Selby Gardens Announces 66% of Funds Raised for Phase Two of Master Plan

November 18, 2024 | Sarasota

In the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is forging ahead with its vital plans for resiliency. Selby Gardens is grateful to announce that Phase Two of its ambitious three-phase master plan for the Downtown Sarasota campus reached 66% of funds required, marking $103 million raised for the entire project. Building on the success of Phase One, this next phase will further enhance Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus, securing its resiliency and expanding its beauty, research facilities, and educational offerings for the community and visitors from around the world.

The capital goal for Phase Two stands at $60.9 million. $40.3 million has now been raised, which is more than 66% of the goal.  The cumulative total of funds raised for both Phases One and Two has reached the $103 million mark, including nearly $8 million for endowment with 99% percent of all funds coming from private philanthropy.

A visionary Selby Gardens Trustee who wishes to remain anonymous stepped forward to make a transformational commitment of $15 million to advance Phase Two.  Board Chair Dr. Joel Morganroth and his wife and Campaign Co-Chair Dr. Gail Morrison Morganroth have made a new commitment of $5 million to Phase Two, bringing their total commitment to the Master Plan to $10.5 million. The current Leadership Donors for Phase Two range from $500,000 up to $15,000,000 and include the following individuals:

LEADERSHIP DONORS:

Anonymous; Dr. Andrew Economos; The Gardener Foundation; Gutenstein Legacy Foundation; Marcy and Michael Klein; Katherine and Frank Martucci; Cornelia and Richard Matson; Keith Monda and Veronica Brady; Drs. Joel Morganroth and Gail Morrison Morganroth; Audrey Robbins; Jean M. Russell; Richard and Ellen Sandor; Steinwachs Family Foundation; The Stone Foundation; Hobart and Janis Swan; Martin and Zelia Trueb; Judy Zuckerberg and family in memory of our beloved George

The Co-Chairs of the Phase Two Campaign effort are Gail Morganroth and Selby Gardens’ Trustee Audrey Robbins.

Co-Chair Gail Morganroth, MD, stated, “We are absolutely thrilled to witness the incredible generosity of our community, which will inspire a wave of innovation and possibility for Selby Gardens.  Co-Chair Audrey Robbins continues, “Together, we are forging a brighter future for Selby Gardens and Sarasota, and we can’t wait to see the remarkable changes that will unfold as a result.”

Phase Two is expected to break ground by the end of 2025, with an opening date anticipated by the end of 2027.

Selby Gardens Board Chair Joel Morganroth, MD, remarked, “We are extremely grateful to everyone who has supported the new realization of Selby Gardens thus far, making our vision a reality. Together, we are cultivating vital green space in Downtown Sarasota that will inspire future generations and celebrate the wonders of nature.”

Phase Two consists of a new Conservatory Complex, a Learning Pavilion, and key landscape features.  The new Conservatory Complex will be the crown jewel of the Downtown Sarasota campus – a stunning crystal palace filled with more than 20,000 plants from Selby Gardens’ living research collections (including the best scientifically documented collections of orchids and bromeliads in the world).  Building on the innovative sustainability leadership established in Phase One, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is committed to advancing this legacy with 100% renewable energy, sustainable water harvesting, and resilient design to inspire future generations and protect its collections. These initiatives ensure a resilient infrastructure that supports the Gardens’ environmental stewardship, designed not only to serve generations of visitors but also to safeguard the organization’s invaluable botanical collections. This commitment positions Selby Gardens as a model for cultural and botanical institutions, embracing a forward-thinking approach to resilience and resource efficiency.

Today, the public can see less than 5% of Selby Gardens’ research collections; the new Conservatory Complex will make nearly 100% of Selby Gardens’ world-renowned collected plants visible to the public.  In addition, a new Learning Pavillion will feature enhanced facilities for all of Selby Gardens’ education programs.

Highlights of Phase Two:

• A hurricane-resilient, Conservatory Complexto house and protect Selby Gardens’ world-renowned living collections with increased accessibility to the public within an immersive botanical experience;
• A new indoor/outdoor state-of-the art Learning Pavilion to offer enhanced learning opportunities and accommodate expanded school programs and lifelong learning;
• Expanded Garden features including a Taras Stone Garden, Live Oak Grove, and improved walkways and pathways within Selby Gardens’ existing footprint in the heart of Downtown Sarasota.

Selby Gardens President and CEO Jennifer O. Rominiecki stated, “We have tremendous gratitude for everyone who believes in the mission and dynamic future of Selby Gardens, and we are excited to embark on this next phase of our Master Plan. Our botanical gardens’ living research collection is a vital resource for conservation, education, and innovation. Protecting it from the increasing threats of hurricanes is not just a necessity; it’s our responsibility. By investing in resilience measures, we ensure that this invaluable collection can continue to thrive and contribute to important research even in the face of extreme weather. Phase Two will also allow for expanded displays of our collection, which will be on view to the public. Together, we are committed to creating innovative educational facilities and safeguarding our natural heritage for future generations.”

The recent January 2024 completion of Phase One added 188,033 sq. ft of new amenities to Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus and features:

• The cutting-edge Morganroth Family Living Energy Access Facility (LEAF), which houses parking, a garden-to-plate restaurant—The Green Orchid by Michael’s On East, a new giftshop, vertical gardens, and a nearly 50,000 square-foot solar array that makes Selby Gardens the first net-positive energy botanical garden complex in the world;
• The state-of-the-art Steinwachs Family Plant Research Center, which secures irreplaceable scientific resources in a hurricane-resilient structure and provides a window into once behind-the-scenes world-class research. The facility contains the Elaine Nicpon Marieb Herbarium and Laboratory (housing preserved collections of more than 125,000 dried and pressed plant specimens and molecular scientific work), as well as a research library (with priceless volumes dating to the 1700s), spirit laboratory (with more than 35,000 specimens preserved in fluid—the second largest collection of its kind in the world), conference rooms, administrative offices, as well as a rooftop garden and solar array;
• The open-air Jean Goldstein Welcome Center consisting of a ticketing pavilion, welcome gallery, and welcome theater to properly accommodate and orient guests;
• a major stormwater management system to divert and clean millions of gallons of water each year before it is returned to Sarasota Bay;
• a publicly accessible multiuse recreational trail enabling multimodal transportation to the campus and the bayfront;
• off-site roadway improvements, which also make access easier and safer;
• and a number of new garden and water features with more open space, including a Lily Pond Garden, Glades Garden, and the restoration of historic Palm Avenue as a pedestrian-only promenade.

Attracting over 300,000 visitors a year, Selby Gardens is looking toward the future with this ambitious expansion for its Downtown Sarasota campus, which is one of the most biodiverse botanical gardens in the world. The Phase Two project team has been guided by the international landscape architecture studio OLIN with architecture by Sweet Sparkman Architecture & Interiors, civil engineer Kimley-Horn and Associates, MEP by Engineering Matrix, structural engineering by TY Lin Silman and conservatory advisory by Ron Determann and Jeffrey Woolsey and renderings by L Design. Willis Smith Construction serves as the construction manager.