The Sun Coast's Premiere News Source

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

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