The proposal to redevelop over 342 acres of environmentally sensitive wetlands off Manatee County’s Gulf Coast into a cruise ship port has received widespread condemnation from politicians, civic groups and environmental activists.
The proposed “Knott-Cowen Cruise Port” would be located just south of where I-275 crests toward the Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge. The property is right beside the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve and Rattlesnake Key, two of the most environmentally sensitive areas in Florida.
The project is a collaboration between Slip Knott LLC, the Tampa-based landowner, and SSA Marine, a major “cruise terminal operator.”…