Longboat Key commissioners will vote Monday on agreements for a Sarasota County library at Town Center Green, where the county has committed $11 million for design and construction and private donors have raised more than $3.5 million for a larger meeting room and outdoor terrace.
The agreements spell out who pays for those additions, who maintains the library and how long Sarasota County can use the town-owned property at 600 Bay Isles Road. The lease would run for 50 years, with three possible 10-year extensions that could keep the county-run library there for as long as 80 years.
Sarasota County started with $1 million for design during its fiscal 2023 budget process, then increased its commitment to $11 million for design and construction. Longboat Key wanted more community space than the original library plan offered, including a larger multiuse meeting room and an outdoor terrace connected to the Town Center Green event space.
Those additions came with another $3.5 million in estimated costs. Rather than scale them back, Longboat Key launched a private fundraising campaign for what it called the “Community Hall.” The campaign ended in 2025 after beating its $3.5 million goal, and town staff said the meeting room and terrace are being designed into the project within budget…