BRADENTON, Fla. — Manatee County officials want to hear from residents on plans for the future Cortez boat ramp.
What You Need To Know
- Manatee County leaders are looking to build a marina where the Seafood Shack once stood, just north of the Cortez Bridge
- The first open house hearing will be July 24 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at The Bridge Church in Bradenton
- A public input form concerning the plans can be found here
Leaders are looking to build a marina where the Seafood Shack once stood, just north of the Cortez Bridge.
County officials say the new amenity could increase the number of boat trailer parking spaces by up to 25%.
Kathe Fannon has been a charter captain for more than 20 years with Captain Kathe and First Mate Pup-Pup Charters —but she has been a Cortezian for even longer.
“In Cortez — my grandfather, my dad, me, and my daughter, and now I have my granddaughter,” she said.
She said she has seen a lot of things change the look of the old fishing village over the years — most recently with the tearing down of both Annie’s Bait & Tackle and the Seafood Shack.
“I don’t know why they tore that down,” Fannon said. “That is a piece of Old Florida.”
The county has new plans for the property.
Leaders are looking to transform it into Cortez Marina, which will include a “vibrant public boat-launch and waterfront destination.”
“Yeah, absolutely,” Fannon said. “You put a boat ramp near us, we’re going to use it.”
But she has some hesitations.
“Of what it’s going to look like and what it’s going to do to Cortez,” she said. “It’s just going to — it’s going to just change the entire outlook, you know, of Cortez.”
That is why she is answering Manatee County’s call for public input on the proposal through the survey leaders sent out this week.
“Yes, they want you to pick what facilities and what activities you would like to see apply to this boat ramp — public events, food trucks, parking,” Fannon said.
Leaders say once they gather all the input from residents, they will move into the design process, which could happen as early as next year.
And construction could get underway two to three years from now.
“This is very interesting,” Fannon said. “I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of people reading this and looking at it, shaking their heads.”
But one thing she cares most about is keeping the feel and history of the Cortez fishing village.
“It’s a part of my life,” she said. “It’s so attached to my heart.”
She is hoping as changes are implemented, county leaders work to preserve the “Old Florida” feel of the area.
The first open house hearing will be July 24 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at The Bridge Church in Bradenton. A public input form concerning the plans can be found here.
Julia Hazel
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