The planned boathouse and multisport complex at Nathan Benderson Park is now estimated to cost $75 million to $80 million. It is expected to be finished by summer 2028, the conservancy's top official told Sarasota County commissioners.

Bruce Patneaude, chief operating officer of the Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy, gave that assurance at the commission's Tuesday, Aug. 25, meeting, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. The 2028 World Rowing Championships are scheduled at the park in August 2028.

Assistant County Administrator Nicole Rissler told Suncoast Searchlight in May that if the project cannot be completed in time, construction would be delayed until after the championships.

Renderings released Thursday, Aug. 27, show a roughly 100,000-square-foot facility. The first floor would hold boathouse storage and eight full-size basketball courts covering 85,000 square feet of hardwood, convertible to 16 volleyball courts. The second floor would include meeting rooms, offices, a medical facility, weight rooms and locker rooms, according to the Business Observer.

The price tag has climbed. Earlier this year, the conservancy's request for proposals pegged the cost at $65 million. By late August, the Herald-Tribune reported the estimate had risen to $75 million to $80 million.

Funding Combines County Tax Revenue, State Dollars and a Developer Pledge

Sarasota County committed $20 million in tourist development tax revenue in May 2022. The state added $10 million in its fiscal year 2026-27 budget, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on June 29. State budget documents labeled the allocation funding for a "Secondary-Post Storm Shelter and Support Facility."

A Herald-Tribune letter to the editor published Friday, Aug. 28, wrote that "Benderson says it will chip in 20% – or $16 million" toward construction costs. Earlier reporting by Suncoast Searchlight attributed the 20% pledge to the Benderson Family Philanthropic Foundation, while the Aug. 28 letter referred to Benderson Development Co. Available sources do not clarify which entity formally made the commitment.

As of late May, the Business Observer reported $43 million committed toward a then-$65 million goal. The conservancy had raised zero dollars in private donations beyond those pledges. "We've raised zero dollars. Nobody is hiding that," Patneaude told Suncoast Searchlight in May.

Patneaude told commissioners on Aug. 25 that Benderson Development had agreed to guarantee any remaining funding gap if the capital campaign falls short, according to the Herald-Tribune letter. The county's contract with the park requires the full amount to be deposited or guaranteed before construction begins.

Critics Cite Unfulfilled 2013 Promise of Private Funding

The project has drawn sharp criticism. Pat Rounds, past secretary of the Sarasota Alliance for Fair Elections, told Suncoast Searchlight in May that the county was repeating a pattern from 2013, when a boathouse was supposed to be built with private money that never materialized.

Terry Galvin, a rower, park volunteer and former Herald-Tribune business editor, told Searchlight there had been no gala fundraisers, no silent auctions and no publicly promoted campaign.

The concept dates to a 2010 master plan. In 2013, Sarasota County approved $19.5 million in tourist tax funds for the park's first two phases, including dredging the lake and creating Regatta Island. A third phase was to include a privately funded boathouse. No private money was raised, and no boathouse was built.

Schematic Drawings Near Completion, but No Groundbreaking Date Set

The conservancy released a request for proposals in April with contractor proposals due May 22 and a contract award scheduled for June 15. As of Aug. 25, Patneaude reported that architects were still nearing completion of schematic drawings. No confirmed groundbreaking date has been announced. The next confirmed public milestone is the 2028 World Rowing Championships, scheduled for August 2028.