UPDATED 2/26.: 'Sarasota Co. reevaluating Sanborn Studios'; An additional half-million dollars for Sanborn Studios?

Photo by GRANT JEFFERIES/gjefferies@bradenton.com: Congressman Vern Buchanan, Karinne Behr, president of Sanborn Studios, Ken Sanborn, CEO, and actor Casper Vandien, spoke at the ribbon cutting ceremony at Sanborn Studios on Nov. 20, 2010.

UPDATED: 2/26: "Sarasota Co. reevaluating Sanborn Studios"

UPDATED 2/25: "Sanborn nixes deal to buy land in Lakewood Ranch"

UPDATED 2/25: "Sanborn Studios withdraws request to Saarsota for $500K" 

UPDATED 2/24 at 8 p.m.: "Sanborn Studios withdraws request to Sarasota for $500K" (first posted at 5 p.m.)

UPDATED 2/24 at 4:15 p.m. This link to latest Sanborn story has fresh batch of comments (15).

UPDATED 2/23 at 8 p.m.: "Commissioner ‘startled’ by Sanborn’s $500K grant request"


UPDATED 2/23: From today's print edition and the Herald homepage: "Sanborn requests additional $500K"

UPDATED: 9:24 a.m.: "Ken Sanborn called me yesterday and said that circumstances had arisen that didn't allow him to be here," said Sarasota County Manager of Business and Economic Development Jeff Maultsby. "(Sanborn) requested we push the meeting back until when he could be in attendance."


I just spoke with Maultsby one-on-one outside the meeting room. 

No date has been confirmed for when Sanborn and his $500K request will be back on agenda.

UPDATED: 9:17 a.m: Sanborn Studios' request taken off agenda. Stay tuned for reason why.

On the agenda for today's Sarasota County's commissioners' meeting (where I'm seated):

To consider a request by the Economic Development Corporation on behalf of Sanborn Studios, LLC, for an Economic Development Incentive Grant as financial assistance for expenses related to the accelerated expansion of operations in the County, in the amount of $500,000.00.

Sanborn Studios, which has a facility in Lakewood Ranch, has already received $717, 000 in taxpayer incentives (see link below).

Check back here and at the homepage for updates.

Past stories on Sanborn Studios:

"Sanborn Studios' key players have rocky bios" (Nov. 21, 2010)

"Sanborn Studios adding veteran Hollywood muscle" (Jan. 23, 2011)

Sanborn Studios employs Paramount Pictures veteran executive

Here's my latest news story regarding Sanborn Studios:

Sanborn Studios, which officially launched its Lakewood Ranch facility in November, has added some veteran Hollywood film executives to its team.

Chief Financial Officer Alan Bailey (pictured) joins Founder/Chief Executive Ken Sanborn and President Karinne Behr at the top of the television and movie production company’s roster.

Bailey maximized state production incentives while working at Paramount Pictures for 35 years. Since retiring from one of the world’s oldest and most successful film studios as senior vice president and treasurer in 2009, he has headed Moving Star Media.

Continue reading for my interview with Bailey and announcement of another high-profile hire.

Here's my previous Sanbron Stduios story: "Sanborn Studios’ key players have rocky bios."

Karinne Behr, Philippe Martinez and Sanborn Studios: Key players with rocky financial stories

Philippe Martinez (left) on set with Armand Assante in 2008.

Behind Sanborn Studios’ gala opening this month are three key players with various financial stories that read like scripts to a gripping suspense show.

Multiple bankruptcy filings.

Huge flops in Hollywood.

A string of high-profile lawsuits.

And one with a criminal fraud conviction.

But the studio’s lead players — Kenneth Sanborn, Karinne Behr and her brother, Philippe Martinez — are aiming for a comeback story with a happy ending: a successful Lakewood Ranch studio with a hit television show about competing news helicopters called “Miami 24/7.”

CONTINUE READING "SANBORN STUDIOS' KEY PLAYERS HAVE ROCKY BIOS"

Casper Van Dien, Congressman Vern Buchanan at Sanborn Studios opening in Lakewood Ranch

Sanborn Studios held its ceremonial ribbon cutting ceremony Friday.

Chief Executive Officer Ken Sanborn greeted the invitation-only crowd alongside Studio President Karinne Behr and Casper Van Dien (pictured).

Van Dien's the "Starship Trooper" starring in Sanborn's first production, the TV program "Miami 24/7," which I first wrote about here.

U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, was also present on Friday.

Behr's brother, Philippe Martinez, executive producer of "Miami 24/7," did not appear.

Behr previously worked in Pinellas County with her brother at his Bauer Martinez Studios. After operating in Los Angeles and London, the studio relocated to Largo in 2005. It closed operations there in 2008. I spoke to Behr and Sanborn on Friday about how they expected to achieve different results in Manatee/Sarasota.

CLICK TO READ "IT'S SHOWTIME FOR SANBORN IN LWR"