michaelsaunders.com | 17
In the News
Residence featured on page 39
he landscape of Southwest Florida is ever-evolving these days. Look
around and inevitably you will find new projects at all stages of
development cropping up in this coastal paradise. The fact is, more and
more people want to be here, and it is easy to identify why: arts, culture,
festivals, food, beaches—we have it all!
This year the Sarasota metropolitan region was ranked by the U. S.
Census Bureau as the 11th fastest-growing urban area in America. That
is a significant uptick from last year's ranking at #18. While an estimated
2,300 people travelled from outside the country to make a home here
(about the same as last year), the majority of the folks flocking to this
region hail from other states (the census noted a 50% jump locally, and
nearly a 44% increase statewide).
The Mark will be a 10-story luxury condominium and commercial
project in one of the last parts of Sarasota's vibrant downtown area
that hasn't seen vertical development. 35,000 square feet of restaurants
and retail shops are expected to hold court beneath the condo units.
The idea is that the residents will enjoy all the benefits of "Downtown,
Downstairs."
Additionally, the Southwest Florida region is riding the tech wave,
making a real name for itself—ever-evolving from the "Suncoast" to the
"Creative Coast"—as a hub for e-commerce business. With this trend in
mind, University of Florida's Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering
has chosen Sarasota County as the site of its first "Innovation Station"
in the country. This initiative, the first physical extension of the Florida
Engineering Experiment Station (FLEXStation) is designed to offer
workforce talent and research to the tech industry. The aim is to bring
the youth and energy of their bright tech students to different areas
throughout the state where they can open new businesses and thrive.
Sarasota ranks 7th tax-
friendliest city in the U.S.
for small businesses with
an unemployment rate of
only 4.3%, which is below
the national average.
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