AS LAKEWOOD RANCH RAPIDLY EXPANDS, SO DOES BENDERSON’S VISION FOR UTC.

The Sarasota Outlet Mall had seen better days. However, a new life was on the horizon.

In 1998, Lakewood Ranch was just a fouryear-old development east of I-75. And the once-popular Sarasota Outlet Mall, an over 300,000-square-foot shopping center just a few minutes’ drive away on University Parkway, was struggling, faced with a growing number of vacancies. It was at this same time that Benderson Development, the national real estate development company then based in Buffalo, N.Y., entered the market and saw the potential for a premier shopping, dining and entertainment destination to serve the growing community nearby and the entire Suncoast.

A long-term vision would eventually become a reality for founder Nathan Benderson when his company purchased the Sarasota Outlet Mall and about 500 acres of surrounding land along University Parkway. University Town Center, now known simply as “UTC,” be Benderson Development’s biggest mixed-use project to date and, as evidence of its commitment to the region, Benderson moved its headquarters to University Park in 2003. Fast-forward nearly two decades, and the UTC District now spans more than four million square feet along the border of Manatee and Sarasota counties, and features over 250 specialty shops, 80-plus restaurants, three hotels and over 250,000 square feet of premier office space.

The Square at UTC, the Market at UTC and the Shoppes at UTC – the site of the former Sarasota Outlet Mall – are located to the north of University Parkway. To the south along a bustling Cattlemen Road corridor sits the West District at UTC and the Mall at UTC which, when constructed in 2014, was the first enclosed mall built in the nation in five years. And there’s more to come with expansion continuing along Cattlemen and development to the east of the mall.

Benderson has become synonymous with transforming aged but important properties into high-quality, vibrant destinations. A focus on growth in the greater Sarasota-Bradenton region remains a primary focus. The future of the UTC District includes the creation of the East District at UTC, the addition of a new state-of-the-art Mote Science Education Aquarium (Mote SEA) and an indoor multisport complex at Nathan Benderson Park (NBP).

Major wins continue to accumulate around the UTC District with a steady addition of top national and homegrown brands, like Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila Bar, Yard House, Foxtail Coffee Co., Anna Maria Oyster Bar and more. The growth and excitement will continue to stretch eastward in the area between I-75 and the now fully-leased mall. The East District at UTC, located on 60 acres and energized by the opening of the Tiger Woods-designed minigolf complex PopStroke, will feature a blend of office, residential, retail, restaurant and entertainment spaces.

It will be just a brief walk away from Mote SEA – Mote Marine Laboratory’s three-story, 110,000-square-foot aquarium project that unlocks easy access to more than one million gallons of exhibits filled with sea creatures from across the world. Brought to fruition during a groundbreaking ceremony in November 2020 on the northern end of NBP, the site plays a key role in Mote’s vision to move its public outreach and educational offerings to Lakewood Ranch. Funded by the $130-million “Oceans for All” capital campaign, Mote SEA fulfills the laboratory’s goal of providing affordable – even no-cost – science and educational programs to the region’s visitors and rapidly growing population.

The UTC District is complemented by NBP, the sprawling Sarasota County-owned park where more than $40 million has been devoted to the facility’s development into a world-class rowing complex. While the park has hosted U.S. Olympic and Paralympic team trials, 10K and 5K runs, canoe and kayak races, triathlons and more, it became the first venue in the U.S. to welcome the 13th annual International Dragon Boat Federation World Championships in July 2022.

And, while plans remain in development, an exciting new phase of the park includes an indoor complex that allows the county to host an expanded assortment of sports. NBP, which is managed by nonprofit Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy, will soon have the capabilities to run major indoor tournaments and competition spaces for basketball, volleyball, pickleball, cheer, dance martial arts and more.

Benderson’s vision for the UTC District has grown – and continues to experience new heights – just like the region where it resides. And, with many of its employees proudly settled in the Sarasota-Manatee area, creating premier places to “live, work and play” will likely remain its focal point.