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$1 million Scott vetoed for The Circus Arts Conservatory will be part of the final bud- get. "We'll work on it next year," Pilon told the audience, "and make sure the governor understands it a little better." As for the new I-75 interchange, even though funding was not earmarked in the budget, state money is available, along with some funding for improvements at Interstate 75 and Fruitville Road, said Pilon, R-Sarasota. Steube, R-Sarasota, who has been a pro- ponent of those improvements, noted that the interchange originally was included in a $100-million allocation for transportation projects for the coming year, but that pack- age did not make it into the final budget. Steube said that Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Secretary Ananth Prasad has been working on securing alter- native means of state financing. One option is to use money left over as a result of big road construction projects coming in under estimated costs. Prasad told Steube that those "underbids" could be used to pay for the $60 million diverging diamond and other improvements. "I feel very confident we will have [the diverg- ing diamond] funded by the end of the year," Steube said. Earlier in the week, during a legislative brief- ing for members of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, Steube voiced con- fidence about "shovels in the dirt" for the project before the beginning of 2015. Steube told the Tiger Bay Club audience that traffic congestion is a serious problem that will only worsen at the site of the planned interchange after the Mall at University Town Center opens in October, new developments become a reality in that area and the neigh- boring Benderson Park begins holding more major rowing events. Construction progress at the Mall at University Town Center was documented by Sarasota County staff in early May. Photo courtesy Sarasota County Sarasota News Leader June 13, 2014 Page 22