ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The St. Petersburg City Council will vote on approving a few agreements on Thursday for the new Tampa Bay Ferry service, which includes $324,000 for a temporary dock near The Vinoy.

“This dock really is the last piece in the puzzle before we can set sail,” said Amanda Baird, PSTA communications director. “Activating that waterway is really going to take Pinellas and Tampa to the next level.”

The resolution contains a three-year agreement with Mobro Marine for a temporary dock to be installed off Bayshore Drive in downtown St. Petersburg, across from Straub Park North. It’s the same spot the Cross Bay Ferry used successfully for a while, before moving operations to Port St. Pete, where ridership numbers dropped.

City Council Member Deborah Figgs-Sanders, who is also the board chair for the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, called the temporary dock location the “perfect place” and believes it will be an economic driver for downtown businesses.  

“We want to make it easy for those that come to visit the city of St. Petersburg, that as soon as they get off of the ferry, that they have access to our small businesses, our nightlife, all the entertainment that the city of St. Petersburg has to offer there locally,” she said. “I’m extremely excited about the asset and the opportunity it provides for the residents.”

The city plans to build a permanent dock for the Tampa Bay Ferry off the St. Pete Pier, near the History Museum, which will take two-to-three years to complete, according to Evan Mory, St. Petersburg Transportation and Parking Management Director. Mory said leasing the temporary dock is more financially advantageous than purchasing due to the anticipated permanent dock. The proposed lease has cancellation and renewal options favorable to the city.

The dock location across the bay in Tampa is located at the east end of the Tampa Convention Center. The interlocal agreement calls for both cities to provide a dock at no charge for the Tampa Bay Ferry. Both cities have also agreed to contribute $350,000 each towards ferry operating costs.

The PSTA recently announced it purchased two boats, currently in transit to Ft. Lauderdale from the Pacific Coast to be remodeled and painted. The agency used a $4.8 million federal grant to purchase the vessels, which was transferred from the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority.

Baird said the temporary dock location in St. Petersburg will help the agency be more successful in activating the service. It’s also near other transportation options.

“(It’s) just steps away from our SunRunner service, our Downtown Looper and Central Avenue Trolley,” she said. “So if folks do want to venture out from that immediate downtown area, it’s just steps to that bus stop.” 

The Tampa Bay Ferry will operate all year round, seven days a week, with more daily trips between St. Pete and Tampa than the Cross Bay Ferry offered. A schedule has not yet been released, but the service is expected to begin before the end of the year. One-way tickets will cost $10.

The other resolutions coming before the city council include a release agreement with The Vinoy to install a dock in the North Yacht Basin. The Army Corps permit allows for 3,640 trips per year, up from 1,095 trips for the Cross Bay Ferry’s previous permit.

The final resolution calls for a five-year agreement with Tampa Bay Sea Taxi, the Tampa Bay Ferry operator, which is owned by Hubbard’s Marina.