A popular Sarasota waterfront park is getting a $10 million upgrade to reduce flooding and storm surge damage.
Downtown Sarasota’s Bay Park will see about $10 million in improvements to its shoreline to protect against flooding and storm surges, as part of a public works project funded by federal and state grants.
The Bay Park Conservancy, which co-manages the park with the city of Sarasota, will oversee the project.
Plans call for more green space and stormwater ponds to improve the quality of the water that flows into Sarasota Bay.
The contractor on the project is Jon F. Swift, a local construction company.
Sarasota city spokesperson Luke Mocherman said in an email that the project is fully funded by two grants: $10,418,271 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, administered by the Florida Department of Commerce, and $1.25 million from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
“Both grants require matching funds, which will be provided by the Bay Park Conservancy,” Mocherman said.
Renee Hayes, the city’s procurement official, told the commission that the project’s initial budget was $13.4 million, and Jon F. Swift Construction’s bid was 25% less than that.
The Resilient Shoreline project is among Sarasota’s big plans for The Bay Park.
It is where planners hope to build a new performing arts center to replace the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, a project that would cost between $260 and $295 million in total.
The city also approved an updated master plan for the 53-acre space in 2023, which calls for more green space and walking paths, additional boat ramps and waterfront restaurants, and improvements to the water quality.
The chaotic 2024 storm season, which saw Hurricanes Debbie, Helene, and Milton all leave an imprint of damage on Sarasota, cost the park about $1 million in damage.
Sarasota does not directly fund The Bay Park, but it did issue $48 million in debt to finance major improvements. It also funded another $6 million with penny sales tax funding.
Christian Casale covers local government for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Email him at [email protected] or [email protected]
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