UMR Sports to expand Upper Manatee River Road footprint

Work is underway to expand Upper Manatee River Road to four lanes, but 53-year-old Ryan Moore remembered when he could run sprints up and down the road and not see a car. 

Moore's father, Duane Moore, was just 19 years old when he bought 200 acres and 75 cows to start Moore’s Dairy. 

Since then, the family business has changed with the landscape. It used to be dairy, and now, it’s sports. 

After gaining unanimous approval Oct. 17 from Manatee County's commissioners to expand its complex by another 52 acres, UMR Sports will be adding 12U baseball fields, a pickleball barn, a miniature golf course, a food truck area, and up to 232 apartments. 

“My mother passed away a couple years ago,” Moore said. “She would have been pleased that we’re turning her old farm into a playground.” 

Moore said his mother, Mary Margaret Moore, never missed one of his baseball games growing up. He’s building a facility where families can play together.

The miniature golf course area will incorporate a tiki bar and cornhole boards, and Moore said the course will engage both kids and their parents. 

Right now, the complex consists of four sand volleyball courts, six pickleball courts and a cage for baseball and softball training. Moore called the expansion “a 6-year-old dream” that has undergone a few tweaks. 

Additional pickleball courts weren't part of the original plans, but being that the community is so eager for more, five will be inside the pickleball barn along with a fitness center. Pickleball is the only activity that involves a membership, which costs $70 a month for unlimited play. 

UMR Sports will continue to host private events and tournaments, but lessons, camps and special events are open to the public. 

UMR often hosts “Friday Night Lights.” For $10 a person, anyone can participate in open play pickleball. Moore is also taking RSVPs from Nov. 4 to Dec. 5 to see if there’s enough interest to get an adult Wiffle ball league started. 

The State College of Florida, along with Lakewood Ranch, Parrish, Southeast and Palmetto high schools, use the complex to train and play. But Moore said the new fields will open up opportunities for youth leagues.

And once “Food Truck Row” is open, residents are welcome to drive in and drive out for dinner anytime they’d like. 

“This is a very affordable attraction for every person in Manatee County,” Moore said. 

The apartments will be split between "stay and play" units and yearly leases. The goal is to open in phases with the entirety of the project being completed in mid-2026.