St. Petersburg voters will decide this fall whether to extend the city’s submerged lands lease with downtown’s Harborage Marina, a move that would allow the marina to invest more than $2 million into new docks and waterfront improvements without using taxpayer dollars.
City Council unanimously approved the ordinance on first reading July 9, sending the question to the Nov. 3 municipal ballot. Because the lease involves publicly owned submerged lands, the City Charter requires voter approval before the city can execute a long-term lease amendment.
If voters approve the referendum, City Council would still need to adopt a final resolution authorizing the amended lease before it takes effect.
The proposal would extend Harborage Marina’s lease to 30 years, giving the marina enough time to finance approximately $2.15 million in capital improvements. Planned upgrades include 200 linear feet of additional dock space, new boat lifts and expanded restroom facilities.
According to city documents, all improvements would be privately funded by Harborage Marina and would become city property when the lease expires.
Supporters say the longer lease simply gives the marina enough time to recover its investment. Allison Barlow, CEO of St. Pete’s Innovation District, told council members that “This opportunity promises to enrich our maritime community and preserve our water-based heritage.”
Barlow continued during the council meeting: “This initiative has been designed to coexist with neighboring stakeholders, ensuring mutual benefit and continued collaboration.”
The project does not expand the marina’s footprint. According to city staff, the proposal leaves the existing submerged lands lease boundaries unchanged. Instead, it extends the lease term, allowing Harborage Marina to amortize the cost of the improvements over a longer period.
City officials estimate the extended lease would generate approximately $4.5 million in additional lease revenue over its lifetime while modernizing aging marina infrastructure.
Harborage Marina has operated on city-owned submerged lands for nearly four decades. Voters first approved a submerged lands lease in 1986. In 2004, residents authorized a new 30-year lease, and in 2018 they approved another referendum allowing the marina to expand its leased area and make additional improvements.
This year’s proposal differs from the 2018 referendum because it does not seek additional submerged lands. Instead, it asks voters to extend the lease so the marina can finance another round of improvements.
The proposal also comes as St. Petersburg continues investing in its working waterfront. Bayboro Harbor has become home to a mix of commercial marinas, recreational boaters, marine research institutions and the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus. City officials have increasingly emphasized preserving maritime uses while accommodating growth around the downtown waterfront.
Council members offered little debate before unanimously advancing the ordinance. The first-reading vote does not authorize construction or execute the lease. Rather, it begins the charter-required process of asking voters whether the city should move forward with the amended agreement.
If approved in November, City Council would retain final authority over the lease amendment and its conditions.