Municipal Auditorium--Recreation Club
Posted by: 
sfwife
N 27° 20.599 W 082° 32.835
17R E 346947 N 3025411
Historical Building near downtown Sarasota
Waymark Code: WM303P
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 01/18/2008
Views: 16
The idea of a Bayfront Park and Municipal Auditorium was first conceived in 1935. In 1936, the City of Sarasota obtained the 37 acre lot from the Sarasota Bayfront Company for the sum of $15,000.00 in taxes accumulated on site. Work was then started to secure a Work Projects Administration Grant (WPA) for the center.
Work on the auditorium commenced in July of 1937. The federal government granted the sum of $131,000.00 towards the project. Skilled labor was paid for by the City's General Fund and common labor was paid for by the WPA. The auditorium was officially opened on February 24, 1938, for the Sara de Soto Celebration
Designed in the Art Deco/Moderne style by Chicago architect, Thomas Reed Martin, the auditorium was quite a site for visitors entering from the north Tamiami Trail. At the entry of the auditorium is an electrically lIT fountain designed by Frank Martin, the son of the auditorium's architect.
Funding for major restorations to this historical building was achieved in part by the Bureau of Historic Preservation, Florida Department of State, assisted by the Historic Preservation Advisory Council, and the City of Sarasota. Restoration work began in 1992 and was completed in 1997. The Municipal Auditorium was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 24, 1995.
Today the Municipal Auditorium is one of the few existing buildings in Sarasota of the Art Deco/Moderne style and probably the most recognized for its year round bookings for numerous events.
This historic landmark is one of the visible links that bridges the past and present. The Municipal Auditorium is still as grand today as when IT first opened.
Street address:
801 N. Tamiani Trail
Sarasota, FL USA
County / Borough / Parish: Sarasota
Year listed: 1995
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Event
Periods of significance: 1925-1949
Historic function: Recreation And Culture
Current function: Recreation And Culture
Privately owned?: no
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Season start / Season finish: Not listed
Hours of operation: Not listed
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.