Environmentalists are raising alarms over plans to build a new cruise port in Manatee County, a project designed to welcome the massive ships that just can’t squeeze under the Sunshine Skyway on their way to Port Tampa Bay.
Port Tampa Bay faces a simple problem: newer, taller ships like Royal Caribbean’s Icon class can’t clear the bridge. So SSA Marine wants to step in. Their proposed port would sit just south of the Skyway on a 330-acre island called the Knott-Cowen tract, developed together with Tampa’s Slip Knott LLC. SSA claims this new terminal would complement Port Tampa Bay’s cruise business and help the entire region keep up as cruise ships keep growing and shifting toward lower-emission tech.
But here’s where things get complicated. That island is environmentally sensitive. SSA recently bought Rattlesnake Key, a nearby 710-acre island in Terra Ceia Bay, through a subsidiary called Rattlesnake Preservation Co. SSA says the purchase blocks private development and gives them a chance to partner with local officials and environmental groups on conservation. The company paints a picture of growth and stewardship, jobs and green technology.
Yet people aren’t buying it. Environmental advocates and neighbors are already pushing back, worried about what big development would mean for the fragile coastline and the waters around Rattlesnake Key.
On “Florida Matters Live & Local,” Tampa Bay Waterkeeper’s executive director, Justin Tramble, didn’t hold back. He called it a “clown proposal.” Tramble says the community is outraged. The area in question isn’t just a patch of land, it’s a pristine part of the Tampa Bay estuary, loaded with ecological and economic value. He described the reaction from environmental groups as “total shock” when news of the plan broke.
“Look at a map,” Tramble said. “You’d have to cut through dense mangroves just to get to the property. I don’t see any benefit. Sure, some folks see dollar signs, but for Manatee County as a whole, this is a negative.”
Experts say dredging a deep enough channel for cruise ships would devastate the area, creating a negative impact.
SSA counters with numbers: over 31,000 construction jobs, $1.6 billion in labor earnings, and long-term boosts for hospitality, transportation, maritime services, and logistics. But Tramble isn’t swayed. “A healthy watershed already accounts for one in ten jobs in our region, and over $30 billion in total economic output,” he said. “This proposal runs counter to all that. The community is watching.”
SSA says some mangrove removal would be necessary and promises mitigation, but environmentalists like Tramble insist they’ll fight it. A petition on change.org is already gathering signatures against the port.
For now, the battle lines are drawn: economic growth versus environmental protection, and the soul of Tampa Bay’s coastline hangs in the balance.
