Between the Municipal Auditorium and the Art Center, along Van Wezel Way, the site of The Bay's new public Plaza is still closed for construction. It was supposed to open last month. In May, the Bay Park Conservancy listed "October 2026" for the Town Square on Van Wezel Way and gave it a name with history. In April 1964, then-mayor Herschel Hayo dedicated the ground as Plaza de Santo Domingo, for Sarasota's sister city, and, as the Conservancy's May update recounts, called it "the very hub of our civic life." The new space keeps that idea under a simpler name, The Plaza.
That date has slipped. This winter at The Bay happens around two construction zones, and the finished bayfront section and the boat basin carry the season instead.
Why the Plaza Became a Summer 2027 Project
The change came quietly. At the Conservancy's July 21 board meeting, staff reported that The Plaza was "running behind schedule due to shade structure construction challenges" and would be "completed by Summer 2027." The shade structure is the main feature of the design, built over space for programming, events, gathering and rentals.
When we covered The Bay in August, October was still the published target. Today it is summer 2027, so for the 2026–27 season the Cultural District edge along North Tamiami Trail stays a work zone.
Which Edges Are Closed, and Where to Park
The Conservancy's park FAQ, updated Nov. 8, lists three closures under Phase 2B:
- The western edge of the parking lot just north of the Van Wezel, closed for resilient shoreline work
- The Centennial Park parking lot, closed for the same shoreline work
- The area between the Municipal Auditorium and the Art Center, closed for The Plaza
Free parking is still available at the Van Wezel lot at 777 N. Tamiami Trail, at the Municipal Auditorium and Blue Pagoda lot at 655 N. Tamiami Trail, along the north side of Blvd of the Arts, and on the street in the Rosemary District just east of the Trail. The Conservancy asks visitors not to park on the south side of Blvd of the Arts or in the Sarasota Orchestra's designated spaces. Drop-off and 30-minute parking are in the lot next to the park at 1055 Blvd of the Arts. The Conservancy also posts a construction-period parking and walkway map, which helps before an evening event when the closest lots fill up.
The park is open daily from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Breeze bus stops #2671 on Blvd of the Arts and #2672 and #1284 on North Tamiami Trail are all within a short walk. The city's multi-use recreational trail runs along North Tamiami Trail on both sides of the park, so walking or biking avoids the parking lots altogether.
The Finished Bayfront Section Carries the Season
All three closures are on the edges, along the Trail side and the boat basin. The finished bayfront section is open, and it hosts a free program on almost every day of the week. The Conservancy's September 2026 park map shows the open areas: The Nest, the Oval, the Common Ground lawn, the Sunset Deck and the kayak launch. The resilient shoreline, The Plaza and the first restaurant are all marked "Coming Soon!"
The park recently marked four years and more than 1.2 million visits with a month of over 70 free events. The regular weekly schedule continues from there. The November calendar lists these free classes:
| Day | Morning | Evening |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Mat Pilates, 6 to 6:45 p.m. | |
| Tuesday | YMCA Primetime+, 7:30 to 8:15 a.m. | Bootcamp, 6 to 6:45 p.m. |
| Wednesday | Tai Chi and Qigong, 8 to 8:45 a.m. | Dance, generally 6:30 p.m. |
| Thursday | YMCA Primetime+, 7:30 to 8:15 a.m. | Namaste yoga, 6 to 7 p.m. |
| Saturday | Bootcamp, 8 to 8:45 a.m.; yoga, 9 to 10 a.m. |
On the water, the calendar lists free Ride and Paddle guided kayak tours, usually Friday and Saturday mornings from 9 to 11 a.m. Visitors can also bring their own kayak or paddleboard to the launch, and rentals are available on site on select days.
Sunday afternoons now belong to the "Sundays at The Bay" concert series, free from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., which ends right around sunset this time of year. Upcoming dates:
- Nov. 22: J Santi
- Nov. 29: Grace Burke & Gannon Torrella
- Dec. 6: The Barbara King Quartet, with Jazz Club Sarasota
- Dec. 13: COVERGIRL Band
- Dec. 20: Ace Suggs
- Dec. 27: The Copper Piano, Dueling Pianos
The Tour That Goes Through the Construction Zone
The closed Cultural District edge is also the subject of one tour. "Moderns that Matter," led with Architecture Sarasota, covers the park's historic buildings and the structures planned for the site. That includes the Municipal Auditorium, now under renovation, and the Plaza that will sit beside it. Tours start at 10 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 20 and Friday, Dec. 11.
The Chidsey Library building next door shows where this edge is headed. Its rehabilitation earned Sarasota firm Sweet Sparkman a 2026 AIA Florida Design Honor Award and an award from the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation.
December Moves to the Lawn After Dark
Cinema at The Bay starts Saturday, Nov. 21, with a sing-along The Sound of Music, which replaces a Nov. 19 screening that was canceled. December has a holiday lineup, all at 7 p.m.:
- The Holiday, Dec. 3
- It's a Wonderful Life, Dec. 10
- Love Actually, Dec. 17
The calendar says cinema returns in 2027 after that run.
The biggest night of the season is Saturday, Dec. 12, when the fifth annual Holidays at The Bay runs from 4 to 7:45 p.m., presented by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. The program includes Santa photos, crafts with Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation teaching artists, Mr. Stevey, Santa's Frosty Follies, and a screening of Toy Story 5. There will also be a Sarasota County Pop-Up Library, three food trucks, and Frozen Candy Cane Lemonade at The Nest Café.
The listing notes that the event may be canceled for bad weather. That happened this season: the Best of The Bay Music Fest on Nov. 1, planned as the last event of the anniversary month, was called off because of a forecast of frequent rain and thunderstorms. Check The Bay's calendar the day of the event.
Arriving by Water Skips the Parking Problem
With two lots closed, the floating day docks are an easy way in for anyone with a boat. They sit on the south side of the Centennial Park boat basin, just north of 10th Street, and opened to the public in February. The docks were designed for 13 or more boats of about 26 feet, and vessels up to 40 feet are allowed. Space is first come, first served. There is a strict five-hour limit, and no overnight docking between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.
The docks will stay free for a long time. Your Observer reported in May that the city dropped a proposed $2-per-hour fee because federal money helped pay for the docks, and by law no fees can be charged for at least 20 years. The docks are also built for a restaurant that doesn't exist yet. On Oct. 7, the team behind a 4,999-square-foot waterfront restaurant at the end of 10th Street went before the city's Development Review Committee for a pre-application conference, Your Observer reported. Venice Pier Group, which runs Sharky's on the Pier and Fins at Sharky's, will operate it. The Conservancy's May timeline put its opening in fall 2027.
The Funding Decision That Decides Next Winter
The current closures are for Phase 2 work, which has its own timeline. The Conservancy's May schedule gives February 2027 for the Municipal Auditorium renovation and the resilient shoreline, and the July board minutes give summer 2027 for The Plaza. Whether Phase 3 construction follows depends on funding, and the funding picture changed on Nov. 3.
Florida voters passed Amendment 3 with 62% of the vote. According to Sarasota County, it raises the homestead exemption on non-school property taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. In July, the Conservancy's board heard that the city and county had approved plans for Centennial Park, Phase 3A, a project of about $19 million with an expanded boat launch, more trailer parking, new restrooms and better walkways. The same report said the County Commission had not committed its share and might wait for the November referendum.
The city side was also on hold. As Your Observer reported in August, City Manager Karie Friling recommended pausing six major projects until after the election, including Phase 3 construction at The Bay, which is estimated at $59 million to $69 million. She cited an estimated $5.5 million loss in property tax revenue by fiscal year 2029. The city's financial administration director, Kelly Strickland, told commissioners that "anything that's paid for with The Bay TIF has to have a three-way approval, which is the city, the county and the Bay Park Improvement Board."
Back in May, the Conservancy noted that property tax reform could lead the county to move its Bay TIF revenue into its general fund instead of putting 25% toward park capital projects. The County Commission's first meetings after the election were set for Nov. 17 and 18. The county's decision on its Centennial Park share affects the parts of the park boaters use most: the launch, the trailer parking and the restrooms next to the basin.
If you would like to talk about what the park's next phases could mean for your corner of downtown Sarasota, The Real Schafers would be glad to hear from you. Tell us your story.
