Sheriff's Child Protective Services moving to Bright House building

BUYER: Manatee County, Bradenton
SELLER: Cantolino Prop I LLC
PROPERTY: 3500 W. Ninth St., Bradenton
PRICE: $2.65 million
PREVIOUS PRICE: $1.28 million, January 2014

PLANS, DESCRIPTION:
Manatee County purchased the 25,186-square-foot former Bright House Networks building on Ninth Street for $2.65 million.

The price equated to $105 per square foot. That figure is less than the two-year average price per square foot for office space ($119) in the Tampa Bay area, according to the CoStar Group.

The county acquired the building to serve as the new home for the Manatee County Sheriff's Office Child Protective Services department.

“We're in an about 10,000-square-foot space now, and we need at least another 5,000 square feet just for offices,” says Major William Dixon with the Manatee County Sheriff's Office. “This was just a perfect fit for us. It's adjacent to our main facility and had plenty of space for us.”

The move also puts the department in a more central location in the county. Its current offices are in the western end of the county.

The county plans to remove two or three walls, upgrade the networking, install carpeting, security card readers, exterior lighting and video cameras and paint. Child Protective Services plans to move into the location in June.