Park Projects
Below are select Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources' Capital Improvement Projects and other projects that are currently in progress.
Learn more about these and other Projects In Your Neighborhood.
Rothenbach Park Improvements
Post Date:06/03/2026 8:45 AM
Project Description
History FROM TRASH TO TREASURE
Rothenbach Park is the site of the old Bee Ridge Landfill, a mountain of trash turned into a community treasure. The park offers opportunities for recreation, environmental education, wildlife viewing and more. The park is named for Walter J. Rothenbach Jr., who served as a supervisor and director of Sarasota County Parks and Recreation from 1963 until 1998. He later became executive director of community services, overseeing parks and recreation, cooperative extension services, library services and the history center. In 2000, Walt became deputy county administrator and served in that capacity until his retirement in 2003. A pioneer in the evolution of parks and recreation in Florida and particularly in Sarasota County, Walt was instrumental in increasing public parklands from 245 acres to well over 3,600 acres during his 35 years at the helm of parks and recreation. The miles of beaches, dozens of athletic fields and scores of parks developed under his watch form the backbone of today’s current parks system. This park is an integral part of his vision as it is unique among all other parks in Sarasota County. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Updates:Attention: Upcoming park playground closure coming in late May!May 31, 2026
Demolition of the existing playground is now complete. We’re excited to begin construction, with new playground equipment arriving on-site this week.
After the equipment is installed, crews will move on to site work, landscaping, and fence improvements.
April 30, 2026Construction of the new playground is scheduled to begin in late May 2026, starting with demolition. For safety reasons, only the playground area will be closed during this time. All other park amenities -- including the pavilion, restrooms, and surrounding areas -- will remain open. Construction is expected to continue through the summer and fall, with the new playground planned to reopen in the fall. |
Free viewers are required for some of the attached documents.
They can be downloaded by clicking on the icons below.
