Existing McCown Towers residents oppose it, but the neighborhood association wants public parking.
Original Air Date: January 7, 2026
Host: More public housing for seniors in walking distance from downtown. What’s not to like? Well, the devil is in the details, and in this case, that’s parking. On Monday, the Sarasota City Commission decided to go ahead with a design for a garage that could cost taxpayers millions of dollars.
Johannes Werner: The opportunity for the Sarasota Housing Authority to expand the McCown Towers public housing project in the Rosemary district came about unexpectedly. But it’s a complex project. Long story short: It hinges on a federal disaster recovery grant administered by the county, and the Housing Authority is seeking partial funding commitment by the City of Sarasota to build a garage at the core of the complex. The soon 50-year old tower and annex with 170 apartments for seniors and disabled people could expand with more than 60 affordable units. They would be built on four floors along Cocoanut Avenue and Boulevard of the Arts, plus retail space, and the garage would cover the inside court.
The discussion began with six public commenters—and they immediately laid out the complexity…