Fundraising campaign begins for Benderson Park boathouse/events center

In 2022, when Sarasota County commissioners voted unanimously to commit $20 million in tourist tax funds toward the construction of a new boathouse and events center at Nathan Benderson Park, it appeared the project had moved from the fantasy stage to reality.

Then three more years passed without so much as a place to hang a canoe.

On Nov, 5, representatives of the Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy and Sarasota County gathered in the park's finish tower to say that plenty had transpired during those three years to move the project forward ... and that now is the time to get excited.

"This is going to happen," said Louis Kosiba, who is a Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy board member. "It is not a pipe dream."

Kosiba gathered with Michael Taaffe, the Conservancy's chairman of the board, Nathan Benderson Park COO Bruce C. Patneaude, and Sarasota County Tourism, Facilities and Programs Manager Shelby Hoffman to announce that the major funding campaign for the project has begun.

The $65 million project, which is expected to break ground in July, will fill two major voids. Patneaude said having the boathouse will take Nathan Benderson Park to a higher echelon among the world's top rowing facilities. While the park was praised by International Rowing Federation officials in 2017 when the event was held in Sarasota, Patneaude said having the boathouse moves it to an even higher level.

Nathan Benderson Park has been awarded the 2028 World Rowing Championships, which will take place a few months after the boathouse's targeted finish in the first quarter of 2028.

Photo by Jay Heater

The events center portion of the project will offer 100,000 square feet of hardcourt flooring and will provide an indoor space for major sporting events. The Sarasota County staff recommended the tax commitment to the project in 2022 after a feasibility student was completed by Johnson Consulting of Chicago.

The study estimated an initial economic impact of $20 million a year connected with the new facility and sports tourism.

"We are going to host almost every sporting event you can have here," Taaffe said.

Taaffe, who is an attorney as well as a founding member and coach of Sarasota Crew, admitted that he once thought mostly of the park as a rowing site.

"The epiphany for me was COVID and seeing people walking, biking, roller blading, and using the park as a place to get outdoors," Taaffe said. "It changed things for me visually.

"We have five or six high schools in the area and no place to host a basketball tournament. This is going to have amazing features and it will be a destination park."

Hoffman said that the last three years have been critical to the project even if the public might not have seen the progress. She said it was a time that Patneaude, who took over as COO in August 2022, has shown his expertise in managing the park's finances, and in which the Conservancy board has shown its ability to lead the park forward.

"We have seen the progress the Conservancy has made," Hoffman said. "It is a well-oiled machine and we know who is doing what. We also know the ease of working with their staff."

Hoffman said the county has seen major improvements at the park in terms of reservations and in the response time in which the park staff responds to inquiries and questions. Once the boathouse and events center is finished, she said the Conservancy, which will need to expand its staff, will manage the events, with the county providing its resources for support.

"And the (Conservancy) board will provide the correct guidance to keep this ship moving in the right direction," she said.

Taaffe said Patneaude has been a game-changer.

"Bruce has balanced the books and he makes sure events are profitable," Taaffe said. "That a big thing, because now we can buy the equipment we need."

Patneaude said he thought the park's organizational structure previously could best be described as "fly by the seat of your pants."

Taaffe said the project schematics are mostly finished but still need some finishing touches in order to better pinpoint a more exact budget for the project.

Kosiba will chair the fundraising drive.

"There will be naming rights," he said. "But those can be sliced and diced. There will be so many rooms and facilities."

He said he will be telling possible sponsors about how they will be partnering with a sophisticated organization in the Conservancy, which will be doing business with programs such as Yale, Harvard and the University of Washington, which all utlilize the park. Taaffe said the boathouse will attract even more major organizations now that they will have locker rooms, workout facilities, and a place to store their boats. 

"I am sure there will be some boat bays with a name on it," Kosiba said.

He said the Conservancy might look into hiring a firm to assist with the fundraising effort.

"We are putting together our messaging," said Kosiba, who lives in Lakewood Ranch. "We have a wonderful story to tell."

Patneaude noted that the National Rowing Hall of Fame has inquired about making the boathouse its home.

He said hosting the 2028 World Championships will be a boon for the park since beside the open division, it will also include the Youth Championships and the Under 23 Championships.