PALMETTO, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Friday he is awarding $2 million to the Manatee County Port Authority.
The money will go toward infrastructure improvements at SeaPort Manatee.
What You Need To Know
- The $2 million grant will be spent on a number of projects, including rebuilding and repaving South Dock Street, along with other improvements such as stormwater mitigation
- Governor Ron DeSantis announced the $2 million grant at Friday press conference at SeaPort Manatee
- SEE ALSO: During his Palmetto stop, the governor addressed the Rays stadium situation. Read the story here.
The $2 million grant will be spent on a number of projects, including rebuilding and repaving South Dock Street, along with other improvements such as stormwater mitigation.
The grant is also expected to fund 300 new jobs.
“We are looking forward to really reinvesting it in the infrastructure because, because of all the demand in growth, the infrastructure needs to be up to speed,” he said.
Carlos Buqueras, the executive director of SeaPort Manatee, said the grant will supplement the increased need.
“There’s a recognition of the West Coast of Florida, and SeaPort Manatee in particular, growing exponentially," he said. "So as a result of that, looking at the numbers, our growth, and our demand for future growth — where we are today, in the next two years, we’ll need to be at maybe 50% more. We supply the commodities that people need."
DeSantis made the grant announcement in Palmetto.
He said the grant will fulfill the demand from current and new businesses as they expand their operations and create new jobs.
“Beyond enhancing port efficiency, these upgrades will facilitate supporting an expansion of home, aerospace and automotive product manufacturer Honeywell. This includes supporting Honeywells expected development of new businesses over the next five years, including a cold storage warehouse a fuel terminal and a manufacturing facility,” DeSantis said.
He said SeaPort Manatee is the primary deepwater seaport in Southwest Florida. In 2023, it supported 42,000 U.S. jobs and contributed nearly $7.5 billion to the U.S. economy.
“Well, the community will see it in additional taxes that are paid by companies, not by them. Additional economic opportunity, additional income without using taxpayer dollars,” Buqueras said.
According to DeSantis, the money is coming from the Job Growth Grant Fund.
