Sarasota County to cut ribbon on $100M administration building

The new $100.15 million Sarasota County Administration Center will host its first county commission meeting at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, preceded by a ribbon-cutting at 8:30 a.m.

Spanning 121,160 square feet, the administration center was designed to improve access to government services and provide a more resilient location for county government. It is located at 1 Apex Road, off Fruitville Road near Interstate 75, farther from flood-prone areas than the previous facility that was situated downtown.

Its predecessor was at 1660 Ringling Blvd., a property the county sold to Benderson Development for $25 million in 2021 and leased back for four years. The county vacated the building in October 2025. Following a 2009 study and 2015 analysis, Sarasota County officials determined it would cost $50 million in upgrades to continue using the building, so they pursued creating a new facility at a different location.

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A groundbreaking ceremony for the administration center project on Apex Road occurred in 2023. Ajax and Tandem Construction built the facility, which was designed by Fawley Bryant Architects and Hok. It was declared substantially complete June 5, and employees began moving into the new space in phases starting in June, according to a county spokesperson. 

Now, the administration center houses the county administration, county attorney, clerk and comptroller, county commissioners and chambers, communications, human resources, libraries and historical resources and the office of financial management. Other features include a press room, TV studio, conference rooms, employee gym, break room areas and a private wellness room. The administration center also has 340 parking spots.

Funding for the new administration center came from four sources, according to a statement from the county: General revenues provided $43.45 million; the sale of the former county administration center added $25 million; the voter-approved surtax IV contributed $22.7 million; and general government impact fees provided $9 million.