Sarasota County has permanently moved out of its administration building at 1660 Ringling Blvd. The closure took effect Oct. 24, nearly four years after the county sold the property and surrounding parking lots to east Manatee County-based Benderson Development for $25 million.
Years ago, Sarasota County decided to sell the building so it could move to a location convenient to more county residents instead of spending millions repairing and renovating the Ringling Boulevard structure, which was built in 1973.
A new Sarasota County Administration Center is currently under construction at 1 Apex Road, overlooking the Celery Fields. Ajax and Tandem Construction are building the facility, off Fruitville Road. Construction began in fall 2023 and is expected to be complete in winter 2026…