Gulfcoast Wonder & Imagination Zone

The Gulfcoast Wonder & Imagination Zone, referred to as G.WIZ or GWIZ, was a science museum located in Sarasota, Florida neighboring the Sarasota Bay. The museum was in operation from August 2000 to September 2012. The museum was home to the Blivas Science & Technology Center.[3]

Gulfcoast Wonder and Imagination Zone
Front of GWIZ Building
Front of GWIZ Building
Former namesSelby Public Library (1976-1998)
Alternative namesGWIZ Building
General information
StatusDemolished
TypeGovernment library, museum
LocationSarasota, Florida
Address1001 Boulevard of the Arts
CountryUnited States
Coordinates27°20′30″N 82°33′00″W
Completed1976
Opened
  • June 24, 1976 (Library)[1]
  • August 26, 2000 (GWIZ)
Renovated2000
ClosedSeptember 4, 2012
DemolishedMay 2019
OwnerSarasota
Technical details
Floor count2
Floor area30,000 sq ft (2,800 m2)[2]
Design and construction
Architect(s)Walter Netsch
Architecture firmSkidmore, Owings & Merrill
Renovating team
Architect(s)Dale Parks
Renovating firmD/Parks Architect

History

The science museum began in December 1990 as a 1,000-square-foot (93 m2) room within the Florida West Coast Symphony building under the name Gulf Coast World of Science (GCWS).[3][4] The nonprofit organization moved to a bigger location after it was awarded a 20 year lease with the Sarasota City Commission in January 1998. The location was the former Selby Public Library.

The building was originally home to Selby Public Library, after the library moved from the Chidsey Library, in 1976. The building was designed by Walter Netsch from Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and incorporated his "Field Theory" aesthetic.[5][6] The library relocated its operations to downtown Sarasota in 1998.[7] The building was then remodeled, GCWS renamed to Gulfcoast Wonder & Imagination Zone (GWIZ), and the new museum opened to the public on August 26, 2000.[3]

Closure

The science museum closed to the general public on September 4, 2012 to make renovations. The renovations were planned to modernize the museum and to give the museum 10 zones that included themes of: geography, dinosaurs, Florida Gulf Coast, outer space, science and mathematics.[8]

GWIZ's website at the time announced renovations were coming and stated “We are working hard to bring you GWIZ 2.0!” However, the nonprofit organization was also in default to the city's lease.[9] The lease of the building to GWIZ was officially terminated by the city on September 21, 2013.[10] The building sat vacant until its demolition in 2019.

Demolition

A master plan of the redevelopment project for the Sarasota Bayfront area known as "The Bay" was approved by the Sarasota City Commission on September 6, 2018.[11] The project's initial phase included demolishing the GWIZ building in place of a recreational pier as well as a pedestrian bridge over US 41.[12] The building was demolished in May 2019.[13]

References
  1. "Sarasota County Library System". Florida Library History Project. Florida Studies Center Publications. January 1990.
  2. Franklin, Sydney (September 17, 2018). "Selby Library by SOM's Walter Netsch may be demolished in Sarasota bayfront project". The Architect's Newspaper. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  3. "About G.WIZ". Internet Archive. Archived from the original on March 12, 2011. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  4. Staff (July 29, 2002). "G.WIZ museum is for kids of all ages". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  5. Bubil, Harold (August 25, 2016). "Saving the built environment". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  6. "D/Parks Architect G.Wiz". D/Parks Architect. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  7. Shank, Ann A. "The Chidsey Library". Sarasota History Alive!. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  8. Friedman, Nick (September 6, 2012). "GWIZ to undergo makeover". The Observer. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  9. Conway, David (August 29, 2013). "GWIZ in default of lease". Sarasota Observer. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  10. Conway, David (September 4, 2013). "GWIZ to close permanently". Sarasota Observer. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  11. Rodriguez, Nicole (September 6, 2018). "Sarasota City Commission approves The Bay project". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  12. Rodriguez, Nicole (October 1, 2018). "Sarasota City Commission moving forward with first phase of pricey bayfront project". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  13. "WATCH: Demolition begins on vacant GWIZ building along Sarasota's bayfront". WWSB. May 10, 2019. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
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