- March 28, 2024
Loading
EAST COUNTY — When Karen Ronney moved into her Greenbrook home in 2003, she knew the plans Lakewood Ranch’s developer, Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, had in store for its massive 50-square-mile property.
She and her husband, Malcolm, opened MacAllister’s Grill & Tavern on Lakewood Ranch’s Main Street shopping plaza. But they sold the business last year to open a breakfast eatery, The Granary, farther north in hopes of a more family-friendly work schedule.
Their customers thought they were crazy for leaving Lakewood Ranch’s high profile downtown space for a spot near the intersection of Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and State Road 64. But the Ronneys had a strategy.
“As business owners, that was one of the reasons we picked the location, because the Fort Hamer Bridge is going to pull more people from the north area,” Karen Ronney said, noting business already has been steady.
In March, Manatee County started construction on the new two-lane bridge that will connect Fort Hamer Road from the north to Upper Manatee River Road in the south. The $23 million bridge project also includes improvements to Fort Hamer and Upper Manatee River roads for $6.5 million and $2.7 million, respectively.
Although the bridge isn’t scheduled to open until early in 2017, business owners could use 2016 to begin positioning themselves to tap into a new market.
John Breiner, owner of Wolves Head Pizza, said the opening should generate business and provide more connectivity with the Lakewood Ranch area.
“There’s really no commercial real estate out that way,” Breiner said. “Their Publix is all the way on 301 in Parrish. If you live between State Road 64 and U.S. 301, you have to make a choice where you are going to go. I can definitely see some business increase from that for sure, or you would hope, anyway. I’m looking forward to it. It should be good for everybody.”
Heather Kasten, executive director of the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance, said the opening will bolster accessibility to Ranch businesses and provide employees of those businesses with easier access to housing in the Parrish area, considered some of the most affordable in the county.
“It makes this whole area more accessible,” she said. “The exciting thing about Lakewood Ranch is it sits on the Interstate 75 corridor. I think you are going to see a lot of commercial development. We’ve started to get some momentum on State Road 64 and State Road 70, but with the opening of the bridge, I think you are going to see some real traction on development.”
Although some residents of Lakewood Ranch worry the opening of the bridge will increase traffic significantly along Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and on other Ranch roadways, others believe the benefits will outweigh any potential increases in traffic.
“Most people I’ve talked to think it’s good because it gives you an alternative route, especially if there’s a storm-related closure,” said Keith Davey, a Greenbrook resident and the Lakewood Ranch Community Development District 4 supervisor.
Manatee County transportation officials agree, noting much of traffic on Upper Manatee River Road and Lakewood Ranch Boulevard in that area comes from the west, on State Road 64, to jobs, shopping or other services.
“The bridge is expected to decrease total travel, fuel consumption and delay. In other words, it makes the overall road network more efficient,” project spokeswoman Trudy Gerena said. “It seems likely that the Fort Hamer Bridge will initially have a volume similar to the existing Rye Road Bridge, which carried about 5,600 vehicles per day in 2014.”
It’s projected I-75 will see a volume decrease of 20% during peak traffic times, she said.
Bob Smith, Manatee County’s public safety director, said emergency response times to Lakewood Ranch already are acceptable, but the bridge will improve services to East County residents on Upper Manatee River Road.