Nathan Benderson Park & Rowing Venue

Details:

Client: Benderson Development Company, LLC

Location: Atlanta, Georgia

Status: Under construction

Highlights:

  • Master plan for a rowing venue park
  • Planning and landscape design of the course and park amenities

  • 2013 APA Florida Award of Excellence

  • 2013 APA County Planning Division and the National Association of County Planners Award of Merit

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Description:

TSW’s Landscape Architecture Studio was retained to develop a master plan for Nathan Benderson Park east of Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida. The park contains a 400-acre lake and surrounding shoreline, which will be adapted into a world class 2,000-meter FISA (Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d’Aviron) Class A regatta course and rowing center.  In addition to rowing the design also incorporates numerous other paddle sport competitions, from dragon boat racing to canoe and kayak races as well as triathlon and cross county events.

Regatta Island which will be used for launching and recovery of boats during rowing has been designed in an Olympic Village type setting and a state-of-the-art boat maintenance facility is envisioned.   The Island is intended to be a multiuse event space that is easily re-configured to host rowing events one day, a weekend farmers market, to largescale music events over the weekend.

Surrounding the lake are several small-scale parks that include a race viewing park, a children’s playground, a small event lawn.  The walking trail surrounding the perimeter of the lake will include outdoor fitness stations.

The park is located adjacent to, and within walking distance to a mixed-use entertainment destination with shopping, dining, and a hotel.