Nearly 6,000 new residents could soon be living in Downtown Sarasota following a burst of growth in the region.  “Sarasota has emerged quite well out of the recession,” said Downtown Economic Development Coordinator Norm Gollub. “New companies and businesses are coming in from out of town and we have seen an influx of people tired of cold northern winters. The market is responding well in terms of residential projects going on.”

Sarasota officials say a total of 2,820 townhomes, condo units and rental apartments are under construction or in the planning stages inside the area designated as the Downtown Community Redevelopment Area. Census formulas predict 2.09 people on average living in a household in Sarasota, and that translates to 5,893 additional residents, though Downtown Economic Development Coordinator Norm Gollub noted the condos and downtown apartments may ultimately have fewer residents per household than the city as a whole.

Not counting apartment residents, Downtown Sarasota already serves as home to 7,210 existing residents, Gollub said, so the expected growth would substantially boost the number of residents to well over 13,000 people living within the CRA bounds. Of course, the area also expects an increase both in commercial use and public infrastructure, most notably a new parking garage on State Street set to partially open to the public on July 1. More than 309,000 square feet of commercial space is also under construction or in planning process, according to a June report from Gollub’s office tracking development within the CRA district.