Dignitaries open The Bay with ribbon-cutting

City, county and state dignitaries and even one from Washington, D.C., took part in last week’s ceremonial opening of The Bay Park on Sarasota’s bayfront.

Many dressed in The Bay’s signature blue, which coincidentally matched the nearly cloudless sky, as county and city commissioners joined members of the Bay Park Conservancy, state Sen. Joe Gruters, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan and others to cut the ribbon on the park’s first phase.

The 14-acre phase features largely passive recreation space, nature trails, an event lawn, a playground, a mangrove bayou and a welcome center, among others. 

Funding was recently approved by Sarasota’s city and county commissions to launch the second phase of the 53-acre city-owned property west of U.S. 41 between Boulevard of the Arts and 10th Street.

Phase two includes rehabbing the sea wall along the public docks canal near 10th Street and construction of day docks, a sunset boardwalk and pier, improvements on the western shoreline, and the Cultural District.

Minus $12 million in government grants and $5 million in private funding, a city bond of $48 million in tax increment financing-backed bonds makes up the balance of the funding.