- May 12, 2024
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As Michael Klauber listed the board members of an organization that will spearhead a planning effort to revitalize the bayfront, he was effusive with praise for the newly assembled group.
Klauber, the leader of Sarasota Bayfront 20:20, has been pushing for a community-backed plan to redevelop 42 acres of city-owned property around the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall for nearly three years.
Now, the planning organization — a mix of former business executives and prominent community activists — represented a means to move from conceptual discussions to legitimate proposals for transforming the bayfront.
“These are people with great experience in making big decisions,” Klauber said.
At a Bayfront 20:20 stakeholders meeting Friday, there was some concern regarding the planning phase. Various organizations had been involved in the process from the beginning. What would happen when the power was turned over to a small group?
Klauber said Bayfront 20:20 leaders structured the organization to keep the public in the loop. The group will conduct its meetings in the public eye. A fluid “resource team” is intended to allow arts organizations, bayfront tenants, city staff and others to support its work.
During the planning process, Bayfront 20:20 will continue to function as a separate entity.
“That can never go away,” Klauber said.
Asked to justify the makeup of the board, Klauber explained why no planning professionals were included, saying the organization is responsible for hiring a professional planning firm to develop a blueprint for redevelopment.
Kathy Kelley Ohlrich, chairwoman of the Coalition of City Neighborhood Associations, said residents and others involved with Bayfront 20:20 would continue to pursue an active role in the planning process.
“I think it behooves us as 20:20 stakeholders to do more than eavesdrop on what this board is going to be doing,” she said. “We can’t get lost in the shuffle now.”
Looking for impartial decision-makers, Klauber and other Bayfront 20:20 leaders turned to the region’s community foundations to develop a shortlist of board candidates. Those who agreed to take on the responsibility will adhere to the guiding prinaciples approved by Sarasota Bayfront 20:20, Klauber said.
Although the group hasn’t formally met yet, board members have pledged to listen closely to the direction of the community.
“I live in the downtown area and I have for maybe 25 years, so it’s my neighborhood,” said Cathy Layton, former chairwoman of the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens board of directors. “I am a community advocate.”
As the planning organization attempts to complete its work over the next 18 months — at which point any proposal would be subject to city approval — the goal is to keep the entire community engaged.
“I don’t see them as taking over altogether, because they’re going to seek the resources available to them,” Ohlrich said. “I’m pretty confident and hopeful that this ends up being what we want.”
Here’s a list of who’s on the board of directors for the new bayfront planning organization:
