Editing Longboat Key, Florida (section)

=== 1950s to the present ===

On November 13, 1955, the town was [[Incorporated town|incorporated]] by a 186–13 vote at a meeting in a fire station. The meeting itself lasted for 3 hours and 10 minutes in total. Reasons for supporting incorporation included that Longboat Key could have more say in its governmental affairs.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|last=Hartill|first=Robin|date=November 14, 2012|title=Town of Longboat Key turns 57, but who's counting?|work=[[Longboat Observer]]|url=https://www.yourobserver.com/article/town-longboat-key-turns-57-whos-counting|access-date=August 9, 2021}}</ref> It is also believed that the placement of a segregated beach for African-Americans on the island was a motivator behind incorporating it. By incorporating the entire key, they could somehow avoid the placement of the beach altogether. Residents also held meetings protesting the beach's placement.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Integration of Sarasota Beaches|url=http://www.sarasotahistoryalive.com/history/articles/the-integration-of-sarasota-beaches/|access-date=2021-08-09|website=Sarasota History Alive!|language=en-US}}</ref> Significant arguments against incorporation were that property taxes would go up.<ref name=":3" /> After doing the incorporation vote, Will LePage was elected as the first mayor, along with the first eight members of the Board of Aldermen.<ref name=":3" /> At the time, only about a third of Longboat Key was developed, and roughly 215 people lived on the key. When the town was incorporated, it changed its name from Longbeach to Longboat Key.<ref name="longboatkeychamber.com">{{Cite web|title=Longboat Key - History and Place to Visit|url=http://www.longboatkeychamber.com/community/longboat-key/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222164410/http://www.longboatkeychamber.com/community/longboat-key/|archive-date=December 22, 2015|access-date=January 7, 2016|website=Longboat Key Chamber}}</ref>

[[File:Swain family picnicking near the Colony Beach Club- Longboat Key, Florida (8147489474).jpg|thumb|A family at the beach on Longboat Key in 1958|right]]

In 1959, the [[Arvida Corporation]] created by [[Arthur Vining Davis]] purchased 2,000 acres, which included the southern half of Longboat Key, a majority of Lido Key, along with Bird Key, Otter Key, and Coon Key, at a price of $13.5 million.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hartill|first=Robin|date=2012-10-02|title=Key Club: 'Celebration of a dream'|url=https://www.yourobserver.com/article/key-club-celebration-dream|access-date=2021-05-10|website=Your Observer|language=en}}</ref> It was expected that the population would be increased by 12,000 extra residents.<ref>{{Cite web|title=ARVIDA (Arthur Vining Davis)|url=https://www.longboatkeyhistory.com/arvida-arthur-vining-davis.html|access-date=2021-05-10|website=Longboat Key History|language=en}}</ref> Some of the land purchased would come from John Ringling North, and on his Longboat Key land included the unfinished Ritz-Carlton Hotel. There was a proposal in 1962 by a Sarasota realtor to finish its construction and make it into a convention site for Sarasota. However, Arvida had no interest in either selling or attempting to finish the hotel. The hotel was torn down between December 1963 and January 1964. Debris from the demolished hotel would be used as fill for the city's civic center and City Island.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Smith|first=Mark|title=Ringling's Ritz-Carlton|url=http://www.sarasotahistoryalive.com/history/articles/ringling-s-ritz-carlton/|access-date=December 16, 2021|website=Sarasota History Alive!}}</ref>

In early 2024, it was announced that a new public library would be built on Longboat Key. The library is to be a part of the [[Sarasota County Library System]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kuizon |first1=Kimberly |title=Longboat Key to get its own public library: 'It's been long overdue' |url=https://www.fox13news.com/news/longboat-key-to-get-its-own-public-library-its-been-long-overdue |access-date=7 May 2024 |work=FOX 13 News |date=16 February 2024}}</ref>