Approvals sought for assisted living facility, office space near Lakewood Ranch
EAST MANATEE -- Developer Carlos Beruff is seeking approvals to build 66,800 square feet of commercial space, and either a 234-bed assisted living facility or 200 units of multifamily housing at Professional Center at Lakewood Ranch, 8945 77th Terrace E.
Beruff is seeking to complete construction of a business park started by another developer whose permits expired in 2012.
The first builder received approval to build more than 133,000 square feet of commercial space at the site but stopped after only about 33,000 square feet of buildings were constructed, including a physician's office.
The business center is technically not on Lakewood Ranch property but is close to it, bordering Interstate 75 on the west and Town Center Parkway on the east. It is about 1 mile north of University Parkway.
In the developer's application filed with Manatee County, the project is referred to as I-75 Business Park. The property is immediately north of office buildings already constructed at the site.
Manatee County staffers have expressed concern about road noise from I-75 should an assisted living facility be built there, and have recommended a noise study.
Three three-story buildings are proposed for the assisted living facility with 26 living units planned per floor, according to the application.
The application also proposes one 33,172-square-foot office building, and four office buildings measuring 8,407 square feet each.
Should the developer decide to build multifamily housing, rather than an assisted living facility, it would be a five-story building with parking on the ground floor. Forty multifamily units are envisioned per each of the top four floors.
Beruff did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment on his I-75 Business Park request.
The project is still pending staff review, said Rossina Leider, county principal planner on the project.
Several new senior facilities are coming to the greater Lakewood Ranch area. Among the largest is The Sheridan at Lakewood Ranch, opening this spring at 11705 Evening Walk Drive north of State Road 70.
James A. Jones Jr., East Manatee reporter, can be contacted at 941-745-7053 or on Twitter@jajones1.
This story was originally published November 23, 2015 at 6:08 PM with the headline "Approvals sought for assisted living facility, office space near Lakewood Ranch ."