Benderson expansion gets yellow light

The Sarasota County Commission slows construction plans for the University Town Center to accommodate pending traffic improvements.

By Pam Eubanks
| 6:00 a.m. July 8, 2015

Benderson's additional 700,000 square feet of retail and office space will be located north of Nathan Benderson Park, primarily along property immediately west of Interstate 75, but east of The Mall at University Town Center, pictured here.

East County
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EAST COUNTY — Benderson Development’s vision to expand its University Town Center project, at the southwest corner of University Parkway and Interstate 75, can finally come to fruition, but the company will slow its growth plans slightly to ensure development does not outpace improvements to the area’s transportation network.

After nearly two hours of discussion June 30, Sarasota County commissioners unanimously approved Benderson’s plan to add 100,000 square feet of office and 600,000 square feet of retail within its University Town Center development of regional impact (also known as the Sarasota Interstate Park of Commerce project).

But the vote did not come without deliberation.

Wetland impacts

As part of its proposal, Benderson Development added a five-acre conservation area to the project. In the same area, it also agreed, based on commissioners' concerns, to eliminate plans to construct multifamily housing, around the southwest corner of Cattlemen and Desoto roads. Instead, it will preserve the property, creating more open spaces and preservation area. The change creates an unobstructed wetland/mesic hammock area at the southwest corner of the property.

Sarasota commissioners were reluctant to approve Benderson’s proposed mitigation of impacts to wetlands at the northeastern corner of the property, but agreed to do so after learning the Southwest Florida Water Management District would have to facilitate and approve Benderson’s mitigation plan.

Benderson has arranged to improve wetlands on its property north of the site, as allowed by law. Although in Manatee County, the property sits within the same watershed.

The public hearing was the third commissioners held regarding the project; they postponed votes twice to address concerns with mitigating wetlands and concerns that the extra development would further strain local roadways.

“I think it’s a responsible plan, and it fits with the activities occurring within this area,” Commissioner Paul Caragiulo said. “People are coming here because it’s an attractive place. I don’t think it’s in the best interest of the developer to have a product that doesn’t function well. I’m comfortable with what’s being done.”

“(This construction schedule) requires us to wait a little longer than we would have liked, but it also allows for the completion of Lakewood Ranch Boulevard (extension), the diverging diamond (interchange improvement at University Parkway and I-75), the trolley, etc, before we can start a lot of that development and concurrent with a lot of that development,” Mathes said.

Benderson has agreed to cap construction at specific square footages annually (see sidebar). Those numbers, generally ranging between 1.7 million and 2.6 million annually, reflect how much construction can be started, not how much will be finished. Benderson and its consultants took a “comprehensive look” at the proposed improvements and construction schedule to determine their timeline, Mathes said.

“We’re into going to get ahead of ourselves,” Mathes said. “We’re going to continue to report traffic (annually to the county). Staff will continue to verify conditions (in our agreement).”

Build time per structure ranges from one to two years, plus time for tenants to buildout their spaces. Most buildings will take at least 18 months to open from the time construction starts to the time a tenant opens for business, he said.

“We have a plan in place to develop this project responsibly,” Mathes said. “There’s tremendous demand for this space.”

Benderson hopes to have some new spaces open by the time Nathan Benderson Park hosts the World Rowing Championships in September 2017.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].

Transportation improvements

Benderson Development and Sarasota County agreed to several transportation-related modifications. Scroll over the photo below to read more about them.