With a clear goal of promoting and preserving the city, The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce boasts more than 100 years of service to the Sarasota Bay area. The earliest concern of the Chamber addressed conditions of the Gulf Coast lifestyle associated with the city, particularly dispensing of the hogs downtown, a slightly different set of problems than today. Before the 1920s, the Chamber met in various locations and as the Florida Land Boom caused an influx of wealth, business and tourism, the need for a set meeting location became essential. With 37 members, the Chamber focused on mosquito control, sewage disposal and tourism. Over the first 25 years of establishment, with members including Owen Burns and the Ringling brothers, the Tamiami Trail faced completion, bridges to the beaches were constructed and railroad services went under improvement. Ultimately, the Chamber made a name for Sarasota as a destination hotspot for winter visitors and year-round residents. 

State Street 
In 1925, the first Chamber building of Sarasota underwent construction with an $8,000 proposal. Two open-terraced walkways that lead to a set of five identical doors, along with light paint options and a large front water fountain, reflect the conventional design of early 20th-century Floridian architecture.

Municipal Pier
As the number of members rose and the State Street building fell under disrepair, the Chamber shifted headquarters to the Municipal Pier. The multi-story building served as a gateway onto the pier for fishing, boating and socializing, a prime place for the Chamber to promote Sarasota’s wealth of accommodations. 

Pagoda Building
Victor Lundy designed the Japanese-inspired Pagoda Building for the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce in 1956. Designed in the post-war style, Lundy designed glossy laminate beams and glass walls that seamlessly fuse interior and exterior lifestyle.

Fruitville Road Location
Completed in 2002, the current Chamber building sits on the corner of Fruitville Road and Gillespie Avenue. The design stays true to the roots of authentic Sarasota School of Architecture design with large windows, geometric shapes and a Jack West-style cantilevered overhang.