SARASOTA, Fla., February 17, 2021 – The Sarasota City Commission voted 4-1 on Tuesday, February 16 to give final approval to Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ Compromise Master Plan.
The approval allows Selby Gardens’ 15-acre Downtown Sarasota campus to realize its full potential, while also preserving its important history for the generations to come. Through the implementation of the Master Plan, Selby Gardens will safeguard and showcase the world’s best scientifically documented collections of orchids and bromeliads; add more open space; become an international model for the latest green building technology; accommodate its visitor base; and connect the underserved families and children in our region to the wonders of Selby Gardens. The plan also calls for the creation of a new stormwater purification and solar energy plant on site, making the campus the first-ever net-positive botanical garden complex in the world.
“We are thrilled to be able to stay in downtown Sarasota in a way that allows Selby Gardens to be environmentally and financially sustainable for generations to come,” said Jennifer Rominiecki, President and CEO of Selby Gardens. “These improvements will move our scientific and living collections out of harm’s way and into secure structures, using the latest green building technology. We are proud that this plan upholds our past and also ensures Selby Gardens’ future.”
Selby Gardens has set a goal of breaking ground on Phase I late this spring. The three-phase plan will take several years to complete. Selby Gardens’ Board of Trustees is spearheading the fundraising campaign, Innovating a Greener Future – Living Inspiration for The Living Museum®: The Campaign for Selby Gardens, and has raised more than 80 percent of the funds needed to implement Phase I. The three-phase plan is expected to cost $92 million, which breaks down to $72 million for construction and $20 million for endowment and operations. Of the $42.5 million needed to implement the first phase of the Master Plan, $35 million has been raised.
“Over the past several years, Selby Gardens has worked tirelessly to eliminate longstanding debt and set the course for a sustainable future,” said Rominiecki. “We thank the City Commission and City staff for their efforts, which will result in Selby Gardens remaining an extraordinary jewel in the heart of Downtown Sarasota.”
The Master Plan includes the following three phases:
Phase I:
• A new Welcome Center to properly accommodate and orient guests.
• A cutting-edge Plant Research Center that will include a state-of-the-art Herbarium and Laboratory as well as a Research Library to appropriately steward rare books and prints dating to the 1700s.
• The Living Energy Access Facility (LEAF) that will house parking, a gift shop and a garden-level restaurant – capped with a 50,000-square-foot solar array that will make Selby Gardens the world’s first net-positive botanical garden complex. As part of the LEAF, a stormwater filtration system will treat stormwater runoff and return clean water to Sarasota Bay.
Phase II:
• A hurricane-resilient greenhouse complex to house the world-renowned living collections.
• A Learning Pavilion, which will offer expanded capacity for school programs and enhance indoor and outdoor classroom space for children and adults.
Phase III:
• Restoration of the landmark Payne Mansion, which serves as the Museum of Botany & the Arts.
• Unification of all walking paths throughout the Gardens.
• Bolstering of sea walls surrounding the property and renovation of docks.
The Compromise Master Plan has been guided by the international landscape architecture studio OLIN, building architecture firm Overland Partners and civil engineer Kimley Horn. Willis Smith Construction will serve as the construction manager for the project.
To connect local citizens with the jobs this project will create, Selby Gardens will spearhead a job training program where local citizens can learn trades and earn credentials in high-demand fields such as plumbing, electrical, HVAC and machining. This will be accomplished through a new partnership with Willis Smith Construction, Gulf Coast Builders Exchange and the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce’s CareerEdge Funders Collaborative. Contractors who hire these trainees will have priority during the bidding process.