Stand at the south edge of the Centennial Park boat basin this fall and two views of The Bay sit side by side. Behind you is the construction fencing around the Centennial Park parking lot, closed for resilient shoreline work. In front of you is a finished floating day dock that boats can tie up to for free, from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.
The park opened in October 2022 and has logged more than 1.2 million visits in four years, according to the City of Sarasota's anniversary announcement. Its next 14 acres face the water. Phase 2 is grouped around the boat basin, the bayfront edge and the historic buildings along North Tamiami Trail. The Promenade on the Tamiami Trail side opened first, and the day dock on the basin came next.
What Phase 2 is building, and where it starts
The Bay Park Conservancy's Phase 2 page puts the phase at $65 million: $48 million from a City bond backed by tax increment financing, plus $17 million from grants and private sources. The work falls into three districts:
- The Canal District, along the boat basin long known as Centennial Park, with a rebuilt seawall and day docks
- The Cultural District, along North Tamiami Trail, covering the historic buildings and a new Town Square
- The Resilient Shoreline, along the bayfront edge north of the Van Wezel
The Conservancy lists the Sunset Pier project as on hold because of cost and timing. The City now gives 2027 as the expected completion date for the phase as a whole.
Open, fenced and on the calendar
Here is where each part of the site stood in the Conservancy's most recent public notices.
| Area | Status | Source date |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 park: Mangrove Bayou Walkway, Ibis Playground, Common Ground lawns, The Oval, paddle launch, The Nest Café | Open | FAQ, Sept. 30, 2026 |
| 1,000-foot Promenade along North Tamiami Trail and the restored Chidsey Library | Open | Conservancy announcement, Oct. 2025 |
| Floating day dock, south side of the Centennial Park boat basin | Open | Conservancy notice, Feb. 2026 |
| The Plaza, between Municipal Auditorium and the Art Center | Closed for construction; projected for about October 2026 | FAQ, Sept. 30, 2026; timeline, May 2026 |
| Centennial Park parking lot and the west edge of the lot north of the Van Wezel | Closed for resilient shoreline work | FAQ, Sept. 30, 2026 |
The Promenade is 16 feet wide and lined with trees. The Chidsey Library building now serves as the Conservancy's headquarters. The Plaza will carry an older name. In April 1964, then-mayor Herschel Hayo dedicated that stretch of Van Wezel Way as Plaza de Santo Domingo, for Sarasota's sister city in the Dominican Republic, and called it "the very hub of our civic life." Its centerpiece will be a large shade structure with space for events. As of the Conservancy's September notice, the area was still closed, so check the park's announcements before planning a visit around it.
If you drive, the park's FAQ lists free parking on the north side of Boulevard of the Arts and in the lots in front of the Van Wezel, the Municipal Auditorium, the Art Center and the Blue Pagoda. It asks visitors to stay out of the Sarasota Orchestra's designated spaces and off the south side of Boulevard of the Arts.
The day dock rules
The dock is on the south side of the Centennial Park boat basin and is meant for short visits to the park and the city. The Sarasota City Commission set the terms at its May 18, 2026 meeting. It dropped a proposed docking fee and adopted a limit of five consecutive hours. The City's parking general manager said boats can use the docks from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day, and that boats staying longer than five hours can be cited.
According to the Conservancy's dock notice:
- Space is first-come, first-served, with no docking fee at present.
- Boats up to 40 feet are allowed.
- Overnight docking between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. is prohibited.
- Jet skis and other personal watercraft, kayaks, paddleboards, pedal boats and dinghies are not allowed.
- The City Parking Division enforces the hours and time limits.
The dock segment across from the boat ramps was built without cleats so the channel stays clear for boats using the ramps. Kayakers and paddleboarders aren't shut out of the park. They have their own entry at the ADA-accessible paddle launch in the Phase 1 park. These rules are general information drawn from City and Conservancy notices, not legal advice. Confirm current terms with the City of Sarasota before you tie up.
The restaurant planned for the boat basin
The day dock is there partly to serve a restaurant that does not exist yet. According to Your Observer's October 18 report, the restaurant's representatives held a pre-application conference with the City's Development Review Committee on October 7. The site plan proposes a 4,999-square-foot building at the end of 10th Street, across the basin from the boat launch. That is one square foot under the 5,000-square-foot threshold that allows administrative site plan approval in the Bay Park Zone district.
The Observer quoted Philip DiMaria of the consulting firm Kimley-Horn:
"Today, we're before you to begin the process of permitting the 10th Street restaurant, which will be the first restaurant in The Bay."
The same report says the new floating day dock gives direct water access to the restaurant site. It also says more floating day docks and another boat ramp are planned for the basin. The operator will be Venice Pier Group, which runs Sharky's On The Pier and Fins at Sharky's in Venice. The Conservancy's May concept describes a Sarasota Modern building by Sweet Sparkman Architecture. It would sit on 12-foot pylons for flood resilience, with fewer than 220 indoor seats and 100 outdoor seats. It is the first of up to three restaurants planned for the center of the site.
Venice Pier Group already runs The Nest Café in the current park. The café serves made-to-order food, Kahwa coffee, cocktails, wine and beer, and the restrooms are next door.
The free weekly schedule
The park's November 2026 calendar shows a full week of free programs, most of them on the open Phase 1 grounds.
| Day | Program | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Mat Pilates | 6 p.m. |
| Tuesday | The Y: Primetime+ / Bootcamp | 7:30 a.m. / 6 p.m. |
| Wednesday | Tai Chi/Qigong | 8 a.m. |
| Thursday | The Y: Primetime+ / Namaste yoga | 7:30 a.m. / 6 p.m. |
| Friday | Guided kayak tour | 9–11 a.m. |
| Saturday | Bootcamp / Namaste yoga / Guided kayak tour | 8 a.m. / 9 a.m. / 9–11 a.m. |
| Sunday | Sundays at The Bay, local live music | 4:30–5:30 p.m. |
The calendar also lists monthly Dance at The Bay nights, including Salsa & Sunsets and Dancing with Donald. The park takes no reservations for public spaces. Bay events have priority, so visitors may be asked to move if a scheduled program needs the space.
Dates to plan around
- Sunday, Nov. 1, 1–7 p.m. Best of The Bay Music Fest closes the park's month-long One Park FOUR All anniversary celebration.
- Friday, Nov. 13, 10–11:30 a.m. Architecture Sarasota leads its "Moderns that Matter" tour.
- Saturday, Dec. 12, 4–7:45 p.m. The free Holidays at The Bay celebration. The December calendar also lists a Family Movie Night showing of Toy Story 5.
After that, the Conservancy's May 2026 timeline gives approximate completion dates, and the Conservancy describes them as approximate:
- February 2027: Municipal Auditorium renovation and the resilient shoreline
- July 2027: Centennial Park expansion, adding vehicle and trailer parking, a larger ramp area and more day docks
- September 2027: the first restaurant
- December 2027: a parking garage next to Municipal Auditorium, to replace the 800-space surface lot
The restaurant has only just started permitting, so treat its date as a target, not a promise. For now, the free day dock on the south side of the boat basin is open every day from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.
If you are weighing a bayfront home or a slip with easy access to The Bay's growing boat basin, Sarasota Beach To Bay can walk you through how the park's next phases may affect the downtown waterfront. Schedule a Private Consultation.
