Manatee County seeks input for future of Cortez Marina

CORTEZ, Fla. - They were two sites in Cortez in Manatee County that provided countless memories to the community.

The Seafood Shack and Annie’s Bait & Tackle offered a spot for everything from friendly gatherings to weddings and baby showers.

Hurricane Helene’s storm surge took both away.

Manatee County now needs help learning what residents would like to see in the new plans for what they’re now calling "The Cortez Marina."

Hurricane Helene dealt a devastating blow to both Annie’s Bait & Tackle and The Seafood Shack in Cortez.

"The reality is, it's a mess," said Manatee County resident, Erine Vanderwalt.

Ernie Vanderwalt captured the aftermath.

The docks of the Seafood Shack’s marina were destroyed, and both landmarks were ripped down.

"This area is embedded in the history of Cortez," said Charlie Hunsicker, the Director of Manatee County Natural Resources.

Manatee County had just purchased both properties about 3 weeks before Helene’s storm surge hit.

Now the county and commissioners want to hear what the community would like for the Cortez Boat Ramp.

"The opportunity for the community to refresh and do other alternatives for the marina and boating communities, respecting the Cortez community’s goals and designs and history that’s going to be our objective," said Hunsicker.

A big focus will be on providing the public a larger space with more access to boaters.

Like Sarasota’s Centennial Park and Pinellas County’s Fort DeSoto Park.

"This is truly a blank slate for us. As the name implies: Cortez Marina. It’s our goal to have a boat ramp here that can provide some relief to the pressure that we have on our ramps on Anna Maria Island," said Hunsicker.

READ: Hurricane relief grants available soon for recreational fishing charters. Here's how to apply

What's next:

A series of five community meetings will be held to learn what the public would like to see.

The first community meeting will be held on Thursday night at the Bridge Church off of 75th St.

"I want to hear people’s ideas. I want to hear what people like, what they don’t like. That will hopefully jive the vision and masterplan that the county hopes to create," said Commissioner Tal Siddique.

Commissioner Tal Siddique wants to add a stop on the Gulf Islands Ferry and additional transportation services to connect the County, while honoring the past legacy of the Cortez landmarks.

"The $13 plus million dollar price tag was not cheap and there will be further investments required. We need to have public buy in for anything we do here. It will effect this community for the long term. I hope it enhances property values. I hope it ensures greater walkability and connectivity with the Cortez community. It’s important to see what people want to see happen here because it’s their land at the end of the day," said Siddique.

What you can do:

Manatee County has an online survey that you can fill out.

Information on upcoming public meetings

All meetings run from 5-7 p.m.

• July 24 at Bridge Church - 4000 75th St. W Bradenton, FL 34209
• August 6 at the Manatee Central Library - 1301 1st Ave. W Bradenton, FL 34205
• August 11 at the Island Library - 5701 Marina Dr. Holmes Beach, FL 34217
• August 13 at the Rocky Bluff Library - 6750 US-301 Ellenton, FL 34222
• August 18 at the Lakewood Ranch Library - 16410 Rangeland Pkwy. Bradenton, FL 34211

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