SARASOTA – On Tuesday a major announcement from the Patterson Foundation revealed a new matching challenge to help transforming 53-acres of property into the crown jewel for the city of Sarasota.
“In typical Bay fashion, yes we have a master plan but we can do this even better,” said Debra Jacobs, President and CEO of the Patterson Foundation.
The efforts of renovating the nine-acre strip of land that borders Boulevard of the Arts into The Bay Park is closer to becoming a reality.
A goal that Jacobs says the foundation is on board to help accomplish, but not without the help of the community. Jacobs announced new matching challenge for private donors.
“The Patterson Foundation is contributing up to $4 million dollars so every time the community contributes $5 million, we will donate $1 million,” said Jacobs.
Planning for the waterfront project began as far back as 2012 and was then given the green light by city commissioners in 2018 to redevelop Sarasota’s next great cultural asset The Bay Park.
The new matching challenge comes after the Patterson Foundation raised in total $20 million so far from private donors for Phase 1 of The Bay’s master plan.
“We believe in partnering and success comes after individuals, businesses, nonprofits, government and media all come together around shared aspirations,” said Jacobs.
The goal of revitalizing 53 acres of city-owned land into what A.G. Lafley says will be Sarasota’s version of Grand Central Park.
“This is a gift that keeps on giving to the community it really is,” said Lafley. “I mean a great park – think about it. A great park will be here forever.”
Lafley says he and the rest of The Bay Park Conservancy (BPC) team will not only give the community a signature public park on Sarasota Bay; but also redevelop the land into cultural and economic legacy for the region.
One that will be accessible, free, and welcoming to people of all ages and that offers public access to the Bayfront.
“I see a public park like The Bay contributing mightily to a community that’s growing and prospering like Sarasota,” said Lafley.
With the Patterson Foundation’s latest matching challenge if the community donates $5 million toward Phase 1 through 2023 it will result in a $24 million investment into The Bay.
Parts of The Bay’s Project Phase 1 were completed in April when the BPC opened to the public the Mangrove Bayou Walkway, a half-mile, 10-foot-wide scenic walkway that wraps around the coastal wetlands in the park.
This long term project looks to leave behind a legacy for residents of the City of Sarasota to be part of. The BCP team hopes to get community input and are asking for residents to fill out an online survey.
The surveys are available in English and Spanish.
