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Selby Gardens Issues Request for Proposals for Master Site Plan

*Please note that the open Conference Call cited in the attached document has been changed to October 13 at 2:00pm.

The project focuses on use of the 15-acre property over the next 25 – 30 years

As the 40-year-old Marie Selby Botanical Gardens continues to attract record numbers of visitors and members, its board of trustees is soliciting proposals from designer landscape firms to consider how the institution’s footprint will evolve over the next several decades.

A Request for Qualifications and Proposals (RFQP) related to Selby Gardens’ master site plan was issued by the board today. The deadline to respond to the project is October 21, and the board will select a vendor as master site planner on November 14, 2016. Selby Gardens comprises nearly 15 acres within the city of Sarasota overlooking Sarasota Bay. It is the only botanical garden in the world focused on the study and display of epiphytes, or plants that grow on other plants without harming them, such as orchids, bromeliads, gesneriads and ferns.

“The time for a viable Master Plan and the ability to implement it has never been more appropriate,” said Dr. Kelvin Cooper, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees and Chairman of the Master Planning Committee. “Selby Gardens is on solid footing. Revenues have increased 36% in the past three years, and membership and attendance are in record territory. We have a solid group of major contributors and a talented team of professionals in our employ.”

The 14-page RFQP asks all respondents to consider three key areas in their replies:

  • A campus master land use plan that considers opportunities to expand upon the “greening” of the campus through LEED or LEED-like projects, especially related to stormwater runoff, greenhouses, carbon footprint, recycling and any other systems or improvements that can serve as an example of  sustainable design and operations.
  • Space Inventory and Utilization Assessment of the current Gardens layout.
  • Vehicle, Pedestrian/Bicycle Circulation and Parking Plan

As part of the bidding process, Selby Gardens has asked all respondents to consider the impacts of the soon-to-be revised zoning code of the City of Sarasota, which  is known as the “Urban Design Studio” (UDS). Public hearings on the new code will be held in late 2016 and early 2017,and the code is expected to be adopted in April 2017, at the earliest. Selby Gardens will be an active participant in the public hearing, and will also consult with nearby neighbors as it considers its future growth.

A conference call for interested respondents will be held on October 13 at 2:00 PM. Full copies of the RFQP are available here.