SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) – Nestled amid aged oaks draped in Spanish moss and native palms, the 110-home Uplands subdivision sits along Sarasota Bay between New College of Florida and the campus that, until recently, belonged to the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee.
The quiet neighborhood off U.S. 41 has coexisted with New College for decades. For much of that time, residents describe the college and The Uplands as friendly neighbors.
But that relationship began to change after Gov. Ron DeSantis installed a slate of conservative trustees at the historically liberal college in 2023 and launched a dramatic transformation of New College…