Calling it a “significant purchase,” Commission Chair Ron Cutsinger said he would like to have “staff bring back an update” on the due diligence process, which runs through May 20. He also requested preliminary designs or a concept plan for the project. Other commissioners sought clarity around whether businesses at the location could remain.
The property the county plans to purchase at 1500 Stickney Point Road, known as the Boatyard, contains 21 individual parcels consisting of commercial condominiums painted red, orange, yellow, green and blue, on the mainland near the South Bridge to Siesta Key. It also includes about 700 feet of bay frontage; 390 feet of canal/boat basin access; more than 5,000 square feet of docks, boardwalks and decks; and 72 parking spaces, Interim Director of Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Shawn Yeager said previously.
Commissioners voted 4-1 on Feb. 10 to acquire the property for $18.1 million as part of a $21.36 million project to create a public park with waterfront access…