Is SARASOTA CHANGING For the Good (6 important thoughts)???

The charming coastal town of Sarasota, Florida has seen immense growth and change in recent years. With an influx of new residents flocking from all over the country, the area’s population, real estate, amenities, and even political landscape have rapidly transformed.

Long-time locals have mixed opinions on these swift changes. While economic opportunities have arisen and the area has become more diverse, strains have emerged on infrastructure, cost of living has skyrocketed, and the essence of “Old Sarasota” threatens to be lost.

In this article, we’ll break down exactly what’s changed in Sarasota, examine the major pros and cons of this growth and change, and explore some looming questions around if and how the area can preserve what makes it so special.

This article was derived from my full-length YouTube video. You can watch it HERE!

(1) What’s Changed?

To kick things off, let’s look at the raw numbers and specific ways Sarasota and the surrounding communities have evolved.

Net Migration

Census data shows Sarasota metro’s population has grown a staggering 4-6% year-over-year from 2020-2023 due to net migration alone. From 2021 to 2022, Sarasota welcomed over 34,000 to 55,000 new residents. The pace of growth based on people moving to the area ranks Sarasota 7th in the entire United States.

New Housing Development

Naturally, the influx of new residents requires expanded housing. Areas like Lakewood Ranch, Wellen Park, Venice, and downtown Sarasota have exploded with new neighborhood and condo development over the past 3-4 years.

Neighborhoods that barely existed pre-2020 like Waterside and Wellen Park now offer abundant housing options catering to various lifestyles and price points. The condo market has also grown with multiple new luxury buildings breaking ground from The Quay to Rosemary to Golden Gate Pointe.

Commercial Development

Beyond housing, an array of new restaurants, shops, entertainment venues, and other businesses have emerged to serve Sarasota’s larger population. Formerly lacking suburban downtown areas like Waterside Place or Downtown Wellen Park now offer residents walkable, mixed-use spaces to dine, shop, work, and play without going downtown. Healthcare has also expanded with new medical centers and hospitals across North Sarasota, Venice, North Port, & beyond.

Cultural Change

With so many new residents from diverse locales like New York, New Jersey, Canada, and California relocating to Sarasota, the area has enriched with more viewpoints, politics, and ways of life. Increased diversity and housing options have allowed locals to intermix in neighborhoods and schools county-wide better than in the past.

(2) Positives from Change

Now let’s examine some of the major benefits that have come along with Sarasota’s immense growth and change:

Real Estate Opportunities

The influx of new residents and housing demand has bred more variety for homebuyers in neighborhoods to choose from as well as price points. Now one can find a home catering to their lifestyle across downtown high rises, suburban Lakewood Ranch, coastal Venice, historic downtown Sarasota, and more. The sheer number of options today across resale and new construction is exponentially greater than even five years ago.

Economic / Commercial Expansion

Increased population and prosperity has allowed specialized businesses like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods to invest in Sarasota locations for the first time. Areas once lacking things to do beyond downtown now offer abundant amenities from theaters to trendy boutiques to craft breweries and weekly events. New medical facilities have also brought jobs and healthcare access closer to home for many.

Community Enrichment

Long known as a quaint, specialized coastal retirement haven lacking diversity, Sarasota’s bigger population with more origins has enrichment community fabric. Open, progressive discussions thrive today and better embrace all walks of life.

(3) Negatives from Change

While progress has arisen in many ways, all this swift change hasn’t come without consequences:

Cost / Financial Implications

As housing demand intensified post-2020 especially, costs of living have skyrocketed across purchase prices and rents. Sarasota’s median home sale price sat around $450K at the close of 2022 - roughly double that of 2018. Folks who've long planned to buy, now find themselves possibly priced out. Prices also figure to keep rising with migration continuing and housing inventory not yet catching up.

Loss of City Essence

Long-time locals cherished old Sarasota’s charming, "undiscovered" coastal town vibe. Now with traffic jams, suburban sprawl, downtown crowds, and varying politics intensifying thanks to growth, that nostalgic essence and quaintness risks fading. Parts of Siesta Key and other outlying beach towns once quiet and accessible now remain congested. Some find the Sarasota they loved transformed into just another overdeveloped Florida metro lacking character.

Infrastructure Strains

School capacities, healthcare access, roadways, and amenities struggle to keep pace serving greater population volumes spanning from urban high rises to Lakewood Ranch subdivisions. As more development plans come to fruition, existing infrastructure strains figure to intensify further if not properly addressed. Locals spend more time sitting in traffic and waiting in lines today than ever before.

Other Things to Consider

Can Sarasota properly manage such incredible growth moving forward? Is this the blueprint other mid-sized cities should follow? Have leaders properly prepared to manage infrastructure expansion alongside Greater diversification of residents across income levels and age demographics? These remain open, critical questions as Sarasota shapes its future. While positives have emerged recently, proactive planning and investment must continue holistically to preserve quality of life.

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Sarasota’s identity today remains complex - with rays of light shadowed by shades of darkness. The area exudes new life - but feels some pieces of old soul fading. Still sought by many as a tropical paradise, but no longer serving as quite the sleepy escape it once embodied. Ongoing open discussions around what’s unfolding and Sarasota's next steps remain vital. Locals must collaboratively evaluate how to best map the area's trajectory - preserving magic that put Sarasota on the map while allowing new residents to thrive.

If leaders, developers and long-time residents work collectively to guide growth, perhaps the best of both worlds can survive. But amidst the reality of future change regardless, nothing can last forever. Rather than resist or over-romanticize Sarasota’s past, locals may find peace through embracing realities of the present. New beauty awaits discovery if one keeps eyes, hearts and minds open. The vital task at hand? Ensuring Sarasota tomorrow ranks as one locals choose to call home rather than one economics alone force them to.

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Sarasota has seen immense population growth and change across housing, amenities, culture and economics in a short span of time. Positives like economic expansion and community diversification have emerged, but not without consequences like infrastructure strains and fading old-town charm. Ongoing discussions focused on holistic planning and infrastructure growth are vital to ensure Sarasota preserves a beloved identity and quality living. While stark realities of change remain inevitable, collaborative efforts focused on inclusive development can brighten the coastline’s future.

There are still many unknowns ahead, but one thing is certain - Sarasota cannot and will not remain the same. Whether change unfolds for better or worse hangs largely on the ability of locals and leaders to work together shaping the area’s path in line with collective vision.

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