Bay Park Improvement Board accepting applications

Deadline is 5 p.m. on Sept. 24 for those interested in community member seat

A rendering shows an aerial view of the Bay Park. Image courtesy Bay Park Conservancy

Applications are being accepted for a community member seat on the new Bay Park Improvement Board, the City of Sarasota has announced.

The Bay is a community, city and park conservancy initiative that has been designed to transform 53 acres of city-owned land, which mostly comprises parking lots, “into a signature public park on Sarasota Bay,” a news release explains. “Once complete, The Bay will include a wide range of park uses that will be open, accessible and free to the entire community,” the release points out. Learn more at thebaysarasota.org.

Candidate qualifications for the board are as follows, a news release explains:

  • A person must be a City of Sarasota or Sarasota County resident.
  • A person must own property in the city of Sarasota in an area adjacent to or within the Tax Increment Financing District or be experienced in creating, overseeing or managing a Tax Increment Financing District(TIF). (The TIF is expected to provide close to $200 million for park amenities over a period of 30 years. It is overseen by a board appointed by the City and County commissions.)
  • Candidates also should have been active in supporting the Bay Park Conservancy, such as having participated in Bayfront 20:20 or the Bay Park Master Plan process.

The appointment will be for a two-year term, the release adds.

Requirements and an online application may be found on the City of Sarasota’s website. The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 24.

For questions or more information about applying, contact the City Auditor and Clerk’s Office at 941-263-6222.