Manatee County to highlight Southwest District redevelopment project

Parkwood Professional Center will be showcased Monday as Manatee County’s first major public-private redevelopment project in the Southwest District.

With recent improvements including tree trimming complete, county officials and the center’s business owners will gather at 10 a.m. Monday at 4810 26th St. W., Bradenton, as county officials will announce the details of the project.

“This is the perfect example of the kind of partnership you’re going to see throughout the Southwest District,” said Geri Lopez, the county’s redevelopment and economic opportunity director. “These kinds of projects can improve property values, decrease crime, reduce code enforcement cases and provide employment and opportunities for local workers.”

The project, which was funded from the Southwest District, was completed at the “mixed-use complex with offices for doctors, accountants, attorneys and other professional firms,” according to a news release. Improvements include a new entry sign, landscaping, improved parking and the realignment of the northern driveway.

“So often you hear complaints about government projects, but everyone with Manatee County had a ‘can do’ attitude,” said Michael Spellman, president of the Parkwood Condominium Association. “Everyone I worked with was bright, knowledgeable about their field, and remarkably creative when it came to problem solving. This project is truly the product of a group effort and group input.”

Unveiled last December, the Southwest District, which was formerly known as the Southwest Tax Increment Financing District, stretches from the west coast of Manatee County to U.S. 301 and from the city of Bradenton to the Sarasota County line.

The SWTIF was created to focus on redeveloping Southwest Manatee. Much of the revenue funding the TIF is expected to come from tax receipts from new development such as Lake Flores, and that money will go toward public safety, transportation and small business projects and rehabilitation.

This story was originally published May 17, 2017 at 4:29 PM with the headline "Manatee County to highlight Southwest District redevelopment project."