Manatee County snubs USF, considers waterfront land donation to New College for housing
Instead of donating nine acres of the bayfront Powel Crosley Estate to the University of South Florida, Manatee County commissioners will vote Tuesday on a proposal to give the land to New College of Florida for student housing and an educational facility.
Manatee County acquired the 16.5-acre property in 1991, and commissioners voted in 2020 to donate the land to the University of South Florida.
A stand-still in negotiations has led commissioners to rescind that agreement and instead consider whether they will donate the land to New College, Commissioner Mike Rahn said.
"There was a use agreement that said what USF had to do to get that property or it was going to revert back to us," Rahn said.
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"After several months of back and forth, it got to a point where it was just at a standoff," he said. "We also needed some things that protected the Crosley Estate and protected the county if something happened. We asked to be noticed if they are going to have a concert or festival or anything like that because the Crosleys rent their property out for weddings and events."
New College has struggled with student housing issues, including a 150-bed shortfall while mold issues and other renovations are remedied.
Although the waterfront property could be valuable, Rahn said it had already been donated for student housing even though it was to another university.
"The property was already donated away. We just took it back and are doing the same thing but with another college, because New College will accept our use agreement with no questions asked," Rahn said. "They feel this will give them the opportunity to grow the campus."
USF spokesman Kevin Watler said negotiations fell apart during the summer, but that the university learned of the potential change of plans from the county agenda for Tuesday's meeting.
"We have been working together on a land use agreement until the county abruptly cut off those discussion this summer," USF spokesman Kevin Watler said. "We were particularly surprised by the County’s decision to change direction and donate the land to New College, as the county did not inform us, rather we learned about it when it appeared as an agenda item for a recent New College Board of Trustees meeting."
"Regardless of the outcome of this land donation decision, we remain committed to expanding access to USF’s preeminent, AAU-designated educational opportunities to current and future students in Manatee and Sarasota counties," he said.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Manatee considers Crosley Estate land donation to New College
