Construction plans for a major gateway to Manatee is now in the county’s hands
Plans for the first phase of construction of a 288-acre multi-use development that promises to remake the northern entrance of Manatee County are now being evaluated by county planning staff.
In 2015, the Manatee County Commission approved plans for the Robinson Gateway project for the northeast corner of Interstate 75 and Moccasin Wallow Road.
Those plans included approvals for 542 residential units, 900,000 square feet of retail space, 600,000 square feet of office space, a 1,750-seat movie theater and 350 hotel rooms. Also planned is about 40 acres of open space and parks.
The project would be built on the site of a former tree farm and nursery. Phase One construction includes the retail space component along Moccasin Wallow Road.
Moccasin Wallow Road, about two miles south of the Hillsborough County line, is at the epicenter of development in the Parrish-North River area, where an estimated 25,000 new homes are planned.
Already under construction on Moccasin Wallow Road is North River Ranch, where 6,000 homes are planned, and the 950-home Del Webb BayView community.
Located on the south side of Moccasin Wallow Road, directly opposite of the planned Robinson Gateway project, is the Gateway Commons shopping center, anchored by a Publix Super Market that opened in 2019.
Manatee County commissioners expressed concerns about traffic in the area as they unanimously approved the Robinson Gateway project in 2015.
Assistant county attorney Bill Clague, however, told commissioners that changes in state law prevent local government from prohibiting development over traffic concerns and the costs to build new roadways.
Bill Robinson, 70, the visionary behind the Robinson Gateway Project, died in 2020 after a long battle with cancer, just months before the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“He always had a vision of bringing a development and community that he can be proud of and can appropriately fit in and serve the north county area,” Will Robinson, Bill Robinson’s son, said in 2015.
“We are excited to bring a mixed-use community that will not only be a regional serving development but also something that is needed in the north county area. I think because it resulted in a fabulous plan that we are very proud of and one that we can’t wait to come to fruition,” Will Robinson said.
Rachel Layton, director of planning with ZNS Engineering, said in 2015 that Robinson Gateway is designed as a neo-traditional, walkable development to encourage a live-work community.
Originally, plans for Robinson Gateway called for construction to be completed in 2025. It was unclear Monday whether the schedule or the plans may have changed since being originally approved in 2015.
The 288-acre property is listed as being for sale on the website of Cushman & Wakefield of Tampa. It is not unusual for a developer to win site plan and construction approvals, and sell the parcels to others to develop as is often done by Schroeder Manatee Ranch at Lakewood Ranch.
Once planning staff makes its recommendations, the project would go to the planning commission and then to the Manatee County Commission.
This story was originally published May 10, 2021 at 1:51 PM.
