SARASOTA – Two years and 9 months forward of schedule, Sarasota County celebrated the completion of an 18.5-mile stretch of the Legacy Path that connects Payne Park within the metropolis of Sarasota with the Historic Venice Prepare Depot and the Venetian Waterway Park.
“It was simply 5 months in the past that we had our ribbon slicing for Segments 1 and a pair of,” Sarasota County Fee Vice Chairman Ron Cutsinger mentioned Thursday morning on the Payne Park ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newest path stretch accomplished.
When connections in and round Venice – together with the Venetian Waterway Park – are included, a paved hyperlink stretches roughly 20 miles.
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Previously yr – prompted partly by folks looking for out of doors recreation choices through the COVID-19 pandemic – the variety of path customers has greater than doubled to greater than 524,000.
“That’s earlier than opening this part,” Cutsinger mentioned. “At some point, we’ll be speaking a few millionth customer, gained’t we?”
Payne Park, at 2010 Adams Lane, is certainly one of two trailheads which have opened, providing parking and restroom services to these touring the path. The Sarasota Springs trailhead at 4012 Webber Avenue has opened as effectively.
In June Sarasota County will open the Pompano trailhead adjoining to the Babe Ruth Baseball complicated at 601 S. Pompano Ave.
That trailhead will supply quick access to the Sarasota County Fairgrounds and the close by Lee Wetherington Boys and Women Membership. It may also embody a gathering room within the construction as soon as utilized by the Florida Division of Motor Autos for driver license checks, and 12 lighted pickleball courts.
The trailhead will symbolize three new parks
Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Pure Assets Director Nicole Rissler mentioned that along with the paved path, the trailhead will symbolize three new parks, providing playground tools and, in some instances, house for meals truck distributors.
The county is scheduled to open the North Port connector trails, which is able to embody one paved path that ends close to Value Boulevard, and an present pure spur that ends on the Myakkahatchee Creek Nature Park.
The trail to the Value Boulevard terminus may also ultimately embody a connection south to Heat Mineral Springs.
The state of Florida should nonetheless assemble overpasses at Bee Ridge and Clark roads, to switch present at-grade crossings. The state has already constructed related constructions at Laurel Highway in south Sarasota County and U.S. 41 Bypass in Venice.
Cutsinger famous that the Legacy Path touches 14 parks alongside the best way and extra importantly is inside one mile of 27 Sarasota County colleges and two miles of 45 Sarasota County colleges.
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He famous that along with creating paths to attach with Nathan Benderson Park, the County Fee has prioritized secure connections to the path, so faculty youngsters who stroll or bike to high school can incorporate it right into a secure journey.
In the end, Cutsinger famous, the aim is to connect with a 336-mile Gulf Path system that may hyperlink Tampa to Naples.
A lot of that may be via former railroad rights-of-way acquired via the Belief for Public Land.
That belief dealt with the transaction for the Seaboard Air Line proper of method,
Cutsinger famous that former Sarasota County Commissioner Charles Hines was employed to work with the belief to assist make that 336-mile path system a actuality.
The majority of the northern path extension and the connection to North Port was funded by a $65 million bond that voters authorized in 2018.
Sarasota County Commissioner Christian Ziegler confused the significance of that vote as a transparent sign that the path was a precedence. He additionally likened it to a launching pad for future financial development.
“Every little thing being constructed round this path is unimaginable and the potential from this path is unmatched,” Ziegler mentioned.
He referenced the connection to Nathan Benderson Park and a deliberate “flyover” of Interstate 75 as keys to in the future making the Sarasota space an Iron Man triathlon vacation spot.
Zielgler mentioned Iron Man swimmers may use the man-made lake at Nathan Benderson Park, runners may use the Legacy Path and cyclists can use the I-75 flyover to cycle 112 miles via Central Florida.
“You’re speaking about financial improvement there’s nothing higher than bringing an iron Man to city,” Ziegler mentioned.
Earle Kimel primarily covers south Sarasota County for the Herald-Tribune and might be reached at earle.kimel@heraldtribune.com. Help native journalism with a digital subscription to the Herald-Tribune.