About The Bay

The Bay is a signature, public park along Sarasota Bay. Designed to be “one park for all,” The Bay is open and accessible, free and welcoming to the full and rich diversity of the community, now and for generations to come.

The Bay preserves, restores and transforms 53 acres of precious city-owned land along Sarasota Bay into a blue and green oasis – providing a sustainable bayfront gathering place for the community to experience and enjoy a wide range of park uses, free programs and events.

The first 10-acre phase of the park opened in October 2022. Phase 2, the next 14-acre $65 million development, will begin in the Summer of 2023. The completed park in total will cost an estimated $175-200 million and will take approximately 8-10 years to complete over 4 or more phases.

Guiding Principles

One Park for All: Enables community aspirations to become an everyday reality. Free and welcoming, open and accessible to the full and rich diversity of our community, now and for generations to come.
Transformation: Transforms a parking lot into a park.
Blue & Green Oasis: Preserves, restores and transforms 53 acres of precious city-owned land along Sarasota Bay into a blue & green oasis.
Sustainable in Every Way: Great parks help make great cities. A park that is financially feasible, operationally doable, and environmentally sustainable – built and operated to last for generations to come.
A Gathering Place: What will you do at The Bay today? There’s something for everyone to enjoy. The Bay is an enlivened destination encouraging people to come together, to share with family and friends, to enjoy being with nature and to experience new and favorite activities.
A Community of Partnerships: A community of partnerships enables The Bay to be “one park for all.” Thanks to the countless citizens, groups, partners, foundations, businesses, government and others who contribute their time and talents, hard work and hard-earned money to help ensure the aspirations of the community are realized every day at The Bay.

The Bay Park Conservancy

The Bay Park Conservancy (BPC) was formed as a 501c3 not-for-profit organization in 2019 to implement the Master Plan approved by the Sarasota City Commission to conserve 53 acres of public land for a signature park along Sarasota Bay. The BPC entered a long-term partnership with the City to help fund, develop, operate, maintain and program the park for the benefit of the community now, and for generations to come.

BPC Board and Executive Team

The Bay Park Conservancy is led by a local executive team and board of directors. Learn more about the team here.

BPC is an Equal Opportunity Employer

BPC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Prohibits Discrimination and Harassment of Any Kind. BPC is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, HIV Status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. BPC will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics