Plans have been unveiled for a proposed new resort cottage community on 14 acres on the north side of Cortez Road in the village of Cortez.

If approved by the Manatee County Commission, Hunter’s Point Resort & Marina will encompass 148 mini-cottages—each about 400 square feet big with an additional 1,000 square feet of outdoor living space—designed in the Cracker cottage vernacular that the village of Cortez is known for, along with a 49-slip public marina and community center. Sixty-two of those cottages will be designated as hotel rooms; buyers will be able to enter their homes into a rental program.

The developer is Sarasota resident Marshall Gobuty, who also is developing Mirabella at Village Green. Both communities feature highly energy-efficient design elements. Gobuty says he will be building “not just a good-looking cottage, but the most energy-efficient cottage ever built.”

Gobuty bought the property in February 2016. “It took this time to get the right product,” he says. “What works for the community—it’s not what I want, it’s what the [residents of Cortez] will accept—and what works for [buyers] to be able to afford something and come and go as they please.” He calls the design “an evolution of the Cracker cottage, making it modern with upgraded materials, but at the same time keeping the integrity.” The price point is anticipated to be around $250,000. Owners will be able to enter their cottages into a hotel rental program. 

He submitted all his plans to Manatee County in early May, and says he hopes to break ground by the first of 2018.

Other changes are coming to Cortez. Hunter’s Point will be southwest of Peninsula Bay, a much larger community to be located on 360 acres with up to 1,950 homes, a marina, 67-acre lake and waterfront dining and shopping. It will be developed by the Whiting Preston family, which also is developing the master-planned Lake Flores south of 53^rd Avenue West near IMG Academy. According to the Manatee County planning department, Peninsula Bay has been approved for general development by the county commission, but no timetable for development has been set.