Seven years ago, Sarasota unveiled an ambitious plan for its bayfront — a reimagined 53-acre waterfront park crowned by a state-of-the-art performing arts center to replace the aging Van Wezel , funded equally by private donations and public dollars.

The announcement came during a boom in other big-ticket cultural projects. Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium was planning a new facility near Interstate 75. Marie Selby Botanical Gardens unveiled a three-phase campus overhaul. And Sarasota Orchestra set its sights on a purpose-built concert hall.

Today, three of those visions are well on their way — Mote’s $130 million Science Education Aquarium is nearly complete; Selby, having raised $115 million so far, recently moved into its second phase; and the orchestra has secured a $14 million

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