Fast-growing downtown Sarasota church begins work on $37M renovation

A Baptist church in one of the most high-traffic areas of Main Street in downtown Sarasota is in expansion mode — the combination of an aging structure and a fast-growing congregation. The cost estimate for the master plan for the project for the organization, First Sarasota Church, is $37 million. The first phase, already underway at the 4-acre campus at 1661 Main St., tucked between Orange and Osprey avenues, is projected at about $17 million. Currently surrounded by blue construction fencing, initial components of the project include everything from a new steeple to interior renovations to a public park are planned. The project is coming together after about five years of planning, according to Senior Associate Pastor Keith McBroom. “Our buildings were long overdue to be refreshed and renovated,” McBroom says. “We were not ADA compliant, but now we will be. We didn't have a fire suppression system. We will now.

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