Despite circus ties, Sarasota blew its chance with Ringling Bros.
STAFF PHOTO / ELAINE LITHERLANDRobarts Arena sits on the Sarasota County Fairgrounds. A pair of efforts since 2005 by the Fair Board and county officials to bring the Greatest Show on Earth back to its former home fizzled.
By Doug Sword
from: Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Friday, February 17, 2012
A sour relationship between Sarasota County officials, particularly former Administrator Jim Ley, and the community's Fair Board ultimately doomed Sarasota's chances of physically reclaiming its circus heritage.
From Ca d'Zan and Clown College to Ringling Boulevard and the circus train, it was Sarasota County and not Manatee County that had the strongest ties to Feld Entertainment, owners of the Ringling Bros. franchise.
But a pair of efforts since 2005 by the Fair Board and county officials to bring the Greatest Show on Earth back to its former home fizzled.
Meanwhile, Manatee officials were crowing last month when they lured both Feld's production headquarters and eventually its corporate offices along with the prospect of hundreds of new jobs to a former industrial site in Ellenton.
The loss for Sarasota County was in no small part the result of poor relations between the board and county officials.
When plans in 2008 for a sweeping overhaul of the county fairgrounds that would have included a home for Feld were more or less replaced by a quickly drawn plan to put a spring training site for the Boston Red Sox there, talks between the county and Fair Board broke down.
County Commissioner Joe Barbetta knew it was over when he overheard a Fair Board member say, "We'll put cows on this property before we let the county develop it."
The third — and likely final — strike came just two weeks ago when Feld said it would be employing at least 383 people in Ellenton.
The poignancy of the loss remains striking to those who were involved in the 2008 effort that involved the Red Sox.read more at: http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20120217/article/120219519
A sour relationship between Sarasota County officials, particularly former Administrator Jim Ley, and the community's Fair Board ultimately doomed Sarasota's chances of physically reclaiming its circus heritage.
From Ca d'Zan and Clown College to Ringling Boulevard and the circus train, it was Sarasota County and not Manatee County that had the strongest ties to Feld Entertainment, owners of the Ringling Bros. franchise.
But a pair of efforts since 2005 by the Fair Board and county officials to bring the Greatest Show on Earth back to its former home fizzled.
Meanwhile, Manatee officials were crowing last month when they lured both Feld's production headquarters and eventually its corporate offices along with the prospect of hundreds of new jobs to a former industrial site in Ellenton.
The loss for Sarasota County was in no small part the result of poor relations between the board and county officials.
When plans in 2008 for a sweeping overhaul of the county fairgrounds that would have included a home for Feld were more or less replaced by a quickly drawn plan to put a spring training site for the Boston Red Sox there, talks between the county and Fair Board broke down.
County Commissioner Joe Barbetta knew it was over when he overheard a Fair Board member say, "We'll put cows on this property before we let the county develop it."
The third — and likely final — strike came just two weeks ago when Feld said it would be employing at least 383 people in Ellenton.
The poignancy of the loss remains striking to those who were involved in the 2008 effort that involved the Red Sox.read more at: http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20120217/article/120219519
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