Plans for a massive new cruise ship port next to Rattlesnake Key in Manatee County are taking shape. On Friday, Slip Knott LLC revealed its proposal for a terminal designed to handle the newest, biggest cruise ships, those so tall they can’t pass under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.
They’re eyeing a 300-acre plot called the Knott-Cowen tract, right on the seaward side of the bridge. Slip Knott LLC, which serves as the holding company for Tampa Bay Real Estate Investment Corporation, bought both Rattlesnake Key and the Knott-Cowen tract last December, dropping $18 million on the deal.
To pull this off, Slip Knott joined forces with SSA Marine, a major name in cruise terminal operations across North America. SSA Marine already manages cruise and cargo business at every big Florida port — Tampa Bay, Canaveral, Miami, Everglades, and Jacksonville. Now, they want to bring that expertise to Manatee County…