Commission approves UTC expansion

For Benderson Development, the third time proved the charm.

Sarasota County commissioners Tuesday granted approvals needed for Benderson to add 700,000 square feet of additional retail and office space within its University of Town Center development of regional impact, located at the southwest corner of University Parkway and Interstate 75. The site already is home to The Mall at UTC and a shopping strip anchored by Super Target.

Benderson has been working on the site plan expansion for about two years, and worked with county staff, following two previous hearings, to overcome commissionser concerns related to wetland mitigation and traffic impacts.

"I think we've arrived at a place we have some of those assurances (we were loking for," Commissioner Paul Caragiulo said."We have a collaborative effort by our professional staff.

"I don't think it's in the interest of the developer to have a product that doesn't function well," he said. "I'm comfortable with what's being done in that area."

As part of the approvals, Benderson will adjust its timeline for constructing buildings on the property to ensure development does not happen before transportation improvements slated for the area.

Benderson also agreed to remove roughly 140 multi-family units slated for a parcel near the southwest corner of Cattlemen and Desoto roads and instead conserve it. Mitigation for wetlands at the northeast corner of the site will be done via improvements to a site in Manatee County, but within the same watershed.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].