Manatee County orders 30-day feasibility review to restore Annie’s Bait & Tackle after Cortez Marina structures condemned

Manatee County commissioners on Jan. 28 voted to ask county staff to return within 30 days with a feasibility briefing on options to restore Annie’s Bait & Tackle and related public amenities at the county-owned Cortez Marina site.

The move followed public comment from Cortez residents and business owners and a staff update that the county’s recent acquisition of the marina property was followed by inspections showing extensive hurricane damage. Deputy County Administrator Brian Parnell told the board the buildings on the marina property had been inspected and “are red tagged. We're not allowed to be in them,” and said the county cannot sign leases for condemned structures: “We can't sign leases on condemned buildings. That's not wise to do. It's not legal to do.”

Why it matters: Annie’s is a long-standing Cortez business and a frequent stop for tourists, charter fishermen and residents. Commissioners and residents said preserving the site’s heritage and restoring services — fuel, bait, sandwiches and public access — are priorities while also meeting federal and state safety and FEMA requirements.

What Parnell told the board: The county completed the sales closing for the Cortez Marina property on Dec. 31. Structural inspections after the storms found damage that exceeds repair thresholds and triggers federal (FEMA) and local building-code requirements for rebuilding. Parnell said building replacement and full permitting to current codes makes the timeline to open new facilities likely “two and a half years” from the start of design, permitting and construction. He said temporary leases are not feasible because “there's no parking there because we're going to be fencing it off to demolish the seafood shack and the Neptune room. There's no boat docking there.”

What residents and business owners told the board: Anna Gaffey, whose parents operate Annie’s, described the shop’s role in Cortez and asked the county to preserve the business and its community functions. “Annie's means so much to so many people and to the community. It’s a place where tourists can come and learn the laws and regulations of fishing,” she said. Charter operator Kathy Fannon told commissioners local trade and fuel services rely on Annie’s and urged the county to allow the business to reopen: “A few…