Splash time over for Bradenton water park proposal

A waterpark project in Manatee County may never be constructed.

More than a year after Manatee County, for a second time, started negotiations with Manatee Lost Lagoon for a 20-acre Disney-like water park at Tom Bennett Park, the project appears to have died.

“Manatee Lost Lagoon is not pursing any further work on this park and is not pursuing any meetings with the county,” Lost Lagoon’s attorney Caleb Grimes told the East County Observer.

Grimes said Lost Lagoon, however, would consider constructing its planned $30 million water park at Tom Bennett Park or another county venue, if the county wanted to resume negotiations.

Negotiations with Manatee Lost Lagoon originally began in April 2015, but came to a halt unexpectedly when residents of nearby communities spoke against the proposal during the public comment portion of a July 2016 county commission meeting. That was about almost two months after Manatee County reauthorized negotiations with Lost Lagoon for the water park, but with an added hotel component. Lost Lagoon was not present to respond at that July meeting and negotiations between the county and Lost Lagoon have not resumed.