CORTEZ — At Tuesday's land use meeting, Manatee County Commissioners approved the purchase of a Cortez seafood restaurant and marina for use as a county boat ramp.
The Seafood Shack Marina, Bar & Grill property (127th St W off of Cortez Rd) contains seven upland parcels totaling approximately 5.9 acres and two submerged land leases of approximately 2.9 acres, for a total of approximately 8.8 acres.
The county plans to put a public boat ramp facility with a dry storage facility in addition to the marina component. The county currently operates nine saltwater access public boat ramp facilities featuring 17 launch lanes and around 234 trailer parking spaces.
County staff said that based on consultant analysis, the county should be operating 59 boat ramp launch lanes and is 42 short of that number. The property was appraised at $12.5 million, and a verbal sale agreement was reached for $13 million, to include the restaurant property and all improvements.
Funding will come from the proposed Peninsula Bay boat ramp, a previously approved and budgeted Capital Improvement Plan project that fell through. The budget resolution and purchase contract were adopted unanimously.
6 comments on this item
Only paid subscribers can comment
Please log in to comment by clicking here.
sandy
Read the resolution uploaded to the agenda. Per description: "Transfers $13,100,000 to reserves in General Fund from the Building Capital Projects fund for the Administration Center New Parking Garage project to reallocate and utilize funding more efficiently. Funding for this project is delayed due to time constraints and will be funded when needed. Also transfers $13.1M from reserves to the Parks and Recreational Capital projects fund for the Seafood Shack/Boat Ramp Land Acquisition project to acquire property."
Where in that resolution is Peninsula Bay ramp funds mentioned except at board meeting? Where is boat ramp funding mentioned?
According to resolution, they took the money from the admin parking garage. Guess the administration parking garage is no longer critical to replace in the detriment to staff and citizen safety.
Thursday, September 5 Report this
WTF
It may or may not have been a good purchase, but here the thing. They been in this purchase talks for MONTHS. You would think they could of put this on the agenda 10 days ago.It's unbelievable that you want to spend $13 million of taxpayers money and you don't even give us a 10 day notice at the very least this warrants a workshop with citizen input. You've done neither. Don't you think you would have learned your lesson after the last election outcome but nooo… you continue in your shenanigans in putting things on the agenda at the last minute. We're not talking about a $200 gumball machine for the lobby we're talking about a substantial amount of money, our money the taxpayers. Whoever put this on the agenda or thought it was alright to move forward in this direction without engaging the citizens and taxpayers of this county needs to be removed from that position. It the "process" they continue to abuse and keep the public in the dark on such matters.
Friday, September 6 Report this
David Daniels
I agree 100% with Sandy and WTF. Well said!
Friday, September 6 Report this
Rlasunto
Priorities?
This seems to draw much needed money from other infrastructure necessities.
Sewage and flood water management, repairs to keep **** out of the Manatee river and water out of houses, road repairs and improvement and, most likely many others.
Friday, September 6 Report this
David Daniels
It is nice to know how easily we can find $13 million, or $840K for the Supv of Elections. Because we have a real need at the Palmetto animal shelter. Due to an ever increasing shelter population, dogs are again being housed in outdoor kennels. And now that we know the new kennels at Bishop won't be completed until sometime in 2026, some of us are asking the administration to please make improvements to Palmetto. We are asking to please replace the portable AC units, and add more if needed. We are asking to please find a way to end the continued problem of being short of staff. I believe spending on our shelter is just as deserving as these other needs.
Friday, September 6 Report this
moomba19
What were the plans for the most likely most difficult and dangerous, uncontrolled instersection at Cortez Rd. and 127th St. W. in the county? And that's without pulling a trailer with a boat on it. Did I miss something? Mark Edenfield
5 days ago Report this