The red-hot Southwest Florida regional housing market is about to get even busier with the addition of a major new employer to the area.  Online retail giant Amazon recently confirmed that it will develop a massive distribution and fulfillment center in Ruskin, one of the southernmost communities of the Tampa Bay area.

Ruskin borders Manatee County on the north; in fact, it is located on the banks of the Little Manatee River.  This is great news for jobseekers in Manatee County since they would be able to commute to the new Amazon center via I-75 or the Tamiami Trail.  The Manatee County communities that are closer to Ruskin are Parrish, Ellenton and Palmetto, and these are some of the most promising real estate markets in the region.

According to a recent article by Bill Varian and Susan Thurston of the Tampa Bay Times, the Amazon center was a deal that Hillsborough County commissioners worked quietly and anxiously.  The acquisition of the 80-acre site to be developed was acquired in early October, and it will be the first Amazon distribution center in the Sunshine State.  County commissioners envision about 1,000 jobs created by this project.

The economic impact to Southwest Florida will be significant.  In fact, home builder Neal Communities is already looking into developing almost 2,000 new residential units to accommodate the housing needs of Parrish, one of the communities that will be positively affected by Amazon as a new regional employer.

Mangrove Walk on Harbour Isle by Minto

One of the most interesting residential development projects in Southwest Florida is getting even more interesting.  In late 2011, Canadian home builder Minto Communities announced its intentions to develop Harbour Isle, a model community on the northernmost barrier island of Manatee County.  According to a recent news article by Charles Schelle of the Bradenton Herald, Minto is expanding Harbour Isle to include another island.

Minto made real estate headlines with Harbour Isle due to the scope of the project and the timing of the announcement.  Very few home builders risked developing new projects at a time when Florida’s housing market was still in the midst of a downturn.  The initial phase of the project sold out quickly as home buyers were impressed by the Key West-style floor plans and interesting amenities such as swimming pools, island trails, a canoe launch, and more.

A later phase of Harbour Isle involved the handsome Mangrove Walk condominium, which presents a cozier and more affordable opportunity for house hunters interested in energy-efficient housing with waterfront views and lots of island appeal.

The latest land acquisition by Minto is on Perico Island, which is the isle located across the Grassy Point Bayou from Anna Maria Island.  Perico Island is a barrier island that beachgoers must cross as they make their way from Bradenton to the Florida Gulf beaches on Manatee Avenue.  Minto has acquired 14.3 acres on this island to complete its grand vision for Harbour Isle: Nearly 700 residences on two islands, a beach club, and a coastal commercial district for residents and visitors to enjoy.

The land currently occupied by the Manatee Landings Marina and the Tarpon Pointe Grill and Tiki Bar could be transformed into a major resort and commercial zone in the near future.  Such is the vision of two influential businessmen in Bradenton who have been planning this major development at Tarpon Pointe for over a decade.

The Tarpon Pointe area is located at the eastern end of Bradenton's brand-new Riverwalk, a public interest project that has already boosted property values in the city.  The proposed Tarpon Pointe project will add a 160-room hotel, a new marina with more than 200 boat slips, two restaurants with large seating capacities, retail spaces and a parking garage.

According to an article by Charles Schelle of the Bradenton Herald, the Tarpon Pointe development proposals were even more ambitious in 2006; at that time, the plan called for a ritzy condominium tower, town houses, office space and a marina.  Those plans were shelved when the housing market in Florida and the rest of the country collapsed along with the national economy.

Zoning at Tarpon Pointe changed, and thus the grille and tiki bar were developed after 2009.  The owners are Bruce and Kim Bottorf, who were recently honored by a veterans' organization for their charitable effort to raise funds for Sergeant First Class Aaron Cornellius, a wounded warrior who suffered critical injuries in Iraq.  The Bottorfs and the developers are currently locked in a legal battle that may cause the project to be delayed until 2015, or even later.

Mr. Bottorf is not opposed to developing the area; in fact, he is excited about the prospects of anchoring Tarpon Pointe to Riverwalk. The real estate and economic impact to Bradenton and Manatee County would be greatly positive, and it would strengthen Southwest Florida's image as the 21st century jewel of the Sunshine State.