An 'Ailing' Part of Manatee

Outside planning experts have challenged the Manatee County commissioners, their staff and the public to simultaneously hold a mirror up to their communities and gaze into a crystal ball. In a report delivered Tuesday, an advisory panel from the Urban Land Institute presented its members’ observations of the county and recommendations for development and redevelopment. … The panel pointed to the presence of the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, the University of South-Florida Sarasota/Manatee and State College of Florida in the southwest submarket. ULI also noted the proximity of the Ringling Museum of Art, New College of Florida and the Asolo theater complex, all nearby in Sarasota County.