MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. (WWSB) – Plans are in the works for a new major cruise ship port next to environmentally sensitive Rattlesnake Key in Manatee County, it was announced Friday.
The proposed port, that would be built on 300 acres of land known as the Knott-Cowen tract, would be on the seaward side of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, to accommodate new, mega-sized cruise ships that cannot sail under the Skyway, the holding company Slip Knott LLC, said on its website.
Slip Knott LLC is a holding company for the Tampa Bay Real Estate Investment Corporation, which purchased Rattlesnake Key and the Knott-Cowen tract in December for a reported $18 million.
Slip Knott is partnering with SSA Marine, which bills itself as the leading cruise terminal operator in North America. SSA Marine is already a big player in Florida, operating cruise and cargo operations at Port Tampa Bay, Port Canaveral, PortMiami, Port Everglades, and JAXPORT…