Manatee County Government offices in Lakewood Ranch? Officials announce change

Manatee County officials have approved a $34 million plan to buy and renovate a building in Lakewood Ranch where they will relocate several of the county government’s operations.

The two-story, 101,000 square-foot building sits on 11 acres at 9000 Town Center Parkway in southeast Manatee County. The county has reached an agreement to purchase property from a Delaware-based company for $23.5 million. Staff estimate that an additional $11 million will be needed to outfit and move into the building, which they’ve branded as an “East County Campus.”

Staff said that departments including Development Services, Property Management, Financial Management, Government Relations, Public Works and Natural Resources will be moved to the new building in phases starting later this year — about 500 employees in total.

Meanwhile, the county will keep its current administration building at 1112 Manatee Ave. W., where it will maintain departments that benefit from close proximity to the Manatee County Courthouse in downtown Bradenton.

Some growing departments, like the county attorney’s office, will be given room to expand downtown as other departments move out. And some departments that are currently housed in other buildings throughout the county, such as the Supervisor of Elections Office, will be relocated downtown, staff said.

In a press release, county officials also said the new campus puts some county services “closer to where much of the residential and commercial growth is occurring.”

The move to purchase a new administration building came as a complete surprise to some residents who criticized a lack of transparency from county officials.

But officials said that they’ve been hunting for years for a place to move some government services east, and argued that buying an existing building will save millions compared to building from scratch. They said the plans were not revealed far in advance because of the competitive nature of real estate purchases.

County Administrator Charlie Bishop told commissioners that the county government needs more space to keep up with growth.

“Currently, we’re out of space in this facility,” Bishop said.

Under the plan, and in keeping with Florida law, Bradenton will remain Manatee’s “county seat” where board meetings are held. The main offices and permanent records of county officers will also remain downtown.

Manatee officials move to buy new admin building

To cover the cost of the new administration building, commissioners pulled all funding from a previous plan to replace the county’s parking garage in downtown Bradenton.

Commissioners appeared to support abandoning the parking garage overhaul, which has a total estimated cost of $84 million and would likely exceed $100 million, staff said. Some commissioners commented that the sale of the parking garage could open up room for a redevelopment project downtown, such as a grocery store with its own parking garage.

“This board in the past has made some bad deals,” said Commissioner Jason Bearden. “But I don’t believe this is a bad deal. If the construction of a new parking garage is estimated at over $100 million, this is a no-brainer for me. This is a sound fiscal decision.”

“Compared to other alternatives, this property is great for what we need to do and how we need to expand,” Commissioner Mike Rahn said.

Commissioners unanimously approved the purchase.

Residents react to county plan

Some residents criticized the county’s plans and the very brief public notice about such a major purchase.

“The lack of any public discourse about this purchase represents poor governance,” said Ruth Harenchar, President of the League of Women Voters of Manatee County.

Harenchar pointed to concerns about the purchase raised in a report by the county attorney’s office, including a request for more information about the sellers.

“The public is not reassured that all of these legal concerns are being adequately addressed,” Harenchar said.

But other residents were supportive of the purchase.

“It’s an opportunity cost that’s going to save, what, $70 million roughly?” said Manatee County resident Norman Bailey. “Why wouldn’t you be doing it? As a taxpayer, I like that you’re saving money.”

What happens next?

The purchase is expected to be finalized by September. Departments will begin transferring to the new building as soon as that happens.

The building currently has two tenants — human resources company TriNet on the first floor and the Federal Emergency Management Agency on the second floor. TriNet will be required to move out before the deal closes, while the county could choose to grant FEMA a one-time lease extension until February 2026.

County shares plans for Lena Road property

Staff also shared plans for a 161-acre property along Lena Road that the county purchased in 2020. The property had previously been discussed as a potential home for a new administration building.

Instead, planned uses now include:

• A Public Works operations and fleet services center
• A property and evidence storage facility for the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office
• A sheriff’s office and Manatee County EMS substation
• A utilities lab and distribution facility
  
  

Staff also anticipate freeing up the current Public Works building, 1022 26th Ave. E., Bradenton, with the planned department relocations. That building could be a future home for housing initiatives like Fresh Start Manatee, as well as a sheriff’s office and EMS hub, they said.

This story was originally published May 9, 2025 at 11:15 AM.