Administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, it is the sixth national cemetery developed in Florida.

The Veterans Administration was authorized to establish six new burial sites by the National Cemetery Expansion Act of 2003, enacted on November 11, 2003.

[1] Areas not served by an existing National Cemetery and having at least 170,000 veteran residents included:[2] Groundbreaking and dedication at the Sarasota site was held on June 1, 2008.

Initial construction on those 60 acres (0.24 km2) began in June 2008 and created space for 18,200 casket burials within 15,200 designated crypts, 7,000 columbarium niches, and 500 in-ground cremations.

Phase one includes an entrance, roadways within the section, a public information center with restrooms, and two solar-powered shelters for committal services during inclement weather.