I live in Cortez and was never a fan of the Seafood Shack restaurant, although it did come in handy on occasion. Well now, if you didn’t already know, the “shack” has been demolished. It sustained a great deal of damage from the storms and Manatee County, who now owns the 8 acres of property where it sits decided to tear it down. The Shack didn’t get the attention that Annie’s Bait & Tackle received a week earlier when it was decided to also demolish what was left of that structure, also part of the parcel the county now owns.
Why is this significant to the real estate values on the Cortez peninsula? Well, for one thing, the property looks like it’s been through a war and is fenced off from the street on both the east and west side of 127th Street. I have confidence that the county will eventually remove all of the debris from the building as well as the marina but what ultimately remains will certainly not be attractive or Old Florida in feel, which was part of the charm of the area.
When the county finalizes its plans for a boating facility with ramps and trailer parking and when it’s finally constructed it will certainly be an improvement. Until then we who live here and those who may be considering selling their homes or condos could face some negativity from potential buyers not familiar with the area…