SARASOTA, Fla. — Tuesday was the Sarasota Housing Authority's grand opening for new Amaryllis Park Place affordable apartment homes for seniors in Sarasota.
The new homes are replacing the sight of Florida's first segregated housing, an 80-year-old building the state had deemed as historical.
The new 84 unit apartment homes could not have come soon enough as rent prices in Sarasota have gone up nearly 45% in the last year.
"The prices of rent are so high today, I’m just thankful to God that we can build something that people can truly afford," said Valerie Buchand, a Sarasota Housing Authority board member.
Sarasota Housing Authority said they worked with leaders to get the old run-down building removed from the state’s historical database so it could be torn down and the new units could be built.
For more information on the Sarasota Housing Authority, visit sarasotahousing.org.
