SARASOTA, Fla Business owners in the Rosemary District are forming a coalition called the Sarasota Design District.
Michael Bush is the one who first began the idea for merchants to work together to help promote the area just north of downtown. He runs a high-end furniture story on Central Avenue.
"A collection of architects, interior designers, and all the other professionals will have our own board, have a bank account, focus on marketing, focus on events," Bush explained.
Bush got the idea after visiting the Miami Design District.
"My wife and I are down there on a regular basis and it's become such a huge drawing card, It becomes self-perpetuating. I said at some point we achieve this level of concentration in the Rosemary District, think I think it's time to promote ourselves as the Sarasota Design District," he said.
All this comes--perhaps coincidentally as several new developments are proposed for the area. Bush is optimistic.
"This time I think we're catching it on the upside, and I'm really confident these things will be built," he said.
Bush is excited, and so too is Interior Design Coordinator Elisabeth Croy.
"I think it's a great idea to have a design district, especially with so many designers being here downtown," she said.
