Benderson Development wants its own taxing district at UTC
By: Derek Gilliam | Suncoast Searchlight and Christian Casale, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
A new bill in the Florida House would turn the University Town Center into a special government district and give one of the region’s most influential developers the power to set specific rules and levy new taxes.
House Bill 4091, introduced last week by State Rep. Bill Conerly, R-Lakewood Ranch, would give the largest private landowner in the district — Manatee County-headquartered Benderson Development Co. — its own local government to finance and oversee future expansions of the shopping hub, largely composed of commercial retail around the mall and rowing park…