“If the county can do it” is the rationale for an investment group’s plan to build multilevel parking garages on privately held properties in Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach.
The group, consisting of several big development companies in the Manatee-Sarasota region, announced they will file their proposals April 1 at city halls.
“It looks like Manatee County is getting on the fast track to building a garage at the beach and it’s simply not fair to exclude the private sector,” said Adora Davenport, spokesperson for AMI Build Up investment group.
Davenport was referring to Manatee County’s push to construct a multilevel parking garage at the Manatee Public Beach, 4000 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach.
To construct a garage, the county must get around a city ordinance prohibiting parking structures.
County commissioners are counting on the state Legislature to pass a bill sponsored by Rep. Will Robinson Jr., R-Bradenton, that trumps municipal home rule and overrides the city’s prohibition.
“The county chair is all-in for free reign for business,” Davenport said. “So he’ll have to line up on our side on this. We have a robust, rich group of developers — can’t say who yet — so this is going to happen.”
The Manatee County Property Appraiser website at www.manateepao.gov shows property holdings for AMI Build Up in the three island cities, as well as some land holdings on Longboat Key.
The group seeks to construct garages on the bayfront of the island rather than the Gulf side.
“We’re hoping to take advantage of the island tourists that’ll be using the ferry service starting later this year,” Davenport said. “You don’t think they’re walking to the pickup locations, do you?”
The island mayors did not respond to email requests for comment as of press time for The Islander.
County commissioners also did not respond to phone calls and emails.
At several popular tourist venues in the island cities, some people welcomed the plans and others pledged to fight or expressed despair.
“It’s what we knew would happen,” Elvis Suave of Anna Maria said March 22 as he fished from the city pier. “Two years from now I’ll be looking over there where shops used to be and see a concrete hulk.”
At the Historic Bridge Street Pier in Bradenton Beach, Julie Freize of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, said the city needs a garage.
“We spent an hour looking for a space before we just parked in someone’s driveway in that trailer park,” Freize said, gesturing toward the Pines Trailer Park north of the pier parking lot.
At the Manatee Public Beach, Terri Peabody of Bradenton observed, “Any garage will be filled by noon. So they already need another one. I hope there’s something good on the ground level, like a Starbucks.”
Peabody’s husband added, “Yeah. Or a McDonald’s. And happy April Fools’ Day!”
And happy April Fools’ Day from The Islander staff. Did we get you?