Sarasota County commissioners voted 3-2 this week to terminate an $18.1 million purchase agreement for Stickney Point Plaza, the two-acre waterfront site near the south Siesta Key Bridge that was slated to become a public park. The decision came after staff flagged multiple title problems, including a federal easement held by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and unresolved access and utility rights involving a neighboring condominium association.
Commissioners in the majority said accepting unclear title could leave the county exposed to years of legal and regulatory costs. Commissioner Teresa Mast was direct about it, saying that without a clear title, she isn’t an interested party. The property remains privately owned by Big Main Street LLC, which is controlled by Sarasota investor Chris Brown, and the park plan is off the table for now.
The ripple effects are already local and personal. Siesta Key Watersports relocated part of its operation in May in anticipation of the sale closing. Co-owner Shawn Fontana said the business would love to return, calling the site home for 20 years. With the deal dead, waterfront access near Siesta Key and the future of that prime parcel are both back to open questions.
Do you think the county made the right call walking away, or should they have fought through the title issues? Let us know.
