More development, roadway improvements planned for University Parkway corridor in Manatee-Sarasota

LAKEWOOD RANCH -- As growth continues along the University Parkway corridor, leaders of three of the most prominent area organizations discussed future plans Wednesday.

At the joint luncheon of the Manatee Tiger Bay Club and Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance, Richard Bedford, vice president of planning for Schroeder-Manatee Ranch; Paul Blackketter, president of the nonprofit Suncoast Aquatic Nature Center and Associates, which operates Nathan Benderson Park; and Mark Chait, executive director of leasing-southeast for Benderson Development Co., spoke about "The University Parkway Interchange: The Next Five Years."

Bedford, Blackketter and Chait all spoke for eight minutes about their respective organizations, detailing plans for growth and development along the University Parkway corridor. The luncheon was at the Fete Ballroom at Polo Grill & Bar.

"Manatee County is growing. Sarasota County is growing. Lakewood Ranch is going to continue to grow over time," Bedford said. "Manatee County is pretty much going to be business as usual going forward. ... Sarasota County is more of the fun part. It's more of what we haven't done yet."

As Lakewood Ranch extends farther south of University Parkway, SMR is presently engineering Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and Lorraine Road as four lanes from University Parkway to Fruitville Road, Bedford said Wednesday.

"Construction will start on all of those roads generally at the same time and probably in the first or second quarter

of next year, and they will all be done generally at the same time 12 months from now, first or second quarter of 2017," he said. "We always do our infrastructure ahead of time."

Bridge in the works

SMR also is designing a bridge for over Interstate 75, Bedford said. An overpass is being proposed between Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and North Cattlemen Road, which would provide a new route to the Mall at UTC and Nathan Benderson Park, and serve as an alternative to University Parkway.

"We really don't know where it's going to go yet," Bedford said, adding that is a decision the Sarasota County Commission will make.

As SANCA prepares for the 2017 World Rowing Championship at Nathan Benderson Park, Blackketter highlighted future growth plans, including a finish tower and boathouse for the park, which is south of University Parkway.

"It's a center for everybody in all aspects," Blackketter said. "It's not just an event center. It's not just an Olympic training center. It's not just a public park but it's also a community outreach center. It's something for everybody that can be served at this park."

In the next five years, Benderson Development will continue to develop the University Town Center area mostly to the south of University Parkway, which is in Sarasota County, Chait said.

"We put a lot of resources, a lot of time, a lot of effort into developing this area," Chait said. "We made a very conscientious effort to develop and brand the entire area as UTC because it's so important to be a cohesive, integrated area. We want to bring in all aspects of entertainment, shopping, of living to this one unique area."

Projects and tenants

Chait listed the current projects under construction on both sides of University Parkway, including the tenants planned to occupy the spaces.

As of Wednesday, the south side of University Parkway houses 1.4 million square feet of development, Chait said, with more development already under construction.

"What we are going to do is continue to develop along Cattlemen Road," Chait said, adding in early 2016, they will break ground on the first buildings on the east side of North Cattlemen Road.

In the next five years, there will be tremendous amount of growth on the approximately 80 acres on the east side of the Mall at UTC including an entertainment district, 300,000 square feet of office uses, three hotels and 500,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, Chait said.

"What is truly going to make that unique is in the next five years we also anticipate adding an additional 1,000 residential units," he said. "What it is going to do is keep to our vision of creating a truly integrated mixed-use community that will have housing, residential, entertainment and office uses all at one site."

With development continuing to come to the corridor, Tiger Bay member Pat Benson asked when the infrastructure was going to be in place to handle all the traffic.

A diverging diamond interchange is under construction at the I-75 and University Parkway interchange.

"We are living in gridlock now," she said.

As a way to address traffic, Blackketter said they need to look at moving to "a more multimodal way of life."

"I think this area has the opportunity to be the seed, be the example of what the rest of the community can be," he said.

Blackketter said he's recently started riding his bicycle to work.

"In today's traffic, I am actually passing cars," Blackketter said.

"This is something that is a huge opportunity for us to protect our quality of life and what we have today. ... I think it can be done."

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

This story was originally published October 22, 2015 at 12:06 AM with the headline "More development, roadway improvements planned for University Parkway corridor in Manatee-Sarasota ."