Venice Took Back Its Neighborhood Parks This Month. The Community Center Is Where You'll Notice It First.

"I was kind of shocked to look at how many rooms are empty at a given time." Michael Hartley said that to the Venice City Council on June 23. He is co-founder and president of the Venice Institute for Performing Arts Management, or VIPAM, the nonprofit that has run the Venice Performing Arts Center for about a decade. His team had studied the Venice Community Center at 326 Nokomis Ave. S. to figure out why it was running at a deficit. The answer was weeks when, in his words, "there's just nothing going on there."

On Oct. 1, VIPAM took over day-to-day management of the building under a contract with the City of Venice. The City in turn took back seven facilities from Sarasota County under a new interlocal agreement. Most coverage treats this as a paperwork swap. The terms of VIPAM's contract say otherwise. The new operator earns more by putting more events on the calendar, and that is where the change will show up first.

Who holds the keys as of October 1

County staff handed over the keys on Sept. 30, the day before the new agreement took effect. It replaces the parks deal the City and County signed in 2011. Each place landed on one side or the other depending on how far its visitors travel. The County kept the regional draws. The City took back places that YourSun describes as drawing "from a more limited area."

The agreement runs for an initial 10 years. The City's Sept. 30 announcement says it has "options for renewal." YourSun's account describes two automatic five-year renewals unless either side ends it. City Manager James Clinch said Public Works crews had already started maintenance and improvements at the returned sites "without even being asked." The City is taking all this on with a tight budget. YourSun reported that the fiscal 2027 budget cuts General Fund spending and staffing by eliminating open positions, even as the City absorbs seven parks.

A building priced for renters, booked for almost nobody

VIPAM projects that occupancy at the Community Center will rise from 13% to 28% over five years, roughly doubling revenue to $441,000. That 13% is the starting point. On a typical day, most of the building's rooms are sitting empty.

Hartley told Council that raising rental rates would price many renters out of the building, so the plan is to increase use instead. The proposal he presented with Assistant City Manager Roger Omenhiser and Assistant Public Works Director Ashlee Castle includes:

• Multi-day pop-up events such as dinner theater, weekend concert series and big band evenings, catered by local food businesses
• Discounts for booking slower hours, days and seasons, and lower rates for groups that book several events at once
• "Probably 500%" more spending on publicity
• Up to $60,000 for new lobby furniture, digital sign boards, portable coffee and snack carts, and a website where the public can book directly

Hartley also said the building can host conferences of up to 700 people. He said local businesses have already offered to partner on lodging and food for those events. Council Member Ron Smith told him, "You're going to turn this into a real community center." Council backed the proposal unanimously.

Why the contract favors a full calendar over a higher rate card

The money in the contract explains the plan. The City pays VIPAM $280,000 a year in quarterly installments, plus $70,000 for transition costs, under a five-year contract with two optional 24-month renewals. VIPAM handles daily operations, maintenance, janitorial work, and repairs up to $5,000. Bigger or permitted work stays with the City.

Surplus revenue then moves through these steps, in order:

1. VIPAM puts $20,000 of its own money into a working capital fund to cover a small projected deficit in year one.
2. End-of-year surpluses go into that fund until it reaches $100,000, which is projected to happen in year three.
3. Surpluses after that fill a capital improvement fund, also capped at $100,000.
4. Once both funds are full, extra revenue is split evenly. The City's half is credited against the next year's management fee, and VIPAM's half goes back into the building.

Every booked room moves the building toward those caps. A rate increase that drives renters away would do the opposite. The contract also lets the City use the center free of charge for most of its meetings, as long as they are scheduled early enough to avoid conflicts. Hartley welcomed that, saying City meetings that bring the public into the building "are exactly what we want to see."

VIPAM brings experience to the job. Mike and Bonnie Hartley founded it as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2016, and it has managed the Venice Performing Arts Center since 2017. Hartley told Council that the VPAC team manages or produces more than 300 events a year.

Who to contact at the Community Center now

The County stopped taking Community Center reservations after Sept. 30, and in June there were 131 requests pending for later dates. The City says VIPAM is reviewing requests submitted through the County's old system and will contact applicants. It also says reservation policies and rental rates may be reviewed and updated. According to the City's Sept. 16 update:

• Rentals and reservations: Georgia Peacock, [email protected] or 941-218-3779, ext. 111, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. VIPAM prefers email so each request is tracked.
• General questions: [email protected]
• Calendar and online booking: venicecommunitycenter.com

One City facility page still lists a different transition contact. The City's operations page and the Sept. 16 release both name Peacock. VIPAM's own pages also disagree on the minimum booking length for Ballroom A, so check the terms directly before you put down a deposit.

The park pages haven't caught up yet

The City's paperwork for the six returned parks is behind the handover. As of this week, the City's own Legacy Park page still tells pavilion users to contact Sarasota County at 311 or 941-861-5000. The City's special event planning guide still lists Legacy Park at $120 per day with a County permit. The City's park reservation form names only Centennial Park, West Blalock Park and their gazebos, with an "Other" option. It requires requests 14 to 120 days ahead, and the City Manager's Office must approve each one.

None of these pages describes a new booking process for the Legacy, Hecksher or Higel shelters since Oct. 1. If you're planning a birthday party or reunion at one of them, call the City first. The County instructions still online may not work anymore.

What came back to City Hall

The returned parks are the everyday ones. According to the City parks directory:

• Hecksher Park: basketball, tennis, racquetball/handball and shuffleboard courts, a playground, a shelter, and lights for night play
• Higel Marine Park: a public boat launch and canoe/kayak launch, grills, picnic tables and restrooms
• Chauncy Howard Park: an accessible beach boardwalk, showers, bike racks and a drinking fountain
• Venice Myakka River Park: a canoe/kayak launch, fishing, hiking trails and restrooms
• Legacy Park: a train-themed playground, swings, cornhole, a kayak/canoe launch, picnic shelters and a multi-use trail

Omenhiser described the change as "greater local control of neighborhood parks and community facilities." That local control now has a planning process attached to it.

When residents get a say

The City has hired GAI Consultants and its Community Solutions Group to write a Parks Master Plan covering nearly 40 parks, natural areas, trails and public spaces over the next 10 to 20 years. Planning and Zoning Director Roger Clark told WWSB the plan would take about a year to develop. The consultants have already toured the parks, and a draft with short- and long-term recommendations will follow public outreach. The online survey is open, and the City hasn't announced a closing date.

In-person outreach dates, as WWSB reported them:

These are the first planning sessions since Hecksher's courts, Higel's launch and Legacy's shelters went back to City management, and the City is writing the plan for the parks it now runs.

Want to know how Venice's parks and Community Center fit into everyday life in different parts of town? NextHome Suncoast can help. Nick and Beth Flerlage live and work here and follow changes like this one. Get in touch, and we'll help you find your Suncoast lifestyle.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.