Photo courtesy of The Bay Sarasota.

The Bay Park Conservancy is pleased to announce that the Fountain Garden in The Bay Park, is now open to the public. The Fountain Garden, located on the corner of Boulevard of the Arts and North Tamiami Trail, features Florida-friendly vegetation, walking paths, park benches, and a restored fountain in a historic pond. The milestone occasion was celebrated alongside friends, supporters, and key stakeholders in an informal evening reception on January 14. “When community leaders formed Bayfront 2020, they envisioned the goal of progress on The Bay Park site by the year 2020,” said AG Lafley, founding CEO of The Bay Park Conservancy. “Today, with the opening of the Fountain Garden, we are one step closer to seeing The Bay Park become a reality. We are excited about the continued progress toward our vision of creating a public park that is open, accessible, welcoming, and free to all.” 

Staying true to its guiding principles and its commitment to the environment, the restoration of the Fountain Garden replaces exotic vegetation with Florida-friendly vegetation, creates a no-mowing and no-fertilizer buffer of about 30 feet around the pond to help improve water quality, and finally, restores the historic fountain in the pond to enable aeration and improved water quality.  “Though this is a small project within our bigger initiative, it is emblematic of our dedication to create an environmentally preserved, enhanced, and sustainable Bay Park,” said Bill Waddill, Chief Implementation Officer of The Bay Park Conservancy. While this is just a preview of the park to come, the first 10-acre phase 1 is expected to break ground this summer, once the site plan is approved by the city.

Photo courtesy of The Bay Sarasota.