The Lido Beach pavilion isn’t fancy, it isn’t expensive, it’s open to the public and that’s the way many in Sarasota want to keep it.
The pavilion has also been described as old fashioned and run down.
Sarasota put out a request for bids to renovate the structure and a company called Lido Beach Redevelopment stepped in with a bid.
The plan by the company quickly became a dividing point for the community.
“It’s fabulous. I mean it’s kind of old fashioned but it’s homey. It’s comfortable. It’s not commercialized, but it doesn’t shut anybody out because you can go there with your own picnic and we don’t want it to be commercialized because it’s the people’s park and it ought to stay the people’s park,” said Sarasota resident Louise Machinist.
Monday, the Sarasota City Council was set to take up the issue and many came wearing red shirts to show their opposition to the developers plans.
Among those wearing red was Susan Chapman.
“The pavilion doesn’t meet current law, first of all. It’s supposed to be an open use, recreational area for the public and they were privatizing it and making a 200 seat restaurant and a 90 seat bar with all kinds of construction that didn’t meet the federal flood codes,” said Chapman.
At the last minute, developers asked for a continuance to rethink their proposal.
“As [this] has gone forward it’s just become so divisive that we just do not feel that it’s good for the community at this point,” said Troy Syprett with Lido Beach Redevelopment.
A city hearing on the issue has been rescheduled for February.
