Sarasota’s architectural community lost a titan this weekend, with the passing of acclaimed architect Edward J. “Tim” Seibert, who died this past Sunday in Boca Grande. He was 91.

A powerful figure in the architectural movement that came to be known as the Sarasota School of Architecture, defining the style alongside fellow masters of the built environment like Paul Rudolph and Victor Lundy, Seibert had a hand in creating the Sarasota architectural scene since the 1950s, when he made his mark on Lido Shores, where he designed his own home. Catching the eye of developer Phil Hiss, Seibert was also tapped to design Hiss Studio, a landmark structure in its own right.

Seibert’s impact on the city only grew from there, and several of his contributions, such as the Bay Plaza condominiums off Palm Avenue, the Cooney House on St. Armands Key and the Siesta Beach Pavilion, remain must-sees for the architecturally inclined. Eventually opening his own architectural firm, Seibert Architects still bears the name as it now bears his legacy.

But another part of Seibert’s legacy, perhaps the part that won’t be so commemorated in coffee table books and architecture retrospectives, would be his reputation as a people person—especially following such particularly prickly acts as Rudolph and Lundy. “Seibert was much more down to Earth,” says Dr. Christopher Wilson, chairman of the board for Sarasota Architectural Foundation. As opposed to what Wilson refers to as “hero architects” like Rudolph and Lundy, who made their names in Sarasota and then went on to New York and beyond to craft their personal legacies, Seibert stayed loyal to Sarasota, and his clients stayed loyal to him. “They would come back to him and continue to work with him over the course of decades,” says Wilson, “which is, with any architect, an indication of what kind of person they are.”

And while some of those hero architects never missed an opportunity to self-promote, Seibert preferred the quiet dignity of the recognition his work garnered on its own. “He didn’t promote himself like that,” says Wilson.

He could have if he wanted, however. And Wilson still sings the praises of Seibert’s design for the Bay Plaza condominiums, which went the extra mile to feature eight different floor plans instead of cookie-cutter creations, and to somehow give every resident a corner property.

Wilson remembers meeting Seibert at SAF’s 2017 SarasotaMOD Weekend, which honored the late architect through a series of tours and lectures. At one point in the 1980s, Seibert remembered, nearly 80% of Longboat Key was on his drafting board. Not everything came to fruition, of course, but the startling assessment belied an important truth—that Seibert had made an undeniable impact on the shape and feel of the community.

“And you don’t know,” says Wilson. “It’s not until you start scratching the surface that it comes out.”

Seibert is survived by his wife, Lynne, and daughter, Pandora. 

Pictured: Edward J. "Tim" Seibert at SAF's 2017 SarasotaMOD Weekend. Photo by Wyatt Kostygan.

Booker Middle School has announced that Joanna Fox has been selected as the recipient of the Penguin Random House Foundation‘s 2018 Maya Angelou Teacher Award for Poetry, one of the organization’s annual “Teacher Awards for Literacy.” These awards aim to recognize the nation’s most dynamic and resourceful teachers, who use creativity to inspire and successfully instill a love of reading in their students. The competition is open to both full and part-time teachers in public schools across the United States. The winners are awarded grants to help further their innovative reading programs and to help disseminate them to other teachers around the country. Fox, who was awarded a $10,000 grant for her Dragon Fly Café program, was recently honored at the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention in Houston, TX. 

Booker Middle School

For 21 years, Southwest Florida’s seniors have counted on volunteer Jo Marshall to help them with their Medicare health insurance issues, as Marshall served those two-plus decades as a volunteer with the SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) Program through both the State of Florida’s Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA) and the Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida (AAASWFL). But now, this longtime volunteer is finally retiring.

Specially trained SHINE counselors help educate and empower Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers. SHINE counselors like Marshall provide free and unbiased information to help clients understand their Medicare health care options so they can make the best decisions for their individual needs.  SHINE counselors also help beneficiaries understand benefits available through Medicare, like preventative healthcare services.

Volunteering from her counseling site at the SHARE Club in Cape Coral Hospital, Marshall assisted thousands of clients from across the seven-county region over the past two decades. Marshall filed hundreds, if not thousands, of appeals, winning nearly all of them. Available reporting data shows that Marshall has counseled 3,541 clients since 2010 and has spent an incredible 2,229 hours assisting those clients. 

SHINE

The new Spring Training home of the Atlanta Braves has its name: CoolToday Park. The Atlanta Braves announced a partnership with CoolToday for the naming rights of their new Spring Training ballpark, slated to host its first game on Sunday, March 24 with the Braves taking on the Tampa Bay Rays. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The 20-year agreement includes scoreboard and dugout signage for CoolToday as well as exterior signage and promotional opportunities for additional events held at the facility. CoolToday Park is being developed by the Braves in partnership with Sarasota County, the City of North Port and West Villages/Mattamy Homes. Ground breaking on the facility occurred on October 16, 2017 and the first full Spring Training season will happen in 2020. For photographs and further information on CoolToday Park go to the website below. 

CoolToday Park

Sales will launch in January for the condominiums at The DeMarcay, a soon-to-be-constructed luxuriously appointed residential project by GK Development at 33 South Palm Avenue in Downtown Sarasota. Located directly across the street from the project, the new sales gallery is slated to open at the end of January, and agents are taking purchase agreements beginning January 7, 2019.

The general contractor for the project is Palm Harbor-based Voeller Construction, and Sarasota firm Parker Walker Group is the architect. The interior design by Chicago-based Ma’am Design Collective will honor the site’s history as a cigar factory and hotel that were originally located on the site in the new building’s lobby. The 18-story building will feature a resort-style rooftop pool with expansive waterfront views of the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay. Ranging from 1,144 to 3,106 square feet, the floor plans will have the flexibility to combine units for larger square footage.

Prices range from the low $600,000s to just over $3 million. The building is expected to begin construction in summer 2019 with an estimated 18-month build out. 

The DeMarcay

Halfacre Construction Company, a Lakewood Ranch-based commercial construction company, recently completed the aquatic amenity for The Haven, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering the lives of those with unique abilities in Sarasota and Manatee Counties. Dubbed the Judy’s Oasis Aquatic Center, the therapeutic amenity features a 1,248-square-foot commercial pool, zero-depth entry with a ramp entrance, restroom facilities, a screened enclosure and an expansive brick paver deck.

Halfacre Construction broke ground on the 10,000-gallon commercial pool in February 2018. The construction company has partnered with the nonprofit for more than 10 years, completing a number of other projects, including the creation of two new group homes and the recreational athletic facility as well as remodel and maintenance work. In 2019, Halfacre Construction will break ground on a third group home for The Haven. 

The Haven

Gulf Coast Community Foundation recently added two new staff members to its team. Marcia Saulo was hired as controller, while Kelly Carlstein Buehler joined Gulf Coast’s marketing and communications team to direct marketing and public relations strategies. In her role as controller, Saulo is responsible for the operation of financial and accounting services, including preparation of financial analyses, income and expense reports and budgets. She also will help Gulf Coast transition to a new, fully integrated charitable operations management and accounting platform. Previously CFO of Lighthouse Academies, an $80-million nonprofit education management organization serving high-need communities, Saulo brings extensive experience. Carlstein Buehler comes to Gulf Coast from HCA’s Blake Medical Center, where she worked in the marketing department and was involved in marketing strategy, campaign launches, events, and community sponsorship and engagement. In her role on Gulf Coast’s marketing and communications team, she leads digital and traditional marketing strategies and innovative storytelling in coordination with donors and community partners. She also will play a lead role in planning for Gulf Coast’s upcoming 25th anniversary. 

Gulf Coast Community Foundation