Reshaping the Bayfront

The solid attendance at — and enthusiastic participation in — two recent public meetings underscored the value of a community-based effort to create shared principles for shaping the future of Sarasota’s bayfront.

Since March, Bayfront 20:20 has been engaging individuals and organizations, public and private, in pursuit of this goal — to “support the creation of an articulated vision and a long-term master plan for the Sarasota Bayfront area that will establish a cultural and economic legacy for the region while ensuring open, public access.”

Using private-sector money, Bayfront 20:20 hired a national consultant — HR&A Advisors — to propose a process for building consensus and formulating a plan for implementing the results of community discussions. Initially led by Visit Sarasota County, Bayfront 20:20 enlisted support from some business and arts groups. The coalition has reached out to include neighborhood associations and the like.

Following a series of small-scale meetings with those groups, Bayfront 20:20 and HR&A conducted a pair of larger gatherings last week. One of the goals was to seek public input on ideas that emerged in the smaller meetings.

Participants broke into groups to discuss six concepts that might evolve into principles for guiding planning and implementation of a consensus vision. Those concepts revolved around the:

• Forty-two acres owned or controlled by the city of Sarasota, including the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, on the bayfront.

• Cultural heritage of the site.

• Community’s aspirations for the land and its potential uses.

• Environmental and financial sustainability of the site and potential uses.

Possible ways to activate and promote public enjoyment of the property.

• Need to connect the site to other community amenities and make them accessible to the public.

It came as no surprise that a lot of ideas bubbled up from the discussions and short — and some not-so-brief — presentations by one member of each group.

In fact, the participants provided so much input that it could not be immediately digested for further discussion that would advance the process.

So, on Nov. 13, the public has the opportunity to reconvene for a feedback session.

The event will be held, appropriately, in the Van Wezel’s Grand Lobby from 5:30 to 7 p.m. It will be hosted by the Herald-Tribune Media Group, in partnership with New College of Florida, the Gulf Coast Community Foundation and, of course, Bayfront 20:20 and HR&A.