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VOL 26 No. 18
January 28, 2026 BY LESLIE LAKE SUN REPORTER | llake@amisun.com
MANATEE COUNTY – State and local lawmakers reacted to the proposed development of a cruise ship terminal in northwest Manatee County on the Knott-Cowen tract of land located north of Rattlesnake Key and seaward of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. The proposed cruise port, a collaboration between cruise ship terminal operator SSA Marine and Tampa-based Slip Knott LLC, was recently announced on the knottcowencruise. com website. On Friday, Jan. 23, State Rep. Will Robinson expressed his opposition in a message he posted shared at his personal Facebook page. "I cannot think of a worse place to put a cruise ship terminal. I’ve tried to build a legacy with my family with the Robinson Preserve on environmental protection and keeping things pristine for future generations. We are at a point now where there is a proposal that would disrupt that,” he wrote. “To me, this area is in no shape or measure compatible with cruise ships, so economic benefits don’t matter if they’re not compatible. It would permanently change the character of that area to our region’s detriment,” Robinson stated.
Lawmakers react to proposed cruise ship terminal MANATEE COUNTY PROPERTY APPRAISER | SUBMITTED
Highlighted here in blue, the Knott-Cowen owned tract of land to potentially be used for a cruise ship port is located near the Sunshine Skyway bridge and northeast of the Rattlesnake Key property.
StayTerra Vacations files lawsuit against Kiri Stewart, Magnolia Cottages
Anna Maria Commission rejects ferry landing resolution
The lawsuit mentions Shawn Kaleta and Roman Eckert as the founders and owners of Prime Business.
City and county officials will continue discussing a City Pier ferry landing.
BY LESLIE LAKE
BY JOE HENDRICKS
SUN REPORTER | llake@amisun.com
SUN REPORTER | jhendricks@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Claiming a “deliberate, bad faith scheme to eviscerate the benefit” of a $105 million deal struck with Prime Business in 2024, StayTerra Vacations has filed a civil lawsuit against Kiri Stewart, Magnolia Cottages LLC and 10 additional LLCs. Filed on Dec. 19 with the 12th Judicial Circuit Court in Bradenton, the lawsuit names as plaintiffs StayTerra Vacations LLC, Prime Vacations LLC and GSP Prime Holdings LLC. The lawsuit names as defendants Kiri Stewart, Magnolia Cottages LLC,
ANNA MARIA – While still supportive of some sort of ferry landing at the City Pier after the new pier walkway is built, the Anna Maria City Commission voted 5-0 to reject a proposed city resolution that would have specified some of the conditions of the county’s desired Gulf Islands Ferry stop. The commission took this action on Thursday, Jan. 22. When presenting the proposed resolution for city commission consideration, Mayor Mark Short said it included language requested by the county.
MANATEE COUNTY PROPERTY APPRAISSER | SUBMITTED
The LLC associated with this vacation rental home at 224 Chilson Ave. in Anna Maria is named in the lawsuit. 48 Street LLC, 9801 Gulf Drive LLC, 224 Chilson Ave. LLC, 243 S. Harbor Dr. LLC, 518 Spring LLC, 2403 Avenue C LLC, 128 Fillmore LLC, 2210 Avenue A LLC, 103 Park Ave. AMI LLC and 6548 Sabal Dr. LLC.
SEE LAWSUIT, PAGE 11
SEAFOOD AND MUSIC festival enjoyed by many. 9 Page 16 Anna Maria Island, Florida
SEE PORT, PAGE 6
The Island’s award-winning weekly newspaper
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
As of Thursday, Jan. 22, almost all the solid concrete City Pier pilings had been driven and will soon be trimmed to their final height.
THE RESOLUTION
The proposed (and now rejected) city resolution said, “The city commission of the city of Anna Maria hereby supports and agrees to the construction of a water ferry landing
SEE FERRY, PAGE 4
ANNA MARIA beach cabana rental
regulations nearly done. 13 THE WAILERS bring iconic reggae songs to The Center. 12 www.amisun.com