Is Manatee County’s cruise port controversy over? A look at the story so far

Earlier this year, SSA Marine and Slip Knott LLC proposed building a cruise terminal on over 300 acres near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in coastal Manatee County, drawing fierce opposition from residents and environmental advocates.

After the backlash, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill restricting dredging in the area, but critics warn the new law may contain loopholes.

Now opponents of the cruise port are waiting to see if a new development proposal emerges.

Here’s a recap of the story so far:

• The cruise port pitch: SSA Marine announced plans to build the Knott-Cowen Cruise Port on 328 acres near Rattlesnake Key, saying it would attract larger cruise ships that can’t fit under the Skyway Bridge and could bring 31,000 jobs to the region.
• Why build a new cruise port?: The largest modern cruise ships, including Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas at about 218 feet above the waterline, cannot clear the Skyway Bridge’s 190-foot vertical clearance.
• Manatee County has cruise ship history: The Regal Empress operated from Port Manatee from 1993 to 2003 before going out of business.
• Cruise port plans revealed: Development paperwork filed with Manatee County showed a 308-acre project requiring rezoning, a Comprehensive Plan amendment and dredging the company claims rights to from the 1950s.
• Residents oppose cruise port: Over 10,000 people signed a petition opposing the cruise port within a week, citing environmental concerns and quality-of-life impacts.
• State lawmakers weigh in: Manatee County’s state lawmakers spoke out against the project and withdrew a separate bill that would have changed SeaPort Manatee’s governance, citing growing public opposition to a cruise port.
• How would cruise port impact the environment?: Environmental advocates warned of “serious harm,” with the Tampa Bay Estuary Program estimating about 295 acres of potential habitat loss.
• Cruise port planned for protected area: Florida officials said the Knott-Cowen Tract is not technically part of the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve, though the surrounding waters carry Outstanding Florida Water protections.
• Manatee County staff threatened: County officials condemned threats and harassment directed at staff and their families over the proposal, including children being harassed at school.
• County grants initial project review: The county’s “Rapid Response” designation does not guarantee approval — it simply shortens the initial review period from 30 days to 21 days.
• Terra Ceia residents protest cruise port: Terra Ceia residents spoke against the project at a Planning Commission meeting, with one calling it “like electing to have a malignant tumor placed in your body.”
• An undeveloped wildlife haven: The proposed cruise port site encompasses undeveloped islands and shallow bay flats home to wildlife including manatees, sea turtles and critically endangered smalltooth sawfish.
• Senator moves to block cruise port: State Sen. Jim Boyd sponsored an amendment to Senate Bill 302 restricting dredging in Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve, which passed the Florida Senate unanimously.
• Bill passes House but concerns remain: The bill passed the Florida House unanimously, but environmental groups and SSA Marine both indicated the fight was not over.
• Governor signs anti-cruise port bill: DeSantis signed SB 302 in Bradenton, saying there’s “not really a need” for a cruise port in the area, though SSA Marine said it was still pursuing the project.
• What’s next?: Critics warn SB 302 may be a “Trojan horse” because it allows “minimum dredging” for marinas without defining the term, potentially allowing a large development and weakening existing protections for the preserve. Opponents of the cruise port are waiting to see if another development proposal emerges after companies behind the project went silent.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.