Founding CEO of nonprofit emphasizes lower rental fees for historic structures associated with downtown park
A unanimous vote of the Sarasota City Commission this week is expected to produce more economical rental opportunities for a variety of people and entities wishing to use structures that are associated with the downtown Bay Park.
On Jan. 5, the board members approved an amendment to the city’s partnership agreement with the Bay Park Conservancy that added the historic Chidsey Library building and the Municipal Auditorium to the existing list of structures that the nonprofit organization manages in conjunction with its park oversight.
While the Conservancy operates the park, it also plans the amenities and raises private funding for them. As the new city agreement puts it, the Conservancy “has, for more than 5 years, operated as the exclusive design, planning, development, co-funding and operating partner [of the city] with respect to the Master Plan” for the park. That plan laid out the parameters for how the city’s approximately 53 bayfront acres in downtown Sarasota would be transformed “into an iconic public city park,” the agreement also explains.
The Conservancy had been in charge of The Garden Club, the Blue Pagoda and the Bayfront Community Center since 2022, as noted in the Agenda Request Form for the Jan. 5 item. The separate usage agreements for those buildings have been terminated, thanks to the City Commission decision this week, so one agreement will cover all of the facilities.
The Chidsey Library, with approximately 6,000 square feet of interior space and landscaped exterior space, stands at 701 N. Tamiami Trail, while the Municipal Auditorium and the Bayfront Community Center comprise the parcels located at 801, 803 and 809 N. Tamiami Trail, a city document says.
The vote followed an exchange among the commissioners and Jennifer Jorgensen, the City of Sarasota’s governmental relations manager, and A.G. Lafley, the founding CEO of the Bay Park Conservancy.
In response to questions posed by Vice Mayor Kathy Kelley Ohlrich, Lafley explained, “The net effect of all of this is that in addition to conserving [and] restoring the land and the water [within the 53-acre park’s limits], we’re conserving, restoring four buildings that happen to be on the National Historic Register and are treasures for our community.”
He added, “The advantage to the community is that we will have more indoor facilities to host park activities and events. We do live in a climate that can be tough,” Lafley pointed out, with a rainy season and hot and humid conditions.
Further, he explained, the Conservancy’s management of the two additional buildings will allow them to be used for public events, such as candidates’ forums and meetings of the Coalition of City Neighborhood Associations of Sarasota (CCNA).
The Chidsey Library and the Municipal Auditorium both are spaces that can be rented, he noted. The only structures under Conservancy management that have been available for rent have been the Garden Club, on a part-time basis, and the Blue Pagoda.
“And by the way,” he stressed, “those rental fees are significantly below, you know, commercial rental fees …” He cited the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and Holley Hall as two examples of more expensive venues to rent.
“We cover costs, plus a very, very modest margin,” Lafley further emphasized his point.
Mayor Debbie Trice told him that she had planned to ask him how the rental fees for the Bay Park buildings would compare to those the city charged in the past for those structures.
“Some will go up,” he replied. “Most will eventually go up,” he continued, because of three factors: preventive maintenance, ongoing capital improvements and the provision of the cleaning of each facility “for every rental partner.”
He also pointed out, “We provide set-up, if requested,” and Conservancy staff takes time to do “certain very basic things,” such as meeting before events with representatives of the entities renting the facilities, unlocking the doors before and after the buildings have been used, and making certain that the security systems have been rearmed.
Thus, he said, the Conservancy has “very modest management, administrative costs.”
“I’m assuming that your calendar is pretty much set well in advance,” Trice then told him. “I’m wondering what percentage of time Bay Park activities would be programmed and which percentage of time would be available for private rentals,” she added.
The Conservancy staff tries to plan out its programs and activities a year in advance, Lafley replied. The percentage of time it will use the facilities will depend on multiple factors, he continued.
For example, Lafley said, some rentals of the Municipal Auditorium are booked on an annual, recurring basis, especially popular events.
For another example, he noted, weddings may be booked well in advance at the auditorium, but, at other times — if an opening becomes available — they can be booked just two weeks out.
“So you don’t expect that potential renters will be especially disadvantaged?” Trice asked.
“No,” he told her. “I expect they’ll be advantaged with more venues,” with more variation in “the rental fees and the rental accommodations. I think they’ll have more choices.”
“Well, great!” Trice responded.
Diving into facets of the new agreement
Vice Mayor Kathy Kelley Ohlrich did ask Lafley about Item No. 6 in the new agreement, regarding use of management areas. She read one line, asking him to explain it.
That line said, “All uses of the Management Areas, such as programming space, rental space, events, activities and operation must be managed, rented and utilized in accordance with the City’s ordinances and policies.”
Jorgensen, the governmental relations manager, told Ohlrich that, for example, if a special event is planned that will necessitate closing down rights of way, a city ordinance requires the event planner to obtain a permit for that action. Sound permits are required, as well, for some special events, Jorgensen added.
When Ohlrich asked who enforces such activities, Jorgensen replied that, depending on what was involved, city staff — such as the Special Events team and Code Enforcement personnel — and the Sarasota Police Department would handle that aspect of a rental.
In regard to a section in the agreement about maintenance and security, Ohlrich then asked, “Who does security now?”
Jorgensen told her that the Police Department does. However, Jorgensen added, the Conservancy and the city — through their ongoing agreement related to The Bay Park — is responsible for any security measures beyond what would be considered “normal security.” One example, she said, is the use of security cameras.
Lafley then interjected that The Bay Park may be the only city park or civic space in Sarasota that has “invested in a rather sophisticated security system. We’ve coordinated hand-in-hand with [the Police Department] in the use of it.”
In fact, he noted, the Police Department had arrested two individuals who have been charged with theft from The Bay Park; officers did recover the stolen property. Moreover, Lafley continued, Police Department personnel “found a whole slew of additional stolen property … This is a hand-in-glove operation that has benefited the community and the city beyond the park. And we will carefully and selectively extend the security that we’ve started in the park as we add additional phases to the park.”
For some occasions, Lafley pointed out, the Conservancy hires private security personnel. That is typical with events that take place at night, he indicated, especially when a large number of attendees is anticipated, particularly families with children. The regular Movie Nights are an example of when private security is on hand to complement personnel from the Police Department, Lafley noted.
Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch ended up making the motion to approve the new agreement between the city and the Conservancy, while Commissioner Kyle Battie seconded it.