ANNA MARIA – The Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) recommends county commission approval to spend up to $750,000 in tourist development tax revenues for capital improvements for the county-contracted Gulf Islands Ferry service.
Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Elliott Falcione presented the funding request to TDC members for their preliminary review during the Aug. 18 TDC meeting held at The Center of Anna Maria Island.
If approved by county commissioners, some of the funds would be used for the construction of a new standalone ferry landing to be built adjacent to the Anna Maria City Pier walkway when that new walkway is constructed to replace the pier walkway that sustained catastrophic damage during Hurricane Milton last October. In June, Anna Maria Mayor Mark Short told TDC members and other county officials his goal is to have the pier walkway rebuilt and reopened by October 2026.
According to the Aug. 18 TDC meeting agenda packet, the current initiatives to be funded with the requested $750,000 include $228,427 to be put toward the design, permitting and construction of a new City Pier ferry landing to be located between the shoreline and the T-end buildings that currently stand isolated without a walkway.
Earlier this year, Manatee County Natural Resources Director Charlie Hunsicker estimated the Anna Maria ferry landing would cost approximately $1 million and include a wave attenuator wall that lessens the impacts that waves and currents have on the ferry boats.
In June, the TDC members recommended still-pending county commission approval of the city of Anna Maria’s request for $2 million in tourist development tax revenues to be used for an anticipated $8 million pier reconstruction project.
