Our View: Time for Town Center

Benderson Development Co. is offering a cool drink of development in a parched economic land. Hopefully, Sarasota County elected officials will have the wisdom not to dump it out.

The East County-based development firm wants to re-ignite University Town Center, the upscale shopping mall, hotel and residential development at the southwest corner of Interstate 75 and University Parkway.

Benderson has submitted plans to the county that reconfigures the layout and reduces the number of residential units, with a starting date for construction next year, perhaps as early as spring.

The process will require multiple government reviews, meetings with neighbors and votes by the Sarasota County Planning Commission. The County Commission, however, will get the ultimate say.

Given the lethargic state of the local economy, the size of this development and the potential for it to launch other opportunities, elected leaders need to make sure it happens. Soon.

Benderson originally proposed a two-level mall that would include such upscale anchors as Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Macy’s. That plan, approved by the county, included 1.6 million square feet of retail, 220,000 square feet of office, 1,750 residential units and at least 500 hotel rooms.

The borrow pit lake south of the development was going to be water frontage for some of the residential units.

Then the recession postponed construction. Subsequently, the county committed $20 million to turning the lake along the interstate into Nathan Benderson Park and a world-class rowing facility.

The new plan adjusts to both of these realities. It is far less intense residentially; the number of residential units required to be built will drop from 1,750 to 750 — although Benderson can build more if the demand is there.

Also, the company changed the layout to put two hotels at the lake to make it more convenient for rowing center guests and put one along the interstate.

The timing is connected to Sarasota County extending Cattlemen Road north to University Town Center by the end of 2012 — opening another arterial roadway connecting Manatee and Sarasota counties.

The aquatic center, the extension of Cattlemen Road and the Benderson project combine for a great opportunity. While we did not favor the $20 million public investment in the rowing center — named after the founder of Benderson Development — it is a done deal. Now is the time to make the most of it.
The new Benderson plans do just that, and everyone should benefit.

Some people will not like the changes because they drop the “new urbanist” design that was part of the original plan. The new plan is a more traditional mall setting, with surrounding parking and outparcels for hotels, offices and retail. It wouldn’t be as pedestrian-friendly, but that is a small price to pay. New urbanism was hip when everything was rocking, but in the big picture of economic development in our culture, it’s just not that important.

We are confident that elected county officials will see the refreshing economic benefit of this plan and not get too picky about all the trendy new urbanist stuff. Something about beggars not being choosers.

In the end, and we hope it is timely, commissioners should accept the glass of cold water offered.