Commissioners hit pause on proposed $80 million ice rink for Lakewood Ranch Premier Park

Commissioners have pulled back from a proposal that could have seen the development of a 190,000-square-foot multi-use ice rink facility at the Premier Sports Complex in Lakewood Ranch. Until last week, the estimated $80 million project, known as Project Grace, was moving toward negotiations over county economic incentives and a public-private land lease agreement.

Manatee County District 5 Commissioner Bob McCann—whose district includes much of Lakewood Ranch, including Premier—placed the item on the agenda to ask the board to support relocating the proposed facility.

By the end of the item’s discussion, commissioners voted to suspend negotiations with Icemann Development LLC—the Wesley Chapel-based entity behind Project Grace—until county staff could address concerns raised by residents and some commissioners, including questions regarding the proposed location’s compatibility with county planning policies and land development regulations. At McCann’s insistence, the motion also directed that the project be relocated to a yet-to-be-determined non-residential area elsewhere in Manatee County.

On February 17, commissioners unanimously approved, 7-0, to enter into an economic stimulus public/private development agreement with Icemann in furtherance of a future ice rink, "Project Grace." The item, which was placed on the consent agenda, was pulled by McCann, who requested more information before casting a vote in its favor.

Manatee County Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Elliott Falcione stepped to the chamber’s podium to tout the potential benefits of the project to both the local economy and to the growing community and residents’ quality of life. “Time is of the essence,” Falcione told commissioners in February, stressing that hesitating on decisions involving private equity could mean a missed opportunity.   

In responding to McCann’s questions about the proposal, Falcione explained that the item and its agenda documents essentially served as a ‘placeholder,’ a rough conceptual idea. The board would need to approve the economic stimulus agreement to advance the process, where a more detailed proposal, including negotiated terms of the land use agreement, a conceptual site plan, and even how many sheets of ice the facility might offer, would come back to the board at a later date. 

When McCann learned that the developer’s intention for the ice rink included that it would be a multi-purpose facility capable of hosting other events (by temporarily covering the ice), and that it would include a food and beverage component, he lent his support for the proposal, stating, “We don’t want to put a lot of money into something that is going to fail. So, if it has more purposes than just the ice rink, I’m for it.”  

Like McCann, each commissioner who provided feedback spoke favorably of the proposal after hearing from Falcione, including former District 1 Commissioner Carol Felts.

Ahead of the board’s unanimous approval, McCann said, “I think it’s a great idea because it’s going to be more than just hockey.”

By June, county staff returned to the commission seeking authorization to negotiate a business agreement with Icemann Development LLC for Project Grace and to bring back a proposed land lease and operating agreement for final board approval.

Under the proposal, Icemann would privately finance, design, construct, maintain and operate a $70 million to $80 million indoor sports complex on approximately 22 acres at Premier Sports Campus North. Plans called for the 190,000-square-foot facility to feature four ice sheets, including one arena with about 2,500 permanent seats, along with food and beverage service, retail space, sports medicine facilities and an attached parking garage. The venue was also designed to host basketball, volleyball, cheerleading and dance competitions, shows and other events, and to serve as an emergency shelter for the growing community. 

The proposed business terms included a 60-year lease, with an option for a 30-year extension, and up to $5 million in Tourist Development Tax reimbursements for eligible infrastructure improvements. In return, the developer would privately fund the facility's construction and operation, while the county would receive lease payments and a share of parking revenues.

Commissioners again voiced support for the proposal.

McCann asked Falcione to confirm that the project was to be “like the LeMieux Center in Pittsburgh,” and Falcione responded affirmatively, “Yes, Sir. A little bit bigger, but that’s a good prototype to go with.” 

McCann jokingly suggested that the facility be named after himself once completed, adding, “I think this is going to be a very beneficial facility for everyone involved. I look forward to it, and I definitely support it.”

When public comment finally began, Jacqueline Morgan, a resident of a neighborhood adjacent to Premier, approached the podium first. She presented commissioners with a petition signed by more than 1,200 residents supporting the relocation of Project Grace, including, she said, “the red shirts in this room.”

“This represents families, homeowners, taxpayers, and voters whose voices deserve to be heard,” she said as she entered the petition into the public record.

Thomas Hirt, a resident of the Solera Community, expressed his gratitude for the county’s thoughtful work in developing Premier Sports Complex, but called the proposed ice rink contrary to the park’s original plans.

“A large ice rink mega-plex is out of place in the middle of a residential park setting surrounded by neighborhoods, families, schools, and local streets. Lakewood Ranch is a master planned community, and one of its strengths is that residential areas, commercial areas, and regional activity centers are intentionally placed where they belong,” said Hirt.

Husband and wife Michael and Shawne Pecar, who live in the Cresswind community directly behind the proposed project site, also addressed commissioners. Mr. Pecar described himself as a former commercial real estate professional who began his career in the land development division of the Irvine Company—the master-planner and developer of the City of Irvine in Orange County, California. Pecar said he and his wife chose to relocate to Lakewood Ranch in retirement because of its reputation as the number one planned development in the country. Pecar asked that commissioners consider pausing the negotiations.

Pecar’s wife added that many residential stakeholders only became aware of the plans for the ice rink in mid-June, leaving residents little time to engage with their representatives on the matter.

“This will be bigger than a super-Target, bigger than a Walmart, bigger than a Costco,” said Mrs. Pecar. “This is not what our community is supposed to look like.”

Multiple citizens took turns addressing commissioners, one after another, pleading with them to reconsider the project’s proposed location, citing concerns about its scale, traffic impacts, noise, and the threat to the area’s residential character. 

Matt Smith, owner of the Ellenton Ice and Sports Complex, also attended the meeting and told commissioners that while he is not opposed to another ice rink being developed in Manatee County, he questioned the proposed agreement and economic incentives for the new facility.

Wilson told commissioners that when she first learned of the project, she was confused because it “didn't make sense based on basic zoning principles.”

After identifying the proposed site's future land use designation as Mixed Use Community/Residential (MU/CR), Wilson said she reviewed the county's Comprehensive Plan and concluded that the proposed development was inconsistent with multiple planning policies.

Among the provisions she cited were policies she said limited commercial development within an MU/CR designation to "medium" projects, defined "medium" commercial development as no more than 150,000 square feet, and classified arenas and mass-seating facilities as "major attractors," which she said are not permitted within the land use category. Wilson also referenced provisions of the county's Land Development Code that she said presented additional conflicts with the proposal.

Following nearly an hour of public comment, several commissioners said residents had raised questions that required additional review from county staff.

Commissioner Jason Bearden, who is completing his first term and has announced he will not seek reelection, questioned whether the county should be using public resources to compete with an existing private business. He also criticized the proposed use of Tourist Development Tax dollars for the project, suggesting the funds may be better spent to support existing businesses. Bearden also took aim at Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Falcione, saying, "I think Elliott believes this is his pot of money," and alleging that Falcione had, on previous occasions, directed people to go through him first rather than speak directly with commission members.

Commission Chair Tal Siddique said he wanted county staff to address residents' concerns before the board considered moving forward. Regarding questions about the property's land-use designation and the county's Comprehensive Plan, Siddique said he was uncertain whether the proposal would receive approval if submitted as a private project on private land. 

"If this was not county-owned land and it was private, based on this zoning and our comp plan, would it be approved?" Siddique asked. "I have a hard time finding an argument for that."

Siddique also pointed out that the board had not yet heard from Development Services staff on the proposed project.

McCann suggested that if the proposal was inconsistent with county policy or code, it should not move forward at all. Siddique, however, said he believed both the developer and Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Falcione should be given the opportunity to respond to the issues raised before commissioners reached a final decision.

Commissioners ultimately voted unanimously, 6-0, to direct county staff to suspend all discussions with Icemann Development LLC until staff returns with a presentation addressing the concerns raised by residents and commissioners. At McCann's request, the motion also directed staff to identify an alternative, non-residential location elsewhere in Manatee County should the project move forward.

The vote was met with applause from residents in the commission chambers. County staff will return to the board at a date yet to be determined with a presentation addressing the concerns raised during the discussion.