Sarasota County Projects
Improved outdated facilities; expanded parking; renovated and expanded restrooms; relocated tennis courts and gazebos; constructed a new maintenance complex and 15-foot-wide pedestrian esplanade; improved and expanded concessions; updated playground and family picnic facilities; and enhanced native landscaping and parking lot lighting.
Completely reconstructed Sarasota County's second-most popular library.
Created a professional grade track where nationally sanctioned events could take place. The project added new 5- and 8-meter ramps, a starting gate system, track reconfiguration, upgraded site lighting and drainage, and landscaping/irrigation at the 17th Street Youth Athletic Complex.
Improved outdated facilities; expanded parking; renovated and expanded restrooms; relocated tennis courts and gazebos; constructed a new maintenance complex and 15-foot-wide pedestrian esplanade; improved and expanded concessions; updated playground and family picnic facilities; and enhanced native landscaping and parking lot lighting.
Transportation
More than 20 intersections were made safer.
Replaced and rehabilitated several bridges throughout the county to extend the service life and increase overall safety to the traveling public.
Resurfaced 715 lane miles of roadways which comprises just over 30% of the county’s entire maintained roadway system.
Increased safety by filling in gaps and adding sidewalks to local roads and thoroughfares in the Gulf Gate and Desoto Road communities as well as at Lockwood Ridge Road @ Bee Ridge Park and Richardson Road and 17th Street.
Parks
Improved outdated facilities; expanded parking; renovated and expanded restrooms; relocated tennis courts and gazebos; constructed a new maintenance complex and 15-foot-wide pedestrian esplanade; improved and expanded concessions; updated playground and family picnic facilities; and enhanced native landscaping and parking lot lighting.
Created a professional grade track where nationally sanctioned events could take place. The project added new 5- and 8- meter ramps, a starting gate system, track reconfiguration, upgraded site lighting, drainage and landscaping/irrigation at the 17th Street Youth Athletic Complex.
Constructed additional boat/kayak launch areas, parking, a restroom, and picnic amenities and expanded conservation areas.
Urfer Family Park is the first Gold LEED-certified park in the county’s parks system. A $1 million donation from the Urfer family and revenues from the infrastructure surtax funded renovations in 2009 that include a large picnic area and pavilion, playgrounds, a trail system, restroom, agricultural exhibit, and relocation to the park of the historical Dr. C.B. Wilson House.
Libraries
Completely reconstructed Sarasota County's second-most popular library.
This project was the construction of a new joint-use library for Sarasota County residents and Suncoast Technical College students. The 22,321-square-foot library uses technology enhancements, self-check-out and Automated Sorting Technology for automated check-in of materials.
Completely reconstructed the 50-year-old Venice Public Library with a permanent, 24,000-square-foot facility that features a cafe, Creation Station, 135-seat meeting-room, outdoor reading garden, Walter Farley Literary Landmark exhibit and Friends of the Venice Library bookstore.
Replaced flooring and painting throughout, created a new teen center, installed automated materials handling equipment and modified the existing chiller system.
In 2010, Elsie Quirk Public Library went through its most recent expansion, which included a 100 seat meeting room, a children's program room, and the remaining space was reconfigured to increase building efficiency. An automated materials handling system and a new Friends of the Library bookstore were also added to the 17,777-square-foot building. The Friends of the Library funded the addition of a Reading Garden in honor of the library's 50th anniversary.
This project provided for automated book drops and materials handling, E-book kiosks, the library mobile app, meeting room technology upgrades, ADA low vision equipment, inventory wands, security upgrades and microfilm scanners.
Water and Sewer
Provided central sewer service to commercial establishments on Colonia Lane East, replacing aging septic systems and increasing the potential for attracting new businesses.
The project included design and construction of 830 feet of 36" RCP stormwater culvert and a bioswale treatment system. The bioswale serves as a natural, percolating stormwater treatment system to capture, filtrate and naturally treat potentially contaminated stormwater. This project also included a 10-foot-wide multi-use recreational trail and pedestrian bridge crossing at Hudson Bayou with kayak launch and on street parking by the City of Sarasota.
Other Projects
Sarasota County's nearly 100-year-old Terrace Building undergoes renovations that include roof replacement, construction of additional conference rooms, and installation of energy-efficient hurricane-protective windows on the building's 10th floor.
Renovated existing facility and expanded it by 5,000 square feet. Added 10 exam rooms, allowing the health department to serve more clients.
Integrated Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) technology with traffic control devices and systems by mounting GPS sensors and transmitters on emergency vehicles. Those sensors respond to receivers mounted on traffic control signals, turning intersection lights green, enhancing response time and improving the safety of emergency responders.
Restored 25 acres of native habitat on three dredge spoil islands in Roberts Bay that had been aggressively colonized by invasive exotic and nuisance plant species, increasing the islands’ usefulness to local fish and wildlife and improving water quality.