City of Bradenton officials presented the LECOM/Village of the Arts mobility study and a City Park master plan that pairs a proposed competition baseball complex and a multiuse Police Athletic League facility with a broader mobility and stormwater program intended to improve walkability and support sports tourism.

Rob Perry, the city administrator, described the MPO‑funded mobility study and said it documents safety problems, limited sidewalk networks and inadequate lighting in the Ninth Avenue/LECOM study area. The study identified 22 crashes in the study area between 2017 and 2021 that resulted in serious incidents and recommended complete‑streets and intersection improvements, mid‑block crossings, upgraded LED lighting, sidewalk maintenance and possible roundabouts.

Why it matters: City Park and the LECOM area sit adjacent to downtown and Village of the Arts; officials said investing in fields, community facilities and stormwater infrastructure would support sports tourism and create demand for hotels, restaurants and housing that in turn would help downtown retail and transit options.

Project elements and community services: City plans described a roughly 55,000‑square‑foot multiuse facility that could host Police Athletic League programs, school‑district partnerships for reading and career programming, and vocational training. The park master plan would also add competition baseball fields and expanded parking pads, backed by planned underground stormwater improvements and permitting work. "We think we can build this probably faster and perhaps cheaper, and really improve a significant area, of downtown," Perry said.

Funding and schedule: City and county representatives said some financing is in place from the city’s CRA, county Tourist Development Council (TDC) assistance, state appropriations and federal grants. City staff said engineering and stormwater design are underway and that construction documents could be ready in the next 3–4 months, with construction potentially beginning in about a year, contingent on permits and contractor procurement.

Neighborhood and safety concerns: Council members and county commissioners emphasized coordinating streetscape improvements and sidewalks between city and county jurisdictions so the project links to surrounding neighborhoods. Several speakers highlighted the corridor’s pedestrian safety problems and urged joint funding for sidewalks, crossings and multimodal connections.

Ending: Both governments said they will continue to work on permitting, stormwater engineering and procurement and to align CRA and county funds for area redevelopment; city and county leaders called for ongoing meetings to coordinate the project’s infrastructure and neighborhood benefits.