I have loved and supported Nathan Benderson Park since before it held its first event more than 15 years ago.
Sarasota and Manatee counties, the Benderson Development Co. and the state deserve praise for creating the best venue for watersports competitions, particularly rowing, in North America and one of the best in the world.
In addition to hosting state, regional and national rowing championships, Nathan Benderson Park holds:
During many weekends, multiple events are held across the park. According to the latest statistics I could find, the park generated $34.8 million in economic impact in fiscal year 2019.
An inappropriate use
I care about the park, which is why I’m speaking out against a senseless plan to add a massive building with 100,000-plus square feet of indoor basketball, pickleball and volleyball courts to the park’s limited land area.
It would use much of the park’s desperately needed space for activities unrelated to its original purpose.
The Sarasota County Commission is scheduled to review the building proposal during its regular meeting Wednesday, July 9, and I’m hoping it will ask hard questions before spending $20 million in public Tourist Development Tax revenue to do irreparable harm to this great community resource.
Here’s one of the main questions to ask: If Sarasota County wants to build an indoor sports complex, aren’t there other places that make far more sense than the park’s 28-acre Regatta Island?
I hope the commissioners pay particular attention to the renderings for the plan, which show just how much of the island it covers.
The island already overflows during big events such as the 2024 U.S. Rowing Youth National Championships. The thousands of spectators and volunteers for major events must park in remote fields because the island is packed with team tents, vendors, hundreds of boats and equipment.
In addition, the area around the park is already congested: It lies next to Benderson’s UTC shopping district and Mote SEA – the aquarium that will open by early 2026 – and there is already heavy traffic volume and parking demand in the area.
Broken promises
This project is partly promoted as a way to provide a long-promised boathouse; it includes space on the bottom floor where boats could be stored.
But Nathan Benderson Park and the nonprofit that operates the park for the county, then known as SANCA, promised in 2013 to build a boathouse and a grandstand with private fundraising that has never occurred. There have been no gala fundraisers or silent auctions – and there has been no publicly promoted campaign.
That promise was also made when the county agreed to spend $19.5 million to create the water-sports venue by dredging the lake and building the island.
Once again, the nonprofit operator of the park, now called the Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy, promises to raise additional money with private donations.
But even though the county approved the new funding in 2022, there have been no signs of private money being raised. There isn’t even a “Donate” button on the homepage of the park’s website.
As an alternative, a single-purpose boathouse would take up far less space; it would also be compatible with the park’s focus and would cost much less.
For example, Community Rowing Inc. in Boston – the nation’s largest rowing organization – built a 30,000-square-foot boathouse on the Charles River for $11.45 million.
The money that would be saved could be used for improvements elsewhere.
Questions to ask
None of the current members of the Sarasota County Commission were in office for the vote to approve the $20 million for this plan. So I suggest the commissioners ask a few questions about the plan during Wednesday’s presentation.
They include:
Terry Galvin helps organize the Safety Squadron, which supports events at Nathan Benderson Park. He has volunteered with Nathan Benderson Park since 2009.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sports facility in Nathan Benderson Park will waste money, space | Opinion
Reporting by Terry Galvin Guest columnist / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
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