Parks and Recreation wants to energize Sarasota’s ‘well-kept secret’.
By Reece Helmick
Original Air Date: August 1, 2025
Host: Sarasota’s North Water Tower Park is a well-kept secret. Tucked between the North Tamiami Trail and Old Bradenton Road, the L-shaped 4-acre oak forest—interspersed with pastures—is hiding behind rows of single-family homes and now a rising apartment complex. If you have been there, you’re probably a neighbor or a disc golf fan. Now, the City of Sarasota wants to beef it up. Reece Helmick reports.
Reece Helmick: Thursday evening, Sarasota Parks and Recreation held a public community input meeting to discuss the future renovations of North Water Tower Park. Outlined in the presentation were renderings of a proposed children’s playset and adult fitness area.
The meeting at the park Thursday evening was aimed at receiving the input from community members in attendance. Under the pavilion at the entrance of the park off 47th Street, Juan Depazos, the parks and recreation general manager, began the meeting with a brief presentation. He was followed by Phil Smith, the landscaper and architect leading the redesign of the park.
PS: So the vision is really to try to energize and develop the park a little bit better, and the playground’s pretty old, so that’s one of the focuses in the community.
The park is nestled between US 41 and Old Bradenton Road, but does not front any thoroughfare.
RH: Smith also talked about an all-new adult area, which will serve as a fitness center near the playground, so adults will be able to watch their children while exercising. Also among the plans is an updated dog park.
PS: Maybe some exercise stations and perhaps a small area for a dog park.
RH: Along the tables were renderings of what the park could look like. The renderings were made using previous community input.
There were also note pads and pens where community members were able to submit their visions for the park. Around 15 community members asked questions about the renovations and provided their input for the park on the idea board. Smith says the input of the community is one of the most important aspects when it comes to renovating this park, because the residents of the community are among those who will be using the park on a regular basis.
The 18-hole disc golf course will continue unchanged. And it seems there are no plans to expand parking at the park’s only access on Rilma Avenue, off 47th Street.
If you were unable to make it to the final community input meeting, you can still send your comments via email to ParksAndRec@SarasotaFL.gov.
Reece Helmick, reporting for WSLR News.
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