Sarasota Awarded $500k Grant for Municipal Auditorium

SARASOTA, FL – The City of Sarasota was awarded a $500,000 grant by the State of Florida for planned capital improvements to the Municipal Auditorium, 801, N. Tamiami Trail, to maintain the building’s historic integrity.

The Special Category Historical Preservation Grant was awarded by the Department of State – Division of Historical Resources. The grant requires a $279,000 match by the city, making the total cost of the project $779,000.

Built in 1938 as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Work Progress Administration, the Municipal Auditorium is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. It has hosted the Florida West Coast Symphony, the Miss Florida Pageant, high school proms and a variety of concerts. The auditorium is now a preferred venue for trade shows and exhibits.

The grant will cover the following projects: restoration of 18 windows, new exterior metal doors, rehabilitation of the existing restrooms, reconstructing four flat roofs, repairing existing water damage and waterproofing the glass block. The renovations will preserve the building’s Art Deco designs.

“The funding will rehabilitate and restore this unique and celebrated gem of Sarasota, thus allowing many generations the ability to enjoy and embrace this historic treasure for years to come,” said Laura Wittenbauer, the City of Sarasota grants coordinator.

There are more than 1,720 historic place listed in the Florida National Register eligible to receive this grant. Fifty applications were submitted for this cycle of funding. The grant application was 21 pages long and an additional 100 pages of supporting documentation were compiled by Wittenbauer and her team.

“Applying for a grant of this magnitude is a major undertaking,” said City Manager Tom Barwin. “The City Commission supported the creation of a grants coordinator staff position just over a year ago, so the City could be competitive with these kinds of grant applications. That foresight is paying off. Securing a $500,000 grant is significant and we’re very pleased with this successful grant writing effort.”

Renovation to the Municipal Auditorium is expected to begin in July.

For more information, contact Wittenbauer at (941) 365-2200 ext. 4285.

Image courtesy of the City of Sarasota

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