ANNA MARIA, FL – One of the last remaining trailer parks on Anna Maria Island – Pines Trailer Park in Bradenton Beach – has hit the market for a hefty $16 million, a situation that is causing unease for its residents who are now being left to wonder what the future of their community may ultimately be if they are unable to work out a deal with the property owner.
Under state law, owner Jackson Partnership LLP is obligated to offer Pines Trailer Park’s homeowners association first dibs at purchasing the 87-lot, 2.78-acre property located at 103 Church Avenue.
Residents of the park – some full-time, some seasonal – own their homes but do not own the property they sit on; instead, they pay monthly rent for the land instead, and there is a worry that they may not be able to afford the current asking price, according to Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie.
“It’s sad. We are extremely hopeful residents will be able to work out a deal with the property owner,” Chappie said. “The Pines is really a community within a community.”
Along with the Sandpiper Mobile Resort at 2601 Gulf Drive North, Pines Trailer Park is one of only two trailer parks remaining on Anna Maria Island; previously, Jackson Partnership had offered to sell the park to residents in 2002, but the deal never went forward.
Pines Trailer Park originally opened in 1935 as a “new and strictly modern tourist camp” with a community hall, dance hall, restaurant and laundry, according to the Bradenton Herald. in 1948, the park was sold for $25,400, again in 1956 for $55,000, and yet again in 1962 for $150,000.
If residents are unable to purchase the park, there is concern that its ownership will follow the current trend of selling the property to a company who will subsequently use it to replace the trailers with expensive mansions and condominiums. If that were to happen, residents are not only concerned about losing their current homes, but also finding suitable and affordable apartment units within the Bradenton community amid concerns over skyrocketing rents.
It remains to be seen what will ultimately happen to Pines Trailer Park and its residents.
Florida Gulf Residential specializes in the areas of Sarasota, Siesta Key, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, Longboat Key, Venice, Palmer Ranch, Osprey, Anna Maria Island and other Gulf Coast communities. Feel free to give us a call at (941) 304-1975 so we can answer any questions you may have.
Christopher Boyle is an investigative journalist for SEARCHEN NETWORKS® and reports for independent news and media organizations in the United States. Christopher helps keep a keen-eye on what’s happening on the West Coast of Florida on behalf of FLORIDA GULF RESIDENTIAL – Your Real Estate Expert for Sarasota and Surrounding Areas.
