Ikea, West Elm, Pure Hockey, Body Hot Pilates and LaserAway. The biggest additions include a roughly 48,000-square-foot Ikea location and an 18,000-square-foot West Elm. Pu

Steven High, executive director of The Ringling, plans to retire once a successor is found. High has led the museum complex since 2011, overseeing a campus that spans 66 acres and draws more than 400,000 visitors annually. During his tenure, the institution’s operating budget reportedly grew from $12 million to $28 million, while its endowment rose from $27 million to $67 million. The Ringling has hired a search firm to help find its next leader. High’s planned departure come

Sarasota County is creating a Siesta Key Beautification Task Force with a two-year mission to review and recommend improvements to the island’s public-facing character. The seven-member group will focus on issues such as streetscapes, corridors, landscaping, signage, wayfinding, public spaces, beach access, cleanliness and maintenance. The County Commission approved the task force in May, with each commissioner appointing one member and two additional at-large members. The ef

The future of the continues to stir debate as preservation advocates challenge the process behind redevelopment plans. The Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation has argued that the city bypassed public review before allowing demolition to move forward, while the city relied on a prior determination that the building was not historically significant. The proposed redevelopment, known as Adagio, would bring two downtown towers to the assembled site: an 18-story condominiu

A proposed state property-tax change backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis could have major budget implications for Sarasota and neighboring counties. Suncoast Searchlight reported that the proposal could cost Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties an estimated $380 million over two years. For Sarasota County alone, the projected two-year impact was reported at about $140 million. The proposal would increase the homestead exemption from $50,000 to $150,000 in the first year and to $250,

Asolo Rep’s “Marie and Rosetta” brings attention to Sister Rosetta Tharpe, one of the most important and under-credited figures in American music. Tharpe blended gospel power, electric guitar and stage charisma in ways that helped shape the sound of rock ’n’ roll before many of the genre’s famous male stars became household names. The play focuses on Tharpe’s relationship with Marie Knight, another gifted performer, and uses music to tell a story about artistry, ambition, rac

Florida Studio Theatre is leaning into country music, humor and reinvention with “Honky Tonk Angels,” a show built around three women chasing their Nashville dreams. The production runs through June 21 and features a playlist-style structure filled with familiar country songs and crowd-pleasing performances. The appeal is easy to understand. Sarasota audiences often respond well to music-driven theater, especially when the material combines recognizable songs with a clear emo

Asolo Repertory Theatre’s “Fiddler on the Roof” has taken on added meaning through the story of Andrii Padkovskyi, a Ukrainian teen violinist who plays the title role of the fiddler. Padkovskyi and his family escaped the war in Ukraine, and both he and his brother are now part of the Sarasota production. That background gives the musical a powerful contemporary echo. “Fiddler on the Roof” is about family, tradition, faith, displacement and survival. It is set in a Jewish vill

Sarasota performer Ann Morrison is back home after a national tour of “Kimberly Akimbo,” the Tony-winning musical about a teenage girl living with a rare condition that causes premature aging. Morrison, now 70, performed the role of a teenager — a theatrical reversal that speaks to the show’s unusual emotional and comic premise. Her return is a reminder of Sarasota’s deep theater bench. The city is known for its stages, but its artists also move through national tours, region

Savor Sarasota is returning June 1, giving residents and visitors a chance to try restaurants across the region through prix fixe lunch and dinner menus. This year’s event includes more than 50 participating restaurants, with dining options spread across Sarasota, St. Armands, Siesta Key, Lakewood Ranch, Venice and other nearby areas. The timing is important. Early summer can be a softer season for restaurants as winter visitors leave and local dining patterns shift. Restaura

Florence & the Spice Boys has become one of Sarasota’s more distinctive casual dining success stories. What began as a roving kitchen in 2019 has grown into a restaurant concept with locations at The Landings and UTC, built around modern Israeli and Middle Eastern flavors with Mediterranean and global influences. The restaurant stands out because it does not feel like a copy of anything else in town. Its menu leans into bold spices, bright sauces, kebabs, bowls and creative c

The redevelopment of the former Sarasota Square Mall site is gaining momentum, with the first commercial phase now reportedly 88% pre-leased. The project’s initial phase calls for about 90,000 square feet of commercial space, and tenants already announced include Whole Foods, Homesense, Charles Schwab, Cava, Joe & the Juice, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Warby Parker. For South Sarasota, this is more than another shopping-center update. Sarasota Square was once a major retail de

A new public art project in Sarasota’s historic Newtown neighborhood is moving into its public feedback stage. The city is asking residents to review five finalist mural designs for Amaryllis Park Place, an affordable senior housing community, and share their opinions through an online survey open through June 7. The mural will be placed on the Orange Avenue façade of the development, making it more than a decorative feature. It will become part of the visual identity of the