Residents near the former Seafood Shack site in Cortez say they want Manatee County to scrap plans for a public boat ramp and instead restore a commercial marina, restaurant and retail businesses.
The Islander on Aug. 28 met at a residence with eight people from six nearby communities of about 350-400 households north of Cortez Road that a public ramp would impact.
The county acquired the former Seafood Shack property at the end of 2024, paying $13 million for the 8.8-acre site, which includes uplands and submerged land leases. Commissioners said the purchase was driven largely by the need for additional public boating access, though they also pointed to opportunities for amenities such as fuel, slips and restaurant space. The property, long known as a waterfront gathering spot, is now at the center of debate over how the county should balance neighborhood concerns with countywide demand for boating facilities.
The residents cited traffic congestion, public safety and neighborhood compatibility as their top issues with a county project.
Kathleen Strakes, president of the Harbor Landings Estates Homeowners Association, said many residents favor bringing back what previously existed — a marina with slips, fuel and a restaurant — rather than a public ramp.
Strakes said a public ramp would overwhelm the neighborhood’s narrow roads and parking areas.
Others questioned the validity of a county study on ramp shortages and criticized county public-input surveys as biased.
And Mark Silagy, president of The Pointe at Mariner’s Cove, said if there is a ramp, traffic must be separated from local streets.
“They have got to create a way then for the traffic to be isolated … direct access into just those ramps, not through the residential community… .And the huge challenge is back out again,” Silagy said.
Concerns also were raised about noise, environmental impacts and the prospect of years of construction staging for the Cortez Bridge project, which is scheduled to begin in 2026.
The county’s marina planning coincides with the Florida Department of Transportation’s replacement of the drawbridge with a 65-foot fixed-span bridge. Utility relocation is underway, to be followed next year with major construction. The marina site lies north of the bridge, and the DOT is expected to use portions of the county-owned property for staging during the multi-year construction project.
In a Sept. 3 interview, County Commissioner Tal Siddique, R-District 3, told The Islander he heard the neighborhood concerns and had asked staff to study traffic options.
“One of the conversations was about how do we route traffic on 127th Street West so that the residents don’t have to negotiate with the traffic for the Cortez Marina,” Siddique said. “There are no finalized plans yet, but I did tell our staff that we should consider routing some of the traffic that would come down 127th Street West and curve around the marina property.”
Siddique said the redesign would create a connector road around the marina parcel, linking 127th Street West to 126th Street West, so residents could continue using 127th without competing with ramp-bound vehicles.
Siddique also confirmed that the county intends to include a public ramp at the site.
“The community in those neighboring residences, they don’t want a boat ramp, but that’s why we bought it, so we’re fitting a boat ramp in there,” he said.
At the same time, Siddique said the county will consider complementary uses through a master plan.
“As far as what else will fit there, that is what the master plan should tell us based on the feedback we collect from residents,” he said. “So, the idea is we collect all this feedback, we come up with some general master plan and then… shop that out with the community.”
Design concepts are expected in 2026.
“I’d like to see something before summer next year. I think we have so much to do from now until then. Spring would be even better,” Siddique said.
Siddique said the county is considering an invitation to negotiate with private operators for retail, fuel and slip amenities after the master plan is complete.