A popular downtown Sarasota public park overlooking the water continues to make progress on future phases that will include everything from multiple restaurants to an improved shoreline designed to protect the city against flooding and storm surge.
Stormwater cleansing, increased park space, and the impact of a proposed 700-plus space parking garage on both were among the highlights of an update on the Bay received this week by the Sarasota City Commission.
Bay Park Conservancy CEO AG Lafley and COO Diane Shaheen highlighted that the transformation of roughly 8.4 acres of land currently used as parking for the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall into parkland will also help cleanse up to 300 million gallons of stormwater that currently flows through the site into Sarasota Bay.
That work is part of Phase 3B.
Lafley added that treatment would be accomplished through both aboveground and underground methods.
Key to that phase will be construction of a 700- to 750-space parking garage on about 1.5 acres near 10th Street.
The exact configuration of that garage is still being explored, so it can be best integrated with the park, Lafley said.
Construction is being timed to coincide with the closure of Van Wezel for its interior hardening and improvements.
That garage will be managed by the City of Sarasota Parking Division and bring paid parking to the 53-acre waterfront park. The garage is projected to open in December 2027.
Boaters who visit the Bay for activities or eat at one of what will eventually be three restaurants will be able to tie up for a maximum of five hours, free of charge.
The City Commission unanimously amended a city ordinance to drop a $2 fee because the application for a grant that partly paid for the day docks noted that there would be no cost for boaters who chose to tie up there.
What is the Bay?
Dubbed Sarasota’s “One Park for All,” the Bay is being developed as a public-private partnership between the city, county and the nonprofit Bay Park Conservancy.
The first phase opened in October 2022, with more than 14 acres of green space, a tree-shaded mangrove bayou walkway, a mini-amphitheater and a paddle launch.
Phase 2, which is currently under construction, will transform another 14 acres and is anticipated to cost $65 million.
The overall park project could be developed in at least four phases, with a projected cost of $175 to $200 million.
“The Bay is a perfect signature city park that allows the superpowers of parks to benefit the community,” Shaheen told the City Commission.
The conservancy estimates that 800,000 users a year enjoy existing facilities — including 330,000 at the Bay, 225,000 at Van Wezel and 100,000 at the boat launch.
In addition to providing recreational opportunities and cleansing stormwater, the park is designed to protect roughly 600 acres of the city of Sarasota from storm surge.
The resilient shoreline should be completed by February 2027, with improvements to Centennial Park and the boat ramp targeted for July 2027.
The first of three waterfront restaurants is targeted for the fall of 2027.
New Sarasota restaurants at the Bay designed to be part of the view
That first restaurant, dubbed “The Rusty Anchor” on renderings, will be south of the 10th Street Boat Ramp, opposite Centennial Park.
Lafley told the commission that the structure being designed by Sweet Sparkman Architecture and Interiors should be just under 5,000 square feet, with between 100 and 120 seats inside and 100-plus seats outside.
The Venice Pier Group, which also operates the snack bar at The Nest, as well as the concession at Siesta Beach and Fins at Sharky’s and Sharky’s on the Pier in Venice, won the bid to operate this restaurant.
Justin Pachota, president of the Venice Pier Group, told the Herald-Tribune on May 19 that while the aspiration has been for the facility to be 300 seats, the goal is for an optimal dining experience.
Late in the meeting, when City Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch relayed concerns she had received about the restaurant blocking the sunset view, Lafley did his best to assuage those concerns.
“I would say it would be in your view, it would not block your view,” Lafley said. “This is a relatively small building.”
Earle Kimel primarily covers local governments in Sarasota County as well as land development and environmental issues for the Herald-Tribune. Follow him on Facebook, and X. He can be reached by email at earle.kimel@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: 3 new waterfront restaurants planned for downtown Sarasota Bay park
Reporting by Earle Kimel, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
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