$30M affordable housing project breaks ground in Manatee County

A new affordable housing community that broke ground today in Manatee County is designed to help families emerging from homelessness. Called Cedar Cove, the apartment complex will contain 80 units, 40 of which will be dedicated to those who are homeless; the remaining apartments will be offered to low-income individuals, according to Tampa Bay-based affordable housing developer Blue Sky Communities, which is building Cedar Cove in partnership with Sarasota nonprofit Community Assisted & Supported Living (CASL).

CASL, which provides supportive programs for those with developmental differences and mental health diagnoses, will offer on-site support services for 40 families at Cedar Cove.

Cedar Cove will span three buildings with one, two and three-bedroom apartments. They will be available to households earning 22%, 35% or 60% of the area median income. A clubhouse, green space and parking are also part of the plan for the project, located on 3.64 acres at 600 Orlando Ave, southeast of the intersection of Cortez Road West and US 41.

Rent will start at $444 a month for a one-bedroom for someone making $22,650 a year, according to a program handed out at the groundbreaking event, which said amounts are subject to change. The median income in Manatee County for 2025 is $106,100, according to a county document. 

“We're so excited to welcome this project into Manatee County,” Commissioner Amanda Ballard said at the groundbreaking. “The need is great. Unfortunately, the need is only growing.”

Every day, the Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness receives up to 30 calls from families experiencing homelessness looking for resources to gain housing, the nonprofit’s CEO Taylor Neighbors said at the groundbreaking.

“Together, we're not only helping families access housing — we are restoring hope that has been lost and ensuring families have a pathway toward long-term stability and opportunity,” Neighbors said. “We cannot wait to send referrals.”

The cost of building Cedar Cove is estimated to be around $30 million, Blue Sky Communities President Shawn Wilson told the Business Observer after the groundbreaking ceremony.

Funding took years to secure from various sources, he added. The Florida Housing Finance Corp. provided three rounds of funding the developers had to compete for and win, Wilson said during his remarks at the groundbreaking. Chase Bank handled the construction loan, while Raymond James is the affordable housing investor, according to Wilson.

About $400,000 for the project came from Manatee County, which authorized the amount about four years ago, Wilson said. Since they wound up winning a “pot of funding," the developers needed less than they were allotted so were able to reduce their request from the county, he added. The project will also benefit from Manatee County’s Livable Manatee program, which offers incentives like the waiving of development impact fees for affordable housing projects.

“It definitely takes a huge team” to bring a community like Cedar Cove to fruition, Wilson said. He noted Clearwater-based Park & Eleazer will build Cedar Cove; Powell Studio Architecture of Clermont will handle design; Tampa’s Dark Moss will oversee landscaping; High Point of Tampa is the civil engineer for the project; and Carteret Management of St. Pete will take care of property management, as it does for all Blue Sky properties.

Construction is expected to take 13 to 14 months, Wilson said.

Since 2017, Blue Sky Communities and CASL have partnered on 10 affordable housing projects and raised more than $300 million in funding for them, according to CASL CEO Scott Eller. 

Blue Sky and CASL have 1,400 or 1,500 units in operation in 10 counties, with Manatee County marking its 11th county, Eller said, adding: “And this is only the beginning.”