- October 30, 2024
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Despite a brutal hurricane season, activities at Nathan Benderson Park are “full steam ahead.”
“Overall we were able to recover pretty quickly as a facility,” said Marnie Buchsbaum, marketing director for the Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy. “We did close for a couple days out of an abundance of caution to make sure the facility was safe and that everything was out of the water and cleaned up.”
The biggest issue facing the park now is putting the wave attenuator back together.
The wave attenuator is a floating bridge that spans over a mile of the lake and reduces waves during competitions. It’s put together like a puzzle, and during Hurricane Milton, some of its pieces scattered.
“Some of our gangways and grates that connect different parts of the wave attenuator to the docks separated during the storm,” Buchsbaum said. “We were able to locate them, and we’re in the process of having them reinstalled.”
Visible gaps in the wave attenuator can be seen from shore, and several of the missing parts washed up along the southwestern portions of the lake. The pieces are so heavy, it will take a crane to move them.
This is the second hurricane to damage the wave attenuator. The first was Hurricane Ian in 2022, which caused about $1.5 million in damage.
“We are in the process of still evaluating and assessing,” Buchsbaum said. “But (the damage) is not to the level that we saw with Ian.”
Only one event had to be canceled the weekend following Hurricane Milton — The Benderson Chase, which is a partnership with the Sarasota Crew team. This year, an Octoberfest was added to the event, but both the Chase and Octoberfest will return next year.
The park was also able to step in and help a neighboring crew team. The Plant City High Rowing Association moved its annual Halloween Regatta from Tampa to Benderson after reporting that “heavy, high and fast moving water” from hurricanes Helene and Milton caused conditions to be unsafe.
Buchman said each hurricane is a learning lesson for staff members.
Some of the lessons have been to move the floating docks to the canal and better secure the anchor lines that keep the lanes in place.
Still, there’s only so much that can be done. The winds during Hurricane Milton were strong enough to toss the bleachers around. They haven’t been replaced yet.
“Some of our rowing shells that were secured properly, the racks were damaged or split in half,” Buchsbaum said. “We were obviously not here on property during the storm, but you don’t know if a tornado might have come through or just a huge gust of wind.”
The giant tent structure that covers those racks was still being repaired from Hurricane Helene tearing through the canvas, so the tent and poles were taken down ahead of Hurricane Milton.
Signs were blown down, too, but the conditions are safe. The facility is carrying on with its packed schedule of events, which is typically booked out a year in advance.
Pete Harvey, director of sports for Visit Sarasota County, said the park generated an estimated economic impact of $20,421,076 in 2023.
Buchman said there’s no estimate as to how much the damage will cost because as soon as repairs from one hurricane would start, another storm would blow through, and the work started all over again. There’s also not a set timeline as to when the repairs will be completed.
“Hurricane damage takes its toll in many different ways, so we’re getting the facility put back together and then working on the beautification, as well,” Buchsbaum said. “There are signage companies and vendors we have to work with. We’re getting in line with everyone else.”
One thing that isn’t waiting are the designs for an indoor sports complex and boathouse next to the Finish Tower. The Sarasota County Commission earmarked $20 million for the project in January 2022. In July, plans were 30% complete.
“Everything remains on track,” Nicole Rissler, director of Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources, wrote in an email. “Neither hurricane has impacted the plans or timeline for the sports complex.”
The next project update, which will include construction costs, will be presented to Sarasota County commissioners in spring 2025.
