- September 9, 2024
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Before Bird Key had a yacht club, it had a castle.
New Edzell Castle was built in 1914 on the site that now hosts Bird Key Yacht Club, which opened its doors to its first members in 1960.
Now the club's leadership is eyeing another transformation.
Club leaders have renderings in hand for a state-of-the-art new club building, which will be hurricane-resilient and compliant with federal regulations. The rebuild will also offer the opportunity to evolve with its membership demographic.
“It’s kind of honoring the footprint that we’ve had for the last 65 years, but, again, just modernizing it and really capturing all the different aspects of what our new membership wants,” BKYC General Manager Tammy Hackney said.
The current leadership of BKYC — Commodore Michael Landis, Vice Commodore Tony Britt and Hackney — is well aware that the island’s history played a big part in shaping the yacht club for the past 60 years.
“The history, I think, kind of grounds us and gives us a sense as this little club in this little location that has really been intertwined with Sarasota history for a long time,” Britt said.
The 5-acre plot of land that is now BKYC began its story in 1905. Back then, Bird Key was a 12.8 acre island. After Davie Worcester from Ohio visited the island in 1905 and fell in love with it, her husband Thomas Worcester purchased the island, according to "Gulf Coast Chronicles" by Jeff LaHurd.
In 1906, the island fetched $2 an acre. Thomas Worcester purchased the whole island of Bird Key for about $25.
The couple then began dredging the island to expand it while also raising it about 3 feet. Still, the island was only accessible by boat at the time.
A few years later, in 1911, the Worcesters began building what would become New Edzell Castle, but Davie Worcester died in 1912, two years prior to the castle’s completion, according to LaHurd's "Gulf Coast Chronicles."
The home took about three years to build and cost around $100,000. According to Sarasota History Alive, the home was one of the grandest in Sarasota with electric lighting and gas — rarities in the 1920s.
In the early 1920s, John Ringling purchased the whole island, and three years later constructed the first bridge to connect Bird Key to the mainland.
The island was sold again in 1959, this time to Arthur Vining Davis and the Arvida Corporation, according to "The Rise of Sarasota: Ken Thompson and the Rebirth of Paradise" by Jeff LaHurd.
Arvida’s intention was to expand the island to 511 lots — 291 of which would be on the water, plus a yacht club. Lot prices at the time were estimated between $9,000 and $32,000.
Arvida’s plan also included extensive dredging to increase the island by about 10 times its original size, according to Sarasota History Alive.
Arvida also had a plan for New Edzell Castle, which was situated on the island's premier spot.
The castle was transformed into BKYC, which opened in the 1960s. At the time of its grand opening, BKYC was 6,850 square feet with a marina for 40 boats.
BKYC also was one of the 13 founding members of the Florida Council of Yacht Clubs, which now has 36 affiliated clubs across the state.
Aside from a few renovations, the structure has remained, but will soon be transformed again.
Around the neighborhood, construction crews are just one sign that tells newcomers that the aesthetics of the island are entering a new phase. Homes on the island are modernizing, bringing new looks.
But aside from keeping up with modern looks, a club reconstruction is also about necessity.
In 2021, club leadership realized the building was in desperate need of renovations.
The building was also in need of new windows and new structural materials that can withstand hurricanes. After Hurricanes Irma, Ian and, more recently, Idalia, insurance became a problem not just for BKYC but for many Floridians.
According to Landis, the club realized in 2021 that even if renovations were made, it couldn’t meet the floodplain requirements to get adequate insurance coverage without a total reconstruction. Renovations didn’t change the fact that the building was built below the current floodplain laid out by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The plans were a part of the club’s 2021 master plan, but there wasn't enough support from members to go through with it at the time.
This time, the leaders spread the word throughout the club, shared renderings and got people excited about what the future of the club could be. They gained support from over 92% of the members.
About $15 million of the total $20 million necessary for the project was funded by the club’s members. The membership, which is capped at about 375, is like a tight-knit family. Britt said the club is sometimes referred to as the “Cheers” of Bird Key — the island's local hangout.
The club is working with local firm DSDG to create a building that Principal Architect Mark Sultana called “coastal contemporary.”
This new building will include hurricane-resistant windows, reinforced structural material and be raised above the current floodplain requirements so that it will hopefully serve its members for an additional 60 years.
“We’re really excited about this,” Britt said. “Our goal is to make this like the premier destination in Sarasota.”
The groundbreaking for the new yacht club is expected to be in May 2025, with construction lasting about 16-18 months. If all goes well, the club will celebrate a soft opening of the new building in August 2026.
As the BKYC expanded in the 1960s, so did events like the Blessing of the Fleet and the Change of Watch. Those traditions have added to the yacht club’s history, something highly important to the members.
“We don’t want to lose the yacht club traditions that have been established here,” Landis said.
With these traditions still at the foundation of the club, the leadership understands that the club is changing now more than ever.
Part of that change is with the member demographics, which have broadened from the 1960s.
“Sixty percent of the membership at that point were actually Bird Key residents,” Britt said. “And now it’s actually reversed. About 60% of our membership is not on Bird Key. Which is great because we’re kind of a Sarasota institution in that regard.”
The average age of the members — who hail from as far as Tampa and Venice — has gone down. Two years ago, the average age was around 75. Today new members’ average age is closer to 64.
Now, the yacht club isn’t only about boating. Landis and Britt said the members are about one-third boaters, one-third tennis players and the remaining third are members mainly for the social aspect.
This changing demographic — both inside the club and throughout Sarasota — was considered in the new plans, which account for an additional tennis court and state-of-the-art fitness center.
“We’re looking at the growth of what’s happening. Sarasota is rapidly becoming a year-round city,” Landis said. “That’s why what we’re looking at is what are the new people coming to Sarasota looking for.”
Britt is set to become the club commodore next year. He’ll be a commodore without a club, but he and Hackney are looking forward to trying out new activities to keep the club together during that time.
Britt, Landis and Hackney also hope that the new chapter of BKYC can include a tighter focus on community outreach, even during a long period without a physical club.
“We want to be not just a premier club for members, but we also want to be a club that participates and contributes to the city of Sarasota and growth of the Sarasota community,” Landis said.
Britt said this could mean events like providing boating lessons to youth in the area, establishing scholarships and giving back to the Sarasota arts community.
"I think everyone (in the club) shares the sentiment that we really want to support the Sarasota community in areas that we can help make a difference," Britt said.
