SARASOTA – The master plan calls for a new hall to sit on stilts. What is a parking lot now, will soon become a Bayfront park with, what Van Wezel Foundation considers its crown jewel, in the center of it all.
The 50-year-old Van Wezel Hall presents challenges in providing a world-class performing arts center to the Suncoast. After six years of planning, the city of Sarasota approved the master plan about a year ago.
The Van Wezel Foundation plans to take the vision of creating a new performing art center to new heights… literally and figuratively.
Planning ahead for ecological conditions related to sea rise, CEO of the Van Wezel Foundation, Cheryl Mendelson, says the building will sit on stilts.
“The idea is you go to the baseline of FEMA and then we take a look at how we would need to raise on this flat surface here in a parking lot,” Cheryl Mendelson said. “What height the building would need to be at. So, that in essence, puts the building up onto stilts.”
The idea of raising the building parallels the vision of elevating Sarasota, enhancing the patron experience.
“The power of the arts has the ability to really change people’s lives,” Mendelson said. “And so, we want to invest in it here as a community, and we feel that a new performing arts center will really just bring us to new heights.”
The foundation is looking to Sarasota residents to provide feedback. Mendelson says, so far, the results have shown, people want to enhance their Bayfront.
Sarasota resident, Nancy Shapiro, loves the idea of a new hall.
“It’s a beautiful location and it shouldn’t be a parking lot,” Nancy Shapiro said. “And right now, it’s a parking lot with a lot of acres.”
While it would replace the parking lot, the new hall would utilize its space efficiently to ensure parking. The new center will be located at the highest point of the 53 acres just south of 10th street. They hope to complete this project in about 5 years.
If you want to join the conversation, visit sarasotapac.org.