Manatee County government buys former Forney building

BUYER: Manatee County, Bradenton

SELLER: Beach Court Investments LLC

PROPERTY: 5213 E. Fourth Ave. Circle, Bradenton

PRICE: $724,999

PREVIOUS PRICE: $162,000, October 2003

TITLE FIRM ON DEED: Signature Title Co., Bradenton

PLANS, DESCRIPTION: Manatee County government purchased the 6,555-square-foot former Forney Engineering building for $724,999.

The price equated to $111 per square foot.

The county plans to relocate its employee health benefits office there from the Desoto Center on U.S. 301 Boulevard, which it shared with the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

Debra Cooper of the Sperry Van Ness Commercial Advisory Group in Bradenton handled the transaction.

“Ron Forney was semi-retiring and decided to sell the building,” Cooper says. “The beauty of the building is that it requires almost no work [for the county] to convert it for their uses. It has offices surrounding an open space. It was also built recently [in 2004] so it's completely ADA compliant. It was completely turnkey.”

Cooper says the county also liked that the building was located in eastern Manatee County, and that it was able to purchase it fully furnished.