Last week, we were delighted to achieve another key milestone in our journey toward bringing Sarasota Orchestra’s new music center to life.
The Sarasota County Planning Commission unanimously approved our application for re-zoning and special exceptions.
Last week, we were delighted to achieve another key milestone in our journey toward bringing Sarasota Orchestra’s new music center to life.
The Sarasota County Planning Commission unanimously approved our application for re-zoning and special exceptions.
Specifically, the Planning Commission voted 5-0 to amend zoning for the site set in 1989 and a special exception to construct our concert hall at the desired height to optimize acoustics, as well as an exception for operations to continue beyond 10:00 p.m. for performance-related activities.
During the discussion period, three of the commissioners expressed their excitement for the music center project and the potential impact it could have on our region. The commission chair called the project a "gem" before calling for the vote.
Next, our application will be submitted to the Sarasota County Board of County Commissioners, which we expect to happen in January. With approval by the Board of County Commissioners, we can move ahead with closing on the sale in February 2023.
What does building height have to do with acoustics? Our consultants shared that acoustic excellence is directly related to geometric dimensions of the performance space.
Our vision is for a concert hall large enough to accommodate 1,800 seats. Acousticians have calculated that the building height may need to be up to 110 feet to accommodate comfortable and accessible seating, while also creating reverberation times that optimize the sounds of orchestral and choral groups. This height is required for the concert hall portion and not the entire music center, which on average we expect to be two to three stories tall.
We have received other encouraging news in recent weeks. Early results from our community-wide survey circulated last month found that the vast majority of respondents support the building of our new music center and our plans for its impact on the community advancing the arts in our region.
The survey provided many helpful insights on attendance behaviors, Orchestra attributes, features people are eager to see in the music center, and more. We look forward to sharing more survey findings with you in the coming months.
If you have any questions about the music center or did not have the opportunity to complete our survey and would
still like to provide feedback, please send us a message at
Sincerely,
Sarasota Orchestra's Music Center Planning Team
