Sarasota County Looks to Increase Water Access

Sarasota County recently approved funding to purchase 2.04 acres on Stickney Point for $21 million. The city’s purchase of the prominent Florida property, which lies across the Stickney Point Bridge from Siesta Key, is part of a long-term plan to increase water access, especially for local charter outfits. The current tenant, Siesta Key Watersports, will vacate the site.

While formal design plans have yet to be developed, the county saw the property as an opportunity to invest in the region’s future of water access. A preliminary concept plan includes a boat launch for kayaks and charter boats (with six or few passengers), as well as a park with fishing access and 20 to 30 wet slips, among other improvements.

The purchase is a decision that local dry-stack facility Gold Key Boathouse, located 9 miles north of the Stickney Point property, sees as a recognition of the county’s need for water access and a validation of Gold Key’s business model of alternative boat storage.

“Public launch infrastructure and inland storage are complementary systems. One increases access to the water; the other solves where boats are safely stored, maintained and staged,” said Gold Key Capital Partner Brian McCarthy. “Together, they create a more functional boating network for Sarasota County residents.”

The site at Stickney Point is also home to an iconic lighthouse and support building, both of which the preliminary concept plan intends to protect.