Sarasota has committed to keep the Purple Cow, but the task is complex.
Original Air Date: March 25, 2026
Host: So the City of Sarasota has committed to keeping the Purple Cow. But flood and storm proofing the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall before the next hurricane is quite the complex task, and it’s not happening overnight. It’s also going on simultaneously with the next stage of the Bay Park expansion. Gretchen Cochran reports.
Nikesh Patel: I’ve been given the marching orders to get this done as quickly as we can.
Gretchen Cochran: That’s Nikesh Patel. He’s the public works director for the city of Sarasota, and he is talking about the shoring up of the 67-year-old Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, following normal building aging and substantial hurricane damage in 2024…