Kyle Battie's road to the mayor's office ran through South Beach and New York fashion runways before it ever touched Sarasota politics. Raised in Sarasota from age six after his family left Jersey City, Battie modeled for the agency Next, bounced between Miami and New York during shoot seasons, then came home to host a men's lifestyle show on ABC7 called Fly With Kyle. He describes landing on the city commission as almost accidental, joking that he tripped on the sidewalk and found himself in politics just as a second season of the show was about to start.
The most striking stretch of the conversation covers Battie's family history in Sarasota's Black neighborhoods. His father was, by Battie's account, the first African-American salesman on St. Armands Circle, forced to push his way onto a suits sales floor where coworkers refused to work beside him. His father also lived as a child in what is now the Rosemary District, in public housing built after the city's original Black neighborhood, Overtown, was displaced, a history marked today only by a small plaque. Battie connects that history directly to his current worry about New Town, where he says roughly 70 percent of property is now owned by people who do not live there, and warns residents against selling generational land for a quick payout.
Growth and the Bay Battie, who represents District One and covers New Town, Bayou Oaks, Gillespie Park, Park East and Jordan's Crossing, calls himself pro-evolution rather than simply pro-growth, pointing to the transformation of 53 acres of Bayfront parking lot into green space for The Bay and the Donald Ross redesign of the Bobby Jones golf course as generational projects. He argues Sarasota's height and density have clustered on the waterfront because that is where developers can charge the most, leaving the missing middle, workers who keep the city running, priced out.
On roundabouts, Battie is a fan, arguing they keep Sarasota's growing traffic moving and reduce the severity of crashes since drivers are forced to slow down. The Rapid Fire Gauntlet turns comic fast, with Battie naming flight as his desired superpower, Forge at UTC as his favorite burger, and closing the episode by handing out two City of Sarasota keys as his final act before leaving office, joking that the second one should have gone to the podcast.
What you'll take away
- Battie modeled professionally in South Beach and New York before hosting a men's lifestyle show on ABC7 that led him into local politics
- His father was reportedly the first African-American salesman on St. Armands Circle and grew up in housing built after Overtown, Sarasota's original Black neighborhood, was displaced
- Battie warns New Town residents against selling generational property, noting roughly 70 percent of the neighborhood's land is now owned by non-residents
- He describes the Bay project and the Bobby Jones golf course redesign as transformative for the city, both years from completion
- He supports roundabouts, arguing they keep traffic moving and reduce crash severity
“I'm pro-evolution, the city has to evolve.”
“Your wealth is in your land, the structure has no value whatsoever.”
Places mentioned: New Town, Bayou Oaks, Gillespie Park, Park East, Rosemary District, St. Armands Circle, The Bay, Bobby Jones Golf Course