Mote requests $15 million for new aquarium. Here’s what Manatee officials offered instead

Mote Marine’s planned Science Education Aquarium “is going to be the Eiffel Tower” of marine biology, according to CEO Michael Crosby, but pitching in $15 million for the project is a bit of a problem for Manatee County commissioners.

Crosby made a heartfelt pitch to board members at Tuesday’s meeting for an investment in a $130 million facility at Nathan Benderson Park. The aquarium would be in Sarasota County, Crosby said while boasting a yearly economic impact of $28 million in the region.

Mote announced plans for the state-of-the-art, four-story facility last year, and has raised about $31 million from philanthropic sources. The 12-acre building is slated to feature a 1.2 million gallon, 110,000-square-foot aquarium and a STEM resource center for local children and teachers.

In his plea for assistance, Crosby leaned on a “good history of partnership” with Manatee County and what will be Mote Marine’s ability to increase the number of kids served from 4,000 a year to 68,000 a year. If the money and education weren’t strong enough influences for commissioners, he proposed they consider the importance of Mote’s research.

“I know the request Mote has before you is significant, $15 million, but I ask you to give serious consideration into this investment. If you all like to breathe, and you know that 70 percent of the oxygen comes from the ocean and not the land, I implore you, support Mote so you can keep breathing,” Crosby joked.

The Board of County Commissioners was supportive of Crosby’s vision but stopped short of offering money.

“I will never vote for putting $15 million of general funds on this project. That’s just where I stand on that,” Commissioner Priscilla Whisenant Trace said. “To me, it’s a wonderful project. We all want to breathe, but I’m just saying the whole thing comes down to the money.”

“Manatee is not a Sarasota by any means when it comes to revenue,” Commissioner Vanessa Baugh pointed out.

Commissioner Misty Servia expressed similar concerns, noting that there’s too much to be done in Manatee County before supporting a project across the county line.

“I’ve always enjoyed what you guys have done. It’s always been a part of growing up, and I certainly understand the economic opportunity. It’s big time. It is a game-changer,” Servia said.

“I get excited about the 68,000 kids who are like minnows in the mangroves. Some of them are going to grow up and wrap their arms around this kind of science and maybe they grow up to solve red tide problems.”

“I get all of that, but having said all of that, I also represent people in the district that need lighting and sidewalks, so $15 million is a big ask,” she added.

Manatee County is one of the funding sources Crosby hopes to leverage, he explained. Mote has formally requested $20 million from Sarasota County officials and State Rep. Tommy Gregory, R-Sarasota, has proposed a bill that would allocate $25 million to the private nonprofit aquarium.

But commissioners said they should look for “creative ways” to go about funding the project because Manatee will benefit from the aquarium, too.

“I have had the conversation with Dr. Crosby where the aquarium actually being in Sarasota County is an issue. We’re not going to act like it doesn’t mean anything. It does. Most of what goes is on the Sarasota side,” Baugh said. “However, it does affect Manatee County. We will see an impact on this side. We will see good from this.”

“We need to look at it as our area. As someone who lives in Manatee County and has a Sarasota address, it is our area,” Commissioner Betsy Benac noted.

Commissioner Carol Whitmore suggested having county staff work with Sarasota staff to find ways to figure out funding, while pointing out that Manatee doesn’t “have the cash flow.”

“Maybe there’s a way that both counties could take loans out and fund it and pay it off over so many years, but I think that’s way above our pay grade up here. I think both of administrators or staffs should get together some time in the next few weeks and figure out if there’s a way to make Manatee County happy while moving the project forward,” Commissioner Carol Whitmore said.

“We hold the carrot stick right now, guys, because it’s not going to happen without us,” she added.

Whitmore also proposed a letter of support to the state legislature, because she felt that without proof of support from local government, the state wouldn’t be inclined to distribute funding. To make Manatee’s support clear, Servia pushed for the letter to specifically mention their enthusiasm for the Mote Marine Science Education Aquarium.

Commissioners voted unanimously to approve a motion for staff to look at ways to find money and immediately have the chairman write a letter to the state that says the county enthusiastically supports the project.

“A regional impact of $28 million is an opportunity,” Commissioner Reggie Bellamy said. “I do think we hold the stick.”