Rosemary Rising shows off the district's offerings
Last week I got my first taste of the Rosemary District, the historic and sometimes overlooked business district north of Fruitville Road.
My visit coincided with Rosemary Rising IV, the annual "holiday walk" hosted by Rosemary District merchants and business owners.
The Dec. 4 event featured extended business hours and an open house atmosphere. Many of the shops, boutiques, restaurants, galleries and offices located along Central Avenue and Fifth Street offered complimentary food and beverages (including beer and wine), with displays by local artists and performances by local musicians adding to the festivities.
Man-about-town Don McKeon served as my tour guide for the evening. We started at Blue Line Inc., the office supply store at the corner of Central Avenue and Fruitville Road, where we chatted with longtime owners Joanne and George Heiland while eating sandwiches catered by Village Café.
Joanne gave us a tour of the store, pointing out the large-format, color copiers, laminators, scanners, rubber stamp makers, cameras and other equipment used to assist Blue Line customers, some of whom have been visiting the current location since 1969.
I was then introduced to Lyla Mitchell, one of three local artists displaying their work in the Blue Line parking lot. "Creating a world of magical realism" (as her sign says), many of Mitchell’s paintings depict local businesses and landmarks.
Walking north along Central Avenue, we made our way to Everything but the Girl – the funky boutique and gallery at 403 Central Ave. owned by Laura Daniel Gale.
As in years past, Gale helped organize Rosemary Rising IV, along with Kelly Kary (owner of Sarasota Olive Oil Co.) and Joan Kershaw (owner of Floral Concept).
Describing the Rosemary District as Sarasota’s "off-the-beaten-path neighborhood," Gale said Rosemary Rising was a chance "to shine a spotlight on the district and really show Rosemary at its best."
She added, "This is about letting people know where we are and what we are, letting people experience the independent businesses," many of which are owned by female proprietors.
Gale introduced me to Dan Pochedley, one of the developers associated with the recently completed three-story, turquoise-colored, mixed-use "Rizpoch Building" at the corner of Fifth and Central.
Pochedley said the development group would soon have its certificate of occupancy, and Realtor Troy Pittman is already negotiating with potential commercial tenants. Given the current housing market, it has not yet been determined if the upper-level residential units will be marketed as condos or apartments.
One of the Rizpoch Building’s first-floor retail spaces was occupied Dec. 4 by Raging Retro – described by Adrien Lucas as a "photo experience" utilizing fashions from the Victorian era, as well as the 1950s, ’60s, ’70s, ’80s and beyond. Photographer Billy Elkins and M.A.C. makeup artists Carly MacDonald and Lauren Mitchell joined Lucas for the Raging Retro photo shoot experience.
Ringling College of Art and Design, Hotel Indigo and Rosemary Court (the holistic healing center in the 800 block of Central Avenue) also set up shop in the Rizpoch Building for the night.
Playing on a makeshift "stage" in the parking lot behind Everything but the Girl, Villanova Junction opened its set with an original song that sounded like a cross between The Doors and Smashing Pumpkins. Sam Robertson, Maid Mozephine and the Equines and Saint Sweetheart also performed.
Inside Everything but the Girl on Dec. 4 during Rosemary Rising IV are (from l.) Kelley Love, Joanna Coblentz, Laura Daniel Gale, Alaina Farmer, Monica Eshkoli and Judy Daniel.
During a tour of Creative Loafing’s Fifth Street office, account executive Petra Gurin told me former Pelican Press columnist Cooper Levey-Baker is Creative Loafing’s new editor. Congratulations, Cooper.
While on Fifth Street, I was also introduced to John Dickson, whose business endeavors include renting out lamps, furniture and other props for use with theatrical productions and photo shoots.
Sharing space with photographer Mary McCulley, Dickson said the warehouse/gallery/multi-purpose area "is a space where creativity is allowed to be expressed."
Also during Rosemary Rising, former New College student Masha Falkov expressed herself with a "post-cyber punk surrealism" watercolor, pen and ink exhibit she called "Notes from the Immateria."
INFORMATION CENTRAL
A Pelican Press reader recently sent us a note expressing frustration over what he perceived to be a lack of cooperation from a city commissioner and a high-ranking city official in regard to his obtaining information pertaining to consultant’s fees for the city.
On behalf of the reader, I sent a request to longtime City Auditor and Clerk Billy Robinson – a man generally regarded as one of Sarasota’s finest civil servants. Robinson and his staff are known for going out of their way to provide citizens and media members with requested information.
Robinson forwarded my request to someone in the city’s Financial Administration Department, and two days later the requested information appeared in my e-mail box.
According to that information – which dates back to 2006 – recent consultants’ fees paid by the city are as follows:
The proposed Wayfinding system cost the city $171,590, $80,127 of which has already been paid to the Hillier Group.
The CBD Parking Study conducted by Tindale-Oliver & Associates cost the city $202,063 and has been paid in full.
The contract with Tindale-Oliver for Pkg Plan Implementation Support calls for a $50,000 expenditure – with $25,008 already paid.
The Cultural District Master Plan cost the city $139,400 in consultant’s fees, paid in full to Cooper, Robertson & Partners.
The Bayfront Connectivity study and charrette process contracted to Trans Associates totals $283,600, with $49,058 already paid.
The city spent $164,836 on the Bayfront Mooring-Submerged Land Lease, paid in full to Coastal Engineering Consultant.
In regard to spring training facilities, the city paid CSL (Convention, Sports & Leisure) $14,045 and still owes Barrett Sports Group $47,566 (splitting that fee with the county).
The Osprey-Hillview Roundabout cost the city $124,517 in consulting fees, with $47,162 already paid to Kimley-Horn and Associates.
Concept planning for various parking and roundabout projects cost an additional $72,912, which has been paid to various consulting firms.
Should you find yourself in need of a document or other information pertaining to your city government, start your search at the city Website and if you can’t find it there contact the City Clerk’s office.
MORE KUDOS
Kudos as well to John Nopper, Miles Larsen, Jan Thornburg, webmaster Bill Mallett and all others who work in the City Auditor and Clerk’s office and assist in broadcasting city meetings on Access Sarasota TV (jointly operated by the city of Sarasota and Sarasota County, and broadcasting on Comcast Channel 19 and Verizon Channels 32 and 34).
This group also provides the live streaming video and the archived footage of past meetings that can be found on the city Website (www.sarasotagov.com).
That Website provides meeting agendas and supporting documents pertaining to topics discussed during city commission meetings and other public meetings as well as other discussions governed by state Sunshine laws. Not all cities provide these media services that help ensure greater transparency in city government.
THE NAME GAME
In a story about the elected mayor initiative that appeared in last week’s issue, I mistakenly referred to initiative supporter Diana Hamilton as Diana Washington. Although I managed to maintain a presidential theme in renaming her, I do apologize for doing so.
Send your thoughts, story ideas and requests to jhendricks504@comcast.net
January 22nd 2009 - 4:54PM