Wednesday, August 27, 2008

More than three million square feet of office space is being added to Lakewood Ranch.
MANATEE COUNTY (Bay News 9) — The rough economy isn’t keeping one Bay area community from expanding.

Lakewood Ranch, the sprawling community in Manatee County is expanding over the county line into neighboring Sarasota.

Sarasota County commissioners just approved plans to bring more than $3 million square feet of office space to Lakewood Ranch.

Todd Yeomans, who works with Fawley Bryant, a company located in the Lakewood Ranch business park, said the location of the area makes sense for more businesses to move in.

“It’s really convenient,” Yeoman said. “There’s a lot of big corporate businesses here that you can make good connections with and develop good relations with.”
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Those opportunities for business relationships are growing.

The corporate park is expanding and will become the largest corporate complex in the Sarasota-Manatee area.

County commissioners just gave a Lakewood Ranch the go-ahead to develop anywhere within the 1,400 acre parcel where the business park will be located.

But the park isn’t just a boon for business types.

Darlene Clawson lives and works just east of Interstate 75. She says she rarely has to go into town with the expanding developments in Lakewood Ranch.

“I’ve been pretty much staying out here, you get spoiled with everything,’ she said. “Starbucks is down the street and the movie theater.”

And more is on the way.

Phase Two of the massive office park will provide more than three million square feet of office space. The corporate headquarters also houses a satellite Manatee Community College campus.

“The future of this area is terrific,’ Yeoman said. “It’s really a great place to work.”