March 24, 2024 | Sarasota, FL. – Selby Gardens is pleased to announce that Phase Two of its transformative three-phase master plan for the Downtown Sarasota campus has reached 82% of the necessary funding, with a grand total of over $114 million raised for the entire project. Building on the success of Phase One, this next phase will further enhance Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus, securing its resilience and expanding its beauty, research facilities, and educational offerings for the community and visitors from around the world.
The capital goal for Phase Two stands at $60.9 million. $50 million has now been raised, which is 82% of the goal. The cumulative total of funds raised for both Phases One and Two has reached over the $114 million mark, including more than $8.2 million for endowment with 99% percent of all funds coming from private philanthropy.
New major commitments of $5 million, $3 million, and several at $1 million have been recently secured. The current Leadership Donors for Phase Two range from $500,000 up to $15,000,000 and include the following individuals:
LEADERSHIP DONORS:
Anonymous; Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation; Dr. Andrew Economos; The Gardener Foundation; Gutenstein Legacy Foundation; Deb Kabinoff; Marcy and Michael Klein; Katherine and Frank Martucci; Cornelia and Richard Matson; Mary Ann and John Meyer; Keith Monda and Veronica Brady; Drs. Joel Morganroth and Gail Morrison Morganroth; Laura and Kevin O’Donohue; Audrey Robbins; Jean M. Russell; Richard and Ellen Sandor; Sea Grape Foundation/Rick and Nancy Moskovitz; Steinwachs Family Foundation; The Stone Foundation; Hobart and Janis Swan; Martin and Zelia Trueb; Judy Zuckerberg and family in memory of our beloved George.
The Co-Chairs of the Phase Two Campaign effort are Gail Morganroth and Selby Gardens’ Trustee Audrey Robbins.
Co-Chair Gail Morganroth, MD, stated, “We are proud to have made significant strides in our fundraising efforts, thanks to the unwavering support of our generous community. These vital contributions are bringing us closer to realizing our vision and will play a crucial role in enhancing the future of Selby Gardens. Co-Chair Audrey Robbins added, “We are incredibly grateful for the continued dedication of our donors who are shaping the future of Selby Gardens, and we look forward to the positive changes that lie ahead.
Phase Two is expected to break ground by the end of 2025, with a completion date anticipated by the end of 2027.
Selby Gardens Board Chair Joel Morganroth, MD, remarked, “I am incredibly proud to acknowledge the national and international recognition that Selby Gardens has received from prestigious outlets such as Time Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Travel & Leisure, Vogue, and USA Today. This recognition is not just an honor; it serves as a powerful testament to the innovative and essential work that Selby Gardens is doing to ensure resiliency, advance the preservation of our natural world, promote scientific research, and enrich communities worldwide. These accolades reflect the commitment of our team, our supporters, and our mission to continue driving meaningful impact and inspiring a deeper connection to nature for generations to come.”
Phase Two consists of a new Conservatory Complex, a Learning Pavilion, and key landscape features. The new Conservatory Complex will be the crown jewel of the Downtown Sarasota campus – a stunning crystal palace filled with more than 20,000 plants from Selby Gardens’ living research collections (including the best scientifically documented collections of orchids and bromeliads in the world). Building on the innovative sustainability leadership established in Phase One, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is committed to advancing this legacy with 100% renewable energy, sustainable water harvesting, and resilient design to inspire future generations and protect its collections. These initiatives ensure a resilient infrastructure that supports the Gardens’ environmental stewardship, designed not only to serve generations of visitors but also to safeguard the organization’s invaluable botanical collections. This commitment positions Selby Gardens as a model for cultural and botanical institutions, embracing a forward-thinking approach to resilience and resource efficiency.
Today, the public can see less than 5% of Selby Gardens’ living research collections; the new Conservatory Complex will make nearly 100% of Selby Gardens’ world-renowned collected plants visible to the public. In addition, a new Learning Pavillion will feature enhanced facilities for all of Selby Gardens’ education programs.
Highlights of Phase Two:
- A hurricane-resilient, Conservatory Complex to house and protect Selby Gardens’ world-renowned living collections with increased accessibility to the public within an immersive botanical experience;
- A new indoor/outdoor state-of-the art Learning Pavilion to offer enhanced learning opportunities and accommodate expanded school programs and lifelong learning;
- Expanded Garden features including a Taras Stone Garden, Live Oak Grove, and improved walkways and pathways within Selby Gardens’ existing footprint in the heart of Downtown Sarasota.
Selby Gardens President and CEO Jennifer O. Rominiecki stated, “We have tremendous gratitude for everyone who believes in the mission and dynamic future of Selby Gardens, and we are excited to embark on this next phase of our Master Plan. Our botanical gardens’ living research collection is a vital resource for conservation, education, and innovation. Protecting it from the increasing threats of hurricanes is not just a necessity; it’s our responsibility. By investing in resilience measures, we ensure that this invaluable collection can continue to thrive and contribute to important research even in the face of extreme weather. Phase Two will also allow for expanded displays of our collection, which will be on view to the public. Together, we are committed to creating innovative educational facilities and safeguarding our natural heritage for future generations.”
The recent January 2024 completion of Phase One added 188,033 sq. ft of new amenities to Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus and features:
- The cutting-edge Morganroth Family Living Energy Access Facility (LEAF), which houses parking, a garden-to-plate restaurant—The Green Orchid by Michael’s On East, a new gift shop, vertical gardens, and a nearly 50,000 square-foot solar array that makes Selby Gardens the first net-positive energy botanical garden complex in the world;
- The state-of-the-art Steinwachs Family Plant Research Center, which secures irreplaceable scientific resources in a hurricane-resilient structure and provides a window into once behind-the-scenes world-class research. The facility contains the Elaine Nicpon Marieb Herbarium and Laboratory (housing preserved collections of more than 125,000 dried and pressed plant specimens and molecular scientific work), as well as a research library (with priceless volumes dating to the 1700s), spirit laboratory (with more than 35,000 specimens preserved in fluid—the second largest collection of its kind in the world), conference rooms, administrative offices, as well as a rooftop garden and solar array;
- The open-air Jean Goldstein Welcome Center consisting of a ticketing pavilion, welcome gallery, and welcome theater to properly accommodate and orient guests;
- a major stormwater management system to divert and clean millions of gallons of water each year before it is returned to Sarasota Bay;
- a publicly accessible multiuse recreational trail enabling multimodal transportation to the campus and the bayfront;
- off-site roadway improvements, which also make access easier and safer;
- and a number of new garden and water features with more open space, including a Lily Pond Garden, Glades Garden, and the restoration of historic Palm Avenue as a pedestrian-only promenade.
Attracting over 300,000 visitors a year, Selby Gardens is looking toward the future with this ambitious expansion for its Downtown Sarasota campus, which is one of the most biodiverse botanical gardens in the world. The Phase Two project team has been guided by the international landscape architecture studio OLIN with architecture by Sweet Sparkman Architecture & Interiors, civil engineer Kimley-Horn and Associates, MEP by Engineering Matrix, structural engineering by TY Lin Silman and conservatory advisory by Ron Determann and Jeffrey Woolsey and renderings by L Design. Willis Smith Construction serves as the construction manager.
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