The Hermitage operates on county-owned Gulf-front land (roughly 6630–6660 Manasota Key Rd.). Sarasota County has owned the site since the late 1980s, and with support from the former Sarasota County Arts Council, the property was established as “the Hermitage” in 1999 and transitioned to the nonprofit Hermitage Artist Retreat, Inc. in 2002. The county later expanded the campus with the acquisition of the “Palm House” parcel in 2014.

Over two decades, the Hermitage has grown from a small cluster of historic structures (including the 1907 Hermitage House) into a high-profile residency that brings composers, playwrights, visual artists, and other creators for concentrated work time, paired with frequent free public programs on the beach. A typical year sees about 100 artists in residence and regular public events listed on the organization’s calendar.

Because the land is publicly owned and the Hermitage leases it, Sarasota County took the lead on disaster restoration to preserve eligibility for FEMA Public Assistance and to comply with state and federal environmental and historic requirements.

The Hermitage has expressed frustration that county-run processes (documentation, permitting, and design–build procurement) slowed progress, leaving some facilities offline. The county, for its part, has emphasized the need to follow public-ownership and reimbursement rules.

During 2025 discussions, Sarasota County Commissioners offered to provide $172,258 in funding for the needed restoration while keeping the property under county ownership—i.e., no transfer or sale of the land. The Hermitage declined this option, maintaining that county-managed processes and ownership constraints were the core issues affecting speed and control of recovery.

The ownership idea (and why it resurfaced)

Seeking more control over recovery and future mitigation, the Hermitage proposed purchasing the campus from the county—reviving an earlier concept. As owners, they could insure the property and realize prompt repairs in the future. The discussion to purchase included instruments like a reverter clause and valuation tied to prior original county acquisition costs. The Commissioners have rejected that idea.

Broadly speaking, both sides want the campus restored. The core disagreement is over who controls the timeline and process: the county (to protect public-asset rules and FEMA eligibility) or the nonprofit (arguing it could move faster with private funding and direct control).

As of late 2025, county-managed repairs are proceeding while the Hermitage continues limited operations and public programs noted on its events calendar.

Everyone agrees on restoring the Hermitage; the live issue is control and speed—public processes vs. nonprofit-led execution. Commissioners offered funding without a land sale, but the Hermitage has declined that offer.  For the time being, the stalemate continues.

As with so many other issues up and down the Coast, the snails pace of FEMA is the culprit standing in the way of progress.