Plans for the large scale project to remodel Downtown Sarasota’s bayfront known as “The Bay” that we mentioned last December have finally been approved by the city. The Bay will be a 53-acre project that costs somewhere between $250-300 million and will include a new performing arts center, pedestrian bridges, waterfront promenade, a casual restaurant, an event lawn, children’s play spaces, botanical gardens, a history center, and more. This decision also largely answers the question of what will become of Van Wezel – the approved plan includes Van Wezel in addition to the new performing arts center, so Van Wezel will most likely be preserved and repurposed for other uses, while the Sarasota orchestra and other performers will occupy the new performing arts center. The entire project will be constructed in phases and is estimated to take 10-15 years to complete. With all the new commercial projects being developed in Downtown Sarasota, The Bay will surely be an excellent place for all the new faces to come together and learn what makes Sarasota such a great place to live.

For more information about The Bay’s approved plans, read Nicole Rodriguez’s article on the Herald Tribune.