Marie Selby Botanical Gardens - Living Energy Access Facility (LEAF)
The Living Energy Access Facility at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens will house a garden-to-plate restaurant, expanded gift and plant shop, and on-site parking. The first phase will feature a plant research center, herbarium, new welcome center and research library. The facility will feature a 50,000-square-foot solar array on the roof and an underground stormwater vault to collect stormwater runoff and treat it before returning it into Sarasota Bay. Phase two will include a hurricane-resilient greenhouse complex, learning pavilion, and indoor and outdoor classroom space. The following phase will restore two of the campus’s historic buildings, unify the gardens’ walking paths and bolster the property’s seawalls and dockage. Selby Gardens features 45 acres spread across its Downtown Sarasota and Historic Spanish Point campuses.
