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Board approves $8.5 million Snook Haven renovation funding plan and starts procurement
Summary
The Board approved a multi‑source funding plan and moved to appropriate funds to rebuild Snook Haven Park, including a new pavilion, rebuilt band shell, shoreline stabilization and a concession footprint; the project budget was estimated at about $8.5 million and the county will pursue permits and negotiate a concession agreement.
The Sarasota County Commission on March 27 approved staff’s funding plan to rebuild and stabilize Snook Haven Park, a riverfront recreation site in East Venice Avenue’s Myakka River corridor, and authorized staff to proceed toward procurement and project implementation.
Parks Director Nicole Rissler said the project reached a roughly 100% design level and staff negotiated construction‑management agreements and an invitation‑to‑negotiate for a concessionaire. She described the scope as replacing aging infrastructure, moving the concession footprint slightly away from the river for shoreline protection, constructing a large covered pavilion for outdoor seating, renovating a small outfitter cabin and rebuilding the band shell.
Rissler said the project underwent value engineering to reduce cost without changing the site’s intended use: a smaller pavilion footprint, eliminating an indoor stone fireplace and re‑using a cabin for storage instead of adding a standalone storage building. Rissler gave an estimated total project cost of about $8.5 million (design, permitting, construction, project management and contingency) and said staff believes a funding package exists from multiple sources to cover the estimate.
Funding highlights approved by the Board include a mix of South County park impact fees, portions of surtax (surtax 3 and some surtax 4 allocation), a tourist‑development‑tax capital allocation, West Coast Inland Navigation District support for river/boat improvements and private contributions estimated at $500,000 to $1,000,000 (concessionaire capital plus philanthropic pledges). Rissler told the board the county is negotiating purchase of adjacent parcels on East Venice Avenue that would complement the riverfront vision.
Rissler also noted permitting complexity: the project requires coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Myakka River coordinating entities and the county’s variance approvals already under way. She said staff issued an Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) for concession services; the ITN required a minimum proposed capital investment of $500,000 and produced a single qualified proposer who is now in negotiations.
Motion and vote: Commissioner Mast moved to approve the proposed funding plan for the Snook Haven Park Improvement Project and to allow staff to bring the required budget amendment and procurement steps back to the county’s capital project team; Commissioner Knight seconded. The motion passed unanimously (Commissioners Cuttsinger, Knight, Mast, Smith and Kutzinger voted yes).
Next steps and schedule: staff will finalize negotiations with the concessionaire, bring a budget amendment to appropriate funds, seek required environmental and shoreline permits and anticipate a ground‑breaking after permitting and a guaranteed maximum price are in place; construction was described as likely to take about a year once mobilized.
Ending: Rissler told the board the project aims to protect the ‘‘old Florida’’ character of the riverfront while improving visitor amenities and stabilizing the shoreline. Commissioners supported moving forward with procurement and negotiations.
