Making a splash

If plans go as Manatee Lost Lagoon representatives hope, East County residents could be floating down a lazy river in their community by Feb. 27, 2017.

A black binder in Manatee County’s purchasing department office contains plans for a regional Disney-quality water park at Tom Bennett Park.

Manatee Lost Lagoon Development, a newly formed Orlando partnership, seeks to construct Lost Lagoon water park on approximately 20 acres. It would feature a coaster slide, 20,000-square-foot wave pool with a simulated beach and surfing equipment, multilevel children’s play/activity area, toddler play pool, 2,667-foot-long lazy river and water slides, including single-person thrill rides, multi-person tube rides and a cabana, retail and food and beverage service.

“This is really going to be a Manatee County destination, and we want it to represent Manatee County and old Florida,” said Lost Lagoon representative Bill Gridley, of Tandem Communications, adding the project will have a more natural,  old Florida feel and won’t be the typical brightly colored, tiki torch-filled water park facility. 

“The idea is a community destination,” Gridley said. “It’s not Disney, and it’s not supposed to be Disney.”

An evaluation committee of Manatee County staffers deemed Lost Lagoon’s bid as “responsive” application of two plans that were submitted in response to a request for proposals issued in the fall, after the Bradenton-based nonprofit Central Economic Development Center pitched the water park idea to the Manatee County Commission in September. 

Bid documents became public Monday. 

The evaluation committee will meet again Friday to hear from the applicant and determine the county’s next steps. The committee could scrap the idea, request more information from Lost Lagoon developers or recommend the county enter into negotiations for the water park.

Manatee Lost Lagoon Development is a partnership between Mims Construction, Hansar Capital Management and J-Tek Entertainment. Its development team has produced water parks and related facilities, including Disney’s Blizzard Beach and Animal Kingdom, and Sea World’s Aquatic Water Park, among others.

Although developers believe the project is viable and will benefit Manatee County, nothing is definite.

“County staff has made it clear that during the process there will be community education, input and involvement,” said local land-use attorney Caleb Grimes, who represents the project’s developer. “This is not something that has been decided upon.”

Manatee Lost Lagoon representatives still must finalize its concept plans, negotiate with the county if the committee recommends the plan and work through the permitting process. 

Competitors

Manatee Lost Lagoon Development’s proposal says the closest comparable water park is Sea World’s Adventure Island, about 60 miles away. But the company does not expect to compete much business-wise with that park based on traffic patterns. It expects to pull customers from Tampa to Naples. 

The application also states the water park market has grown an average of about 2% annually over the last five years.

Projected costs:

Total construction is estimated between $20 million and $30 million.

Specific estimates include:

$13,024,147 for site work;

$2,744,000 for construction of the lazy river feature;

$1,357,000 for construction of the wave pool;

$615,737 for site concrete.

WAVE OF THE FUTURE

Additional acreage primarily north of the proposed water park leaves room for growth. Lost Lagoon’s application lists several potential uses for the land if an expansion would one day occur. Potential uses include a playground, cable course, athletic fields, and courts for sports such as for bocce, tennis, volleyball and basketball.

A venue for concerts, festivals?

Manatee Lost Lagoon’s proposal also includes an amphitheater, stage and lawn area seating, where it could host festivals, concert series, dive-in movies and other special events, particularly during the area’s off-season. 

The concept is in addition to the water park and is not a definitive part of the water park application, said Lost Lagoon representative Bill Gridley, of Tandem Communications. Manatee County requested the idea as part of the scope for the RFP.

“This is really going to be a Manatee County destination, and we want it to represent Manatee County and old Florida,”

– Bill Gridley , Lagoon representative of Tandem Communications