BRADENTON BEACH – The Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) is supporting the city’s funding request for the expansion of the public dock near the Bridge Street Pier.
The request, from the Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), received unanimous support on Monday, April 19, when TDC members recommended that the county commission approve up to $850,000 in matching tourist tax funds for the improvements. The money would go toward lengthening the floating dock, attaching more perpendicular finger docks and replacing the aging dinghy dock near the foot of the pier boardwalk.
No date has been set yet as to when the CRA’s request will be presented to county commissioners.
When addressing the TDC members, City Attorney Ricinda Perry said the CRA has already issued a request for proposals (RFP) seeking a contractor to take the lead on the project. The RFP does not address the restroom improvements to be pursued as a separate phase of the project.
Perry said the floating dock currently provides enough space for about seven vessels and the expanded dock and new fingers docks would provide temporary dockage for about 26 vessels.
Perry noted that in addition to recreational boaters, the existing floating dock is used by local tour boats, fishing charters and other commercial operators to pick up and drop off passengers. Perry said the hope is to someday have a water taxi service at the dock as well.
“We have stood ready, willing and able to support a water taxi if that would, in fact, come to fruition in Manatee County,” Perry told the TDC members.
As is the case with the floating dock, the additional finger docks would be available free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis, with no overnight mooring allowed.
The finger docks were originally proposed by City Commissioner and CRA member Jake Spooner in 2016 to accommodate more boats and encourage alternative means of transportation to the pier and the nearby Bridge Street business district.
Perry said the additional dockage would help support the pier-based businesses that include the Anna Maria Oyster Bar, Paradise Boat Tours and the Tide & Moon Jewelry store, and would also benefit other businesses in the Bridge Street area.
Serving as a replacement to the existing dinghy dock, the new dinghy dock will provide temporary dinghy dockage for liveaboard and transient boaters who anchor in the waters south of the pier.
CRA and TDC member Ed Chiles said the dock expansion project falls right in line with the purpose of the Bradenton Beach CRA and the allowed use of the Tourist Development Tax revenues. Chiles also stressed the need to finally implement a water taxi program.
TDC member and Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown agreed and said, “It brings opportunity for the water taxi that we’ve been talking about for so long.”
TDC member and Island resort manager Eric Cairns said, “A few years ago, when I got on the TDC, I brought up a water taxi and it just wasn’t the right time. I totally feel it is the right time now. It would be a great opportunity for all the cities on the Island.”
TDC member Rahul Patel asked Perry about the anticipated service life of the new docks. Perry said the materials used for the dock expansion project are expected to last 30 to 50 years. She said this was also a concern with the existing floating dock that was installed in 2019 using matching Tourist Development Tax funds.
“This particular area of water has a lot of wake action. I believe it was designed to withstand category 3 hurricane wave action and we would require the same standards for the installation of the additional floating dock segments,” Perry said.
“With the last tropical storm that went through, we had a number of vessels that broke loose from their moorings and crashed into our floating dock and did damage to some of the pier and the dock. That is a hazard we anticipate,” Perry said.
She noted the Bradenton Beach Police Department conducts regular marine patrols of the waters south of the pier in an attempt to ensure those vessels comply with state boating regulations.
Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie said the city’s partnership with the county and the West Coast Inland Navigation District has resulted in 56 derelict, abandoned or non-compliant vessels being removed from those waters since 2012.
TDC Chair and County Commissioner Misty Servia expressed support for the funding request and also for a potential water taxi service that would originate in Bradenton.
“Any way that we can remove cars from the roadway going to the Island is such an exciting thing, and I look forward to the city of Bradenton developing a water taxi from their end,” Servia said.
