Initiative to raise shoreline elevations, replace seawalls and other hardened features with natural alternatives and install green infrastructure to filter stormwater
This week, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County announced that it had awarded a $400,000 grant to help transform a stretch of land within the City of Sarasota’s 53-acre downtown Bay Park “into a living shoreline designed to mitigate the impact of future storms and provide lasting environmental benefits to the area.”
An Oct. 20 news release explains, “The project will raise shoreline elevations, replace seawalls and other hardened features with natural alternatives, install green infrastructure to filter stormwater and more. The improvements are expected to reduce the City of Sarasota’s vulnerability to storm surge and coastal flooding, help protect adjacent infrastructure, improve water quality in Sarasota Bay and restore nearby coastal habitat,” the release notes.
In addition to the physical changes to the shoreline, the grant dollars will be used to create public educational opportunities so residents, businesses and nonprofit organizations “can learn about the techniques used to create natural shorelines and implement those best practices in their own work,” the release points out.
The foundation’s grant was made to The Bay Park Conservancy, the nonprofit that manages The Bay Park and raises private funding for the park’s facilities. “The resilient shoreline project is part of Phase 2 in the organization’s long-term transformation plan for the public park that is open and accessible to all,” the release notes.
The Community Foundation’s grant comes on the heels of a $2-million donation match challenge created by The Bay Park and the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, “doubling the impact of the investment,” the release adds.
“The Bay’s shoreline will act as a model for sustainable, resilient waterfront design for all of Florida’s Gulf Coast,” said Jessica Muroff, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, in the release. “It builds on proven strategies that can be used by homeowners, businesses and local governments throughout the region. This project, and those it inspires, will help our community become stronger in the face of catastrophic storms like those we experienced in 2024,” she added in the release.
Elements of the resilient shoreline initiative are as follows:
- Raising elevations from 5 feet above sea level to as high as 9.5 feet in some areas;
- Replacing hardened shoreline elements with natural systems that dissipate wave energy and reduce erosion;
- Installing rain gardens (depressed areas in a landscape that collect rainwater and allow it to soak into the ground) and other green infrastructure to capture, filter and treat stormwater before it enters Sarasota Bay;
- Planting Florida-friendly, salt-tolerant trees and greenery that stabilize the shoreline;
- Strengthening the shoreline with larger-sized riprap (layers of stones that protect soil from erosion);
- Installing accessible waterfront walkways, seating and shaded areas;
- Providing accessible public education programs so community members can learn why resilient shorelines are important and how they can implement similar strategies;
- Sharing key lessons and takeaways from the project with the public so that other communities can emulate its success.
“The project will help treat 4.1 million gallons of stormwater each year, reducing pollution in Sarasota Bay and improving water quality,” the release further notes.
“These improvements build on The Bay’s completed Phase 1, which included similar upgrades to an adjacent piece of shoreline,” the release continues. “In 2024, when Sarasota was battered by Tropical Storm Debby and Hurricanes Helene and Milton, “The Bay remained open to the public, showcasing how resilient shorelines can mitigate the impact of storms,” the release points out.
“This important grant builds on the Community Foundation’s longstanding support and helps advance the promise of One Park for All,” said AG Lafley, CEO of the Bay Park Conservancy, in the release. “Creating a ‘Ribbon of Resilience’ along the shoreline will help The Bay serve as both a first line of defense against storms and a last line of defense for Sarasota Bay by filtering polluted stormwater before it reaches the water. Just as important,” he continued in the release, “the lessons learned here can be shared and applied by municipalities, businesses and homeowners throughout the region,” Lafley added.
“The Community Foundation’s grant was made through the organization’s Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund, which was created in partnership with The Patterson Foundation in the days before Hurricane Ian made landfall in 2022. To date, the fund has granted nearly $6.9 million to organizations that provide home repairs and rebuilding, mental and behavioral health support, legal case management, youth and children’s services, environmental restoration and more,” the release says.
“The fund anchors the Community Foundation’s broader Recovery and Resilience Initiative, which reflects its evolving strategy of working alongside partners, stakeholders and residents to strengthen the community’s ability to recover from disasters and prepare for future challenges,” the release notes.