Unicorp Development this week confirmed that St. Regis will provide the flag for a luxury resort at the long-shuttered site for The Colony. “What was once a dilapidated eye-sore,” announced Unicorp on Facebook, “will soon be home to a five-star St. Regis Resort.” 

The arrival of the luxury brand looks to introduce the key to a new market of wealthy travelers. “St. Regis is known as a highly desirable, exclusive brand that I think will cement Longboat’s reputation as an elegant destination,” says Virginia Haley, president of Visit Sarasota County. 

Unicorp last week submitted plans for a 166-room hotel with 102 residential units, two restaurants, a 15,700-square-foot spa and a new ballroom. The new plans will require approval from the Town of Longboat Key.

It’s a different approach for a luxury resort than the storied Colony. Having a flag like St. Regis in some ways may overshadow the destination and won’t allow the same sort of independence of resorts that operate independent of any major flag. But St. Regis brings with it enough marketing and prestige based on the known standards in quality for the Starwood Hotels & Resorts-owned brand. Haley said that while The Colony would frequent international trade shows and invest heavily in marketing on its own, the St. Regis brings with it an existing reputation and consumer incentives to bring people to the Gulf Coast.

“When you are a non-flagged brand, you really have to ramp up your marketing,” Haley says. “The advantage of a Ritz-Carlton or a St. Regis is you get the benefit of overall brand recognition and whatever consumer loyalty points they bring. You get national brand advertising, and usually a national and international sales team.” Sarasota enjoyed that boost in the post-9/11 economic slowdown when the newly opened Ritz-Carlton still had people around the globe calling Sarasota leaders to ask about the posh property. 

Following its release on July 31, the senior thesis film from recent Ringling College of Art and Design graduates Beth David and Esteban Bravo has quickly gone viral, amassing more than 4 million views on YouTube in less than two days. In addition to an outpouring of support from viewers and fans, coming in the form of countless social media posts, fan art and cries for a feature-length film, the short film has garnered attention from outlets like MTV, Buzzfeed, Teen Vogue and Entertainment Weekly.

Entitled In A Heartbeat, the roughly four-minute animated short (David and Bravo were both 2017 graduates in computer animation) tells the story of a closeted teen named Sherwin, whose heart literally leaps from his chest when he falls in love.

View the film at the link below. 

Image courtesy of Ringling College.

In A Heartbeat

Take a walk on the wild side and discover the refreshing Tropical Bowl from the Green Zebra Cafe. Adding a colorful flair to one’s breakfast, this bowl takes a base of blended acai berries and tops it with blueberries, strawberries, bananas and pineapple, creating a juicy center to be sandwiched between crunchy granola and a light sprinkling of delicate, shredded coconut. The crisp and crumbly granola soaks up all the fruity flavors, balancing the sweet and the tang, and adding some textural variety to the experience. The pineapple and coconut highlight that beachy feel and island vibes, taking one’s mouth on vacation. 

Photo by Gabrielle Holliday.

Green Zebra Cafe, 476 John Ringling Blvd., Sarasota, 941-388-2848.

It is common to lose some visual acuity with age. Lighthouse of Manasota has a shop full of solutions: The Peepers Store has magnifiers from small to large to aid reading. One popular option is the hand-held video magnifier. No bigger than a phone, these cordless digital devices have a high-resolution camera and viewing screen, with self-contained LED lighting. Even the smallest text shows up bright and clear, with up to 12x magnification. This is not your grandfather’s magnifying glass, though he would have been happy to have one. What makes the Peepers store unique is the variety of different products on hand for comparison, and expert staff ready to assist customers with hands-on testing of equipment and to ensure the right product for the individual’s needs. 

Lighthouse of Manasota

Goodwill Manasota has promoted from within to fill a critical post at the organization: Ron McLaurin has been named director of transportation and logistics. In this role, McLaurin will be responsible for overseeing all who pick up and deliver donated goods at homes, businesses, attended donation centers and Goodwill Good Neighbor Centers; coordinating and transacting salvage sales and zero waste opportunities to maximize revenue and profitability and further Goodwill's green environment initiatives; and increasing revenue by staying abreast of salvage market prices and ensuring the Logistics Center on Whitfield Industrial Way has sufficient warehouse space. McLaurin was hired by Goodwill Manasota in 2015 as a store assistant team leader. He was promoted to store manager in March of 2016. His ascent with the organization continued as he was promoted to manager of transportation and salvage in May of 2016; he was named to his new post in April of this year. 

Goodwill Manasota

As the Players Centre For Performing Arts gears up for another season and prepares for its upcoming move to Lakewood Ranch in the next 3 to 5 years, another anonymous donor has arisen to issue a fundraising challenge. For the month of August, The Players has been given a challenge to raise $50 thousand for operation expenses in order to receive an additional $50 thousand in matching funds toward capital for the new project. The Players is reaching out to all of its donors to participate. There are three ways to donate: visit the website: theplayers.org/support-us/donate, call the box office at 941-365-2494 with a credit card number or mail a check for the amount of your choosing to The Players with “$50K Match” in the memo line. 

Neal Signature Homes

Sarasota Opera has received an $8,000 grant for the commissioning of composer Rachel J. Peters for the creation of Rootabaga Country, Sarasota Youth Opera’s sixth world premiere, scheduled to be performed on November 11 and 12, 2017. The grant is provided byO PERA America’s Opera Grants for Female Composers program, supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. OPERA America’s Opera Grants for Female Composers program provides financial assistance to identify, support and help develop the work of female composers writing for the operatic medium, raising their visibility and promoting awareness of their compositions to the field. After a nationwide search, Sarasota Opera commissioned composer/librettist Rachel J. Peters to compose Sarasota Youth Opera’s next world premiere. Peter’s opera, Rootabaga Country, was selected over 12 other submissions. This will be the sixth opera commissioned by the Sarasota Youth Opera program with the most recent being Little Nemo in Slumberland in 2012. 

Sarasota Opera