Time to talk about Cortez again in view of the monumental changes being made on the Cortez peninsula and, by extension, within the fishing village. The changes will affect all Cortez residents and many residents of Manatee County as well, and likely some of it you won’t agree with.
You would never know it now if you took a ride down 127th Street past the former Seafood Shack Restaurant site, but the property owned by Manatee County is slated for a major overhaul. As a matter of fact, you can’t even access 127th Street from Cortez Road since the county is working on infrastructure for the new Cortez Bridge scheduled to start construction late 2025 or early 2026, also a big change.
At this moment, the Seafood Shack property is tentatively being renamed the future Cortez Marina. Plans for the best use of this property are still being worked on and the county commissioners are looking for input from residents. At a meeting held in Bradenton Beach on June 12, with residents from the peninsula, there were a lot of opinions. Mostly homeowners were concerned about traffic flow and boats on trailers accessing narrow roads on their way to a planned boat launch area. If you’re concerned about how the property is being developed – whether you live in Cortez or not – you should make your voice heard. Don’t wait for another meeting; you can email the commissioners, whose contact information is on the Manatee County website.
In addition to boat ramps and parking for boat trailers it is suggested that the site could be a landing area for a water taxi and possibly the Gulf Islands Ferry with vehicle parking provided for that purpose. Also discussed was a restaurant and hopefully some retail space, both of which would be a bonus to the community.
Will these changes give new life to the 8 acres? I believe it will, even though not everyone will be happy with the county’s plans. Some other positives are a fixed high-level new bridge to the Island with some pedestrian- and bike-friendly areas, providing quick access from the Island in the event of storms as well as access to the charm and seafood restaurants of one of the few remaining authentic fishing villages in Florida. Add to this a new active boating area on some of the best boating waters on the west coast of Florida and hopefully you will see a facility that will be a draw for more than just the boating community.
What, if anything, does this mean for real estate values in Cortez? There’s no surprise that values are down and available listings are more than available buyers. However, if you are a home or condo buyer considering waterfront and water access property, I would give Cortez a serious look. We’re in a buyer’s market and Cortez is not immune to that so it can be a very advantageous time to buy. Primarily I keep thinking about how things will look in a couple of years after everything is rebuilt and spanking new for an underused 8 acres of prime land. Property values can only go up in an area with spectacular water views and convenient water access.
Ask yourself why did you come to Florida in the first place? Was it to live in a master planned community or to live in a vibrant varied community on the water, where the dolphins are jumping every day? I’m optimistic for the first time since October. I believe little Cortez will come back better than ever and more valuable. Look to the future – not the past.
