The Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition filed a pre-application in August with the City of Sarasota for an approximately 10,000-square-foot, two-story African American Culture, History and Art Center on a vacant lot adjacent to the historic Leonard Reid House at the corner of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way and North Orange Avenue, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported. The proposed facility, estimated at $5 million, would feature permanent and rotating exhibition space, classrooms, a 250-seat hall, a retail area, an outdoor courtyard and a solar-shaded rooftop terrace. SAACC President and CEO Vickie Oldham told the Herald-Tribune the organization is building a strong programmatic foundation before launching the capital campaign required to realize the project.
According to the Herald-Tribune, the coalition is preparing to renew its lease on the Leonard Reid House, which has operated as a community arts and education venue since its restoration and relocation to the site in 2022. A new exhibition titled “Black Joy” is scheduled to open at the house on November 4, offering a preview of the type of programming the expanded center would support on a larger scale. The Herald-Tribune noted that SAACC has also deepened its partnership with The Ringling museum to deliver additional arts programming in Newtown.
The Sarasota City Commission approved an option-to-purchase agreement in March 2025 that allows SAACC to acquire the city-owned parcels at 1556, 1560 and 1580 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way for the project, Sarasota Magazine reported at the time. That three-year option, which required an initial $5,000 non-refundable deposit, provides the physical footprint for the cultural center next to the Leonard Reid House. Development review staff have since posed roughly 14 questions to the coalition concerning parking, site access and tree preservation under the city’s 2022 ordinance.
SAACC has described the Leonard Reid House as the first physical component of the long-planned cultural center, according to the Newtown Community Redevelopment Agency. The one-story frame vernacular building, completed in 1926, was moved to its current location in May 2022 after city approval. It now hosts art exhibitions, performances, wellness programs and community events that have drawn residents since reopening three years ago.
Vickie Oldham, who also founded the Newtown Alive historic preservation initiative, has led the coalition’s efforts to create a dedicated space for African American history and culture in the neighborhood, the Herald-Tribune stated. The organization filed the pre-application to begin formal review while it continues strengthening existing programs at the Leonard Reid House. City officials will evaluate the proposal against local codes and long-range plans before any construction can proceed.
Newtown remains Sarasota’s historically Black community, originally known as Overtown, where Leonard Reid played a foundational role in its early development, according to local historical accounts cited in the Herald-Tribune coverage. The proposed center would build on that legacy by providing dedicated space for rotating exhibits, educational classrooms and public events that highlight African American contributions to the region. SAACC is currently focused on fundraising and partnership development ahead of a full capital campaign launch.
