The proposed Master Site Plan for Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is a tremendous gift to our entire community from the private sector. As the Plan approaches consideration by the Planning Board and City Commission, all of us at Selby Gardens are striving to ensure that everyone has the correct information about this undertaking.

This thoughtfully-designed, three-phase plan was crafted with significant community input and has three key goals: preserve 15 acres of garden and key historic structures along the bayfront; protect the world’s best scientifically-documented collections of orchids and bromeliads in hurricane-resistant infrastructure; and sustain Selby Gardens--both environmentally and financially--into the future.    

Today, Selby Gardens is facing a number of challenges that must be solved to achieve long-term survival. Our world-class collections are at risk from their current ground-level location in the flood zone within poor facilities. Selby Gardens turns away hundreds of visitors due to lack of parking and amenities.  In addition, our land is privately-owned and at any time our Board of Trustees could choose to sell parcels for high-density development. This Master Plan will tackle all of these challenges, while also adding 50% more garden space, nearly 50,000 square-feet of free public access, significant traffic improvements, and diversified revenue streams for optimum fiscal health. Selby Gardens will also become an international model for the latest green building technology while preserving Marie Selby’s beloved property to be just as it was when she lived there.

To learn more I encourage you to go to https://selby.org/about/selby-gardens-master-plan/

Jennifer Rominiecki is president and CEO of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

Visit the Selby Gardens Master Plan Website