A ‘tournament-level’ sports complex is coming to Manatee County. What to know
A long-awaited Lakewood Ranch indoor sports complex featuring four ice rinks took the next step in becoming a reality.
Manatee County commissioners unanimously voted to move forward with the proposed project called, “Project Grace,” with developer Icemann Development LLC, in a June 16 board meeting.
The proposed indoor sports complex is located on a piece of Manatee County Government-owned land near the intersection of Rangeland Parkway and Uihlein Road next to the Premier Sports Campus North.
The Premier Sports Campus North is under construction and plans to open in September, the Bradenton Herald previously reported. It will have an aquatics center, pickleball courts and more.
“I think it’s going to drive a lot of tourism dollars,” Commissioner George Kruse said. “...The goal of Premier is to have everything tournament-level and that’s why we put the 50-meter pool in and having four sheets (of ice) ... will allow for tournaments.”
What are the plans?
The proposed indoor sports complex is planned for 22 acres, though plans presented at the June board meeting are conceptual and finalized design plans have not been revealed.
However, county commissioners were presented renderings to show the facility would be an estimated 250,000 square feet between the arena and parking.
The 2,500-seat indoor sports complex would have a minimum of four sheets of ice, but it would serve as a multipurpose facility with flexible dry-floor or covered-ice flooring to host non-ice sports such as basketball and volleyball.
There would be areas for a pro shop, food and beverage areas as well as an 800-spot paid parking garage and free surface parking.
Sporting events hosted at the complex could include hockey, figure skating, curling, basketball, volleyball, cheer and dance as well as serving as a community shelter during hurricanes or other county-wide emergencies.
“This is a perfect shelter that we can use as our community grows,” Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Elliott Falcione said at the June 16 board meeting.
Icemann Development would construct and operate the facility after it is built, according to the proposed business terms presented at the June meeting.
Cost and revenue impact
The total project’s cost is estimated in the $70-$80 million range, Falcione said at the meeting.
According to Tallahassee market research firm Downs and St. Germain, the project is expected to generate $30 million in annual economic stimulus.
The proposed land lease agreement would be for 60 years with one 30-year lease extension. Manatee County retains land ownership under the proposal and Wesley Chapel-based Icemann would rent the land for $1 in the first three years. That gets bumped to $100,000 plus applicable taxes in the fourth year. Starting in the fifth year, there would be a 2% increase to the rent each year. However, if the fair market value decreases from the previous year, the base rent would remain the same as it was the prior year.
Under the proposal, Manatee County would receive 20% gross garage parking revenue and the county would reimburse Icemann up to $5 million from the Tourism Development Tax funds for eligible horizontal infrastructure costs and expenses, according to the presentation at the June meeting.
What’s next?
After the business terms were unanimously approved, the next step for the project is for the land lease to be presented for approval or denial at a future board meeting.
A site plan is expected to be developed before the end of the year, a groundbreaking for the facility to start in January and construction completed by summer 2028.
