Manatee County commissioners are weighing a proposal for an $80 million indoor sports and entertainment complex that would bring four hockey rinks to Lakewood Ranch, setting up a debate between families eager for expanded youth sports access and neighbors worried about traffic and noise.
The project, known as Project Grace, would occupy roughly 22 acres at Premier Sports Campus North and total about 250,000 square feet. In addition to the four rinks, the facility would host tournaments in other sports, including volleyball, and would include event space along with food, retail and training areas, according to developers.
Supporters point to a gap in local ice sports access. Manatee County currently has only two ice rinks, both at the Ellenton Ice and Sports Complex. Tom Barilla, a Lakewood Ranch resident and youth hockey coach whose family lives in the nearby Star Farm community, said the new complex would put a rink much closer to home. He said hockey gave him lasting memories growing up and that he hopes his two sons will have similar experiences, adding that he views the sport’s physical nature as a way for young players to build resilience.
Not everyone in the area is on board. Rosella Stromberg, who lives near the proposed site, has raised concerns about increased traffic, noise from the facility’s ice-cooling equipment, and safety, particularly around a nearby Solera neighborhood bus stop across the street from the site where her grandson waits. Stromberg has started a Facebook group and a petition opposing the project and said she intends to bring her concerns directly to the Manatee County Commission, calling for traffic and noise studies and suggesting alternative sites elsewhere in the county.
The proposal’s next milestone comes in August or September, when commissioners are expected to consider a land lease agreement. Site plan approval could follow between October and December. If the project clears those steps, groundbreaking would be targeted for January 2027, with completion expected by summer 2028.
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