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"We were incredibly pleased and very appre- ciative," Mazzarantani told The Sarasota News Leader Wednesday. Mazzarantani touted the decision as a boost for economic development through tour- ism. "If we do this right, this will be a terriļ¬c asset to the county for many years to come," he said. The course expansion will allow the club to hold multi-day tournaments that bring in out- of-towners, with an estimated $225,000 spent in the local economy during each such event, Mazzarantani estimated. "They understand sports tourism," Mazzarantani said of the county commissioners. He was the person who drafted the expan- sion plan. "They understand the revenue this sport can generate for Sarasota County and South County in particular." Mazzarantani said Sarasota Trap, Skeet and Shooting Clays will continue to pay market rate rent for the property while also contrib- uting $250,000 (over time) to the expense of expanding the facilities. The County Commission and staff discuss budget issues during the March 25 workshop in the Think Tank at the County Administration Center in Sarasota. Photo by Norman Schimmel This deal is, quite frankly, amazing in my opinion. Christine Robinson Vice Chairwoman Sarasota County Commission Sarasota News Leader March 28, 2014 Page 19