Officials narrow search for developer for East Manatee water park

MANATEE -- Manatee County staff liked what they heard Friday in one of the two proposals submitted for a proposed East Manatee water park near Interstate 75 at State Road 64.

Manatee Lost Lagoon Development LLC of Orlando has been asked by the proposal evaluation committee to come back at a later, yet-to-be-scheduled date for an oral presentation. The committee, which consists of Dan Schlandt, deputy county administrator; Charlie Hunsicker, director of parks and natural resources department; and Melissa Wendel, county purchasing official; determined the other proposal from Hans Carl Clausen of Bradenton was not responsive at its Friday evaluation panel meeting. The committee will make a recommendation to the county administrator to negotiate with the firm or not to proceed.

While the committee discussed the proposals Friday, the bids are not public record

for a period of 30 days or until an intended award decision has been made, whichever occurs first.

"It is a good solid group that has been assembled in order to address this project," Mike Whelan, of the county's parks and natural resources department," said at Friday committee meeting where Manatee Lost Lagoon representatives were present. "Their proposed water park is tightly designed, and it is going to offer the community a very exciting and fluid set of activities and facilities that will be, I think, very well-received by the community."

The water park would be built on a 20-acre site, at 400 Cypress Creek Blvd., Bradenton, which is part of 188 acres at the county-owned Tom Bennett Park.

Manatee Lost Lagoon Development is proposing the park include a ropes course, two wave pools, lazy rivers and a number of slides. They are also proposing an amphitheater.

The closest water park to the property is Tampa's Adventure Island, which is 49.9 miles away, and more than 2.9 million people live within a 50-mile radius of the proposed water park, according to county staff.

"There is plenty of traffic, plenty of visibility and plenty of people to draw from," Whelan said.

Wendel said the proposal is very construction heavy and wants to find out more about the park's operations.

"I would like to see some elaboration and I would like to see some more in the way of ensuring success operationally and maintenance," she said. "The county cannot take on the risk of a park that the operations and maintenance aren't in the forefront."

Claire Aronson, Manatee County reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7024 or at caronson@bradenton.com. Follow her on Twitter @Claire_Aronson.

This story was originally published March 28, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Officials narrow search for developer for East Manatee water park ."