Two vessels comprising the Gulf Islands Ferry, a water taxi service planned for Anna Maria Island and the mainland, should be ready at the end of June.
But the boats won’t launch until at least a month later.
Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, relayed the development June 5, during a meeting of the Manatee County Tourist Development Council at the Center of Anna Maria Island in Anna Maria.
Falcione’s staff recently provided the three communities involved with the county project — Bradenton, Bradenton Beach and Anna Maria — revised interlocal agreements and was expecting to receive feedback the week ending June 11.
They also were expected to finalize a draft operating agreement with the ferry service operator, Gulf Coast Water Taxi LLC.
Manatee County owns the boats.
The project will be presented to the Manatee County Commission for its consideration and ratification soon, as early as June 15. A meeting agenda for that date includes a request for a motion to authorize the chair to execute the interlocal agreements with the cities.
With agreements in place, trial runs by the boats likely would begin in late July or early August.
“Let me be fluid on that,” Falcione told TDC members. “We’re pushing every day but we want to get it right the first time. Stay tuned. You are going to start seeing a little bit of ‘Coming Soon!’ leaked out to try to build that expectation, that anticipation for our community and tourists.”
At its April 24 meeting, the TDC voted unanimously to recommend county commissioners approve a $400,000 subsidy — paid with tourist development tax revenues — for the ferry service’s first year, plus $25,000 in TDT money for marketing.
Falcione, at the time, expressed hope for launching a Friday-Saturday-Sunday ferry service between Bradenton and Anna Maria Island for the July 4 weekend. But that “perfect scenario” failed to materialize.
In April, Falcione told the council the goal is to build an operation that pays for itself, one that eventually would be operated by the county transit agency but still marketed by the BACVB.
The planned route for the ferry is from downtown Bradenton to the city pier in Anna Maria and the Historic Bridge Street Pier and Coquina South boat ramp in Bradenton Beach. The return route would be the reverse.
The cost will be $8 one way, $10 for a “hopper.” Eventually, the county plans to offer a fare-free workforce pass.
The boats — each capable of carrying 49 passengers — are under construction in a boat yard near Orlando. The TDC previously recommended spending $950,000 for the boats.
One vessel is the Downtown Duchess and the other is the Miss Anna Maria. Their port of call will be Bradenton.
Palmetto Mayor Shirley Groover-Bryant wants the ferry route eventually expanded to include her side of the Manatee River.
Extra bases
The TDC June 5 voted unanimously to recommend that the county commission approve a $5 million project — over three years — to add a third baseball field — dubbed City Park — at LECOM Park in Bradenton.
Parking, lighting and dugouts are included in the project.
Tourism officials hope to have the park completed by mid to late 2024 for use by the Pittsburgh Pirates during spring training.
Falcione added that the county then would have another asset to promote LECOM as a potential site for state, regional and national baseball tournaments.
“I’m real excited about it,” said Falcione, who added that a third field would inject $10 million-12 million annually into Bradenton’s urban core.
“This sounds like an absolute no-brainer,” said TDC member Eric Cairns, owner of Cedar Cove Resort in Holmes Beach.
Meanwhile, the TDC recommended the county approve a two-year, $17.3 million marketing plan.
Among the 19 line items are $1.04 million for online and digital marketing, plus social media, and $900,000 for sports commission marketing, promotion and sponsorships.
The next TDC meeting will be at 9:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 21, at the Center of Anna Maria Island, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria.