Bill Robinson will witness the fulfillment of a lifelong goal—to leave a footprint in Manatee County, Florida, his home. Robinson Preserve will be a place where people can connect with nature.

By incorporating restorative processes and uniquely designed structural spans, the project will breathe new life into a threatened body of water.

Store Front to Chain Stores
A success in the business world, Robinson established himself by starting a sporting goods store with his brother and growing the company to 49 locations. It was later sold to Woolworth’s. Today, it is the 700-store chain known as Champs.

For two years after the sale, Robinson stayed with the company before once again striking out on his own. Marketing to a new niche, he created an 11-store network of retail landscaping stores, which was sold to John Deere. This time Robinson retained a portion of the business, its nursery operation, which produces trees for Deere’s landscaping division.

Over the course of time, Robinson had purchased parcels of land, much of it in the Bradenton-area of Manatee County for growing coconut and other tropical trees. As the operation expanded, he amassed nine parcels where he grew as many as 100,000 trees.

An Opportunity
In 2000, Robinson decided to create a planned development on the 700 acres which borders Tampa Bay, Perico Bayou and Palma Sola Bay. The project was to include 600 home sites and an 18-hole championship golf course.

While seeking the necessary approvals for the project, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) approached him about Palma Sola Bay.  The body of water was failing. Roads had cut off its free flow of water from Tampa Bay.

Faced with this threat to the local environment, Robinson, an outdoorsman and avid kayaker, saw an opportunity to do something for the people of the county and Mother Nature.

He worked with the DEP on a purchase/donation plan with Manatee County. It would allow the DEP to save Palma Sola Bay by digging canals to connect it with Tampa Bay and create water trails that could be used for canoeing and kayaking.

The idea sparked discussions within Manatee County government about forming a development partnership. The county offered to purchase an ecologically-sensitive 480 acre tract, which provided Robinson with funds to construct the golf course on the remaining acres, while reducing the number of homes involved in the project.

Community Buy-in
The response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive. Volunteers ranging in age from first graders to retired seniors have assisted with removing invasive plants and re-planting salt marsh habitats. College students have contributed by arranging and facilitating a scientific study of the marine inhabitants in the large lagoon at the preserve.

A program was created to further engage the public in the restoration process by inviting them to attend regularly scheduled “sneak peek” tours.

Program attendance has been astounding – averaging 75 to 100 people per trip. The tours have been expanded to include a special bike trip, paddle trip, and even a bus tour intended to accommodate as many visitors as possible.

Critical Bridges
As work on the preserve commenced, contracts were awarded to partners that would espouse the county’s commitment to preserving the environment. One of these contractors was Franklin, North Carolina-based Bridge Builders USA, Inc.

“This visionary project tapped many of our strengths. It was a huge engineering challenge encompassing vehicular and pedestrian bridges in addition to an observation tower,” said Greg Solomon, Bridge Builders general manager.

“We began work by constructing three vehicular timber bridges to provide access around the project. After that, we constructed the boardwalk trail system. Finally we built an observation tower,” he said.

Some of the bridges connect to walking trails between the lagoons.

One 500-foot long span meanders through the mangroves and was a considerable challenge for Bridge Builders since it is extremely narrow. The equipment required to drive pilings was limited by the eight-foot width of the bridge. Material couldn’t be staged on site but had to be brought in piece by piece. The company will soon repeat the feat, a 600-foot long pedestrian bridge that weaves through the mangroves before culminating in an observation platform.

The 50-foot tower at Robinson Preserve is surrounded by water and allows a dramatic 360-degree panorama of the area, including views of Tampa as well as Perico Bayou and Palma Sola Bay.  It also has two observation decks, one at 20 foot and one at 40 feet.

“Constructing the tower was a major undertaking since the tide was an issue. Timing was critical,” says Tim Kris II, the company’s project manager.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, such as unfavorable weather conditions, the preserve is slated to open by winter of 2008.

Solomon said Robinson Preserve is unique.

”It allows so many people the opportunity to observe and enjoy nature,” he said.

Across the Board Success
This win-win scenario struck a cord in southwest Florida, achieving a balance between accommodating population growth with the restoration of habitat held in the public trust.

The Manatee County Board of County Commissioners supported the property acquisition and a funding mechanism that included a charitable contribution from the Robinson family, county funds,  the Florida Communities Trust and host of local, state and county agencies.*

Meanwhile, Bill Robinson is moving forward with his development, which now includes the golf course in a 200-acre green space surrounded by 20 home sites.

“This is man and nature blending together for a sports wonderland,” Robinson said. SLDT