The existing dry storage facility will remain operational during the first phase; Greenleaf will add 236 new racks, bringing the total to 548. Former Mayor Rick Kriseman, who serves as the project\u2019s spokesperson, noted the existing marina<\/a> is 40 years old and \u201cshowing its age.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re looking forward to providing a real, first-class facility that upgrades what\u2019s already there,\u201d Kriseman told the Catalyst. \u201cIt provides a lot more opportunities for boaters and non-boaters than what currently exists.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The project\u2019s first phase features a new restaurant, bar, marina office and pool.<\/p>\n The City of St. Petersburg annexed 28 acres in Tierra Verde, including the marina, in 2008. Greenleaf purchased<\/a> the property at 100 Pinellas Bayway South for $5 million in 2011, and Kriseman became mayor in 2014.<\/p>\n The marina currently features 314 high-and-dry racks within a 58,000-square-foot storage facility and 64 wet slips, which will remain unchanged. Green Leaf will demolish the site\u2019s 24,000-square-foot shopping center and gas station.\u00a0<\/p>\n The firm will build a waterside marina office, new retail space that could house up to three small \u201cmaritime-adjacent\u201d businesses, an amenity building with an outdoor pool and lounge deck for members and a 2,581-square-foot restaurant, dubbed Harbor House.\u00a0<\/p>\n Harbor House will feature outdoor balcony seating on the second floor, and a 2,465-square-foot bar will sit atop the restaurant. Kriseman said the establishment would help fill the area\u2019s fine dining void.\u00a0<\/p>\n He also noted that aesthetic upgrades would better align with the surrounding neighborhood\u2019s architecture. However, the overarching goal is to revitalize the waterfront and support the local boating community.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are waiting lists at most marinas for people who want to high-and-dry their boats,\u201d Krisman added. \u201cIt\u2019s going to fill a desperately needed need.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n An expanded Tierra Verde Marina will become Florida\u2019s second-largest boat storage facility. Pinellas County also has the second-highest number of registered boats, approximately 54,000, in the state.\u00a0<\/p>\n The 2024 hurricane season displaced many boatowners and their vessels, increasing the need for storage options. A developer continues acquiring<\/a> marinas and maritime facilities around Salt Creek, exacerbating the issue<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI think you\u2019re going to see a lot of folks in St. Pete who were looking for an alternative \u2026 some of whom may not even be back in their house yet from the storms,\u201d Kriseman said. \u201cI think this is going to be a very attractive option.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n He believes the marina\u2019s location will entice boaters in Tampa, who can \u201cstore their boat here and be out in the Gulf in 15 minutes.\u201d Kriseman said that would save time and fuel, which is better for the environment.\u00a0<\/p>\n The project also includes a stormwater system that will double the current capacity. Construction will take place away from the waterfront and adhere to\u00a0strict building standards.<\/p>\n Concerns, centered around building height and traffic impacts, persist. Greenleaf seeks a 15-foot height bonus to build the nine-story, 90-foot-tall storage facility.\u00a0<\/p>\n A Residence Inn across the street is 85 feet tall. Kriseman said a traffic study found that the demolition of the retail plaza and Shell service station would offset impacts from the redevelopment.\u00a0<\/p>\n He added that daily shoppers are \u201cmuch more frequently on the road\u201d than boaters. The marina has averaged 13 boat launches per day over the past three years.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s a fear they (opponents) have that is not factually based or bounded in what will be the reality,\u201d Kriseman said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The project\u2019s second phase will bring a new nine-story storage facility to the site.<\/p>\n Greenleaf added the retail and restaurant components after initially meeting with stakeholders. The developer has also changed the aesthetics \u201cpretty dramatically\u201d and increased the amount of landscaping.\u00a0<\/p>\n Kriseman said Greenleaf subsequently changed the orientation of the bar and restaurant to minimize noise impacts on the adjacent neighborhood. \u201cI think there is a really strong effort that this developer is making to address the concerns that the community has.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Tierra Verde Watersports has offered public boat and jet-ski rentals for over 30 years and will continue operating from the marina. The Suntime and Freedom Boat Clubs and the Tampa Bay Pilots Association, which guides large vessels through the shipping channel, will also remain at the facility.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we purchased the marina in 2011, our goal was to preserve and strengthen its legacy as a landmark destination for the boating community,\u201d said Dr. Michael Coffey, executive vice president of Greenleaf, in a prepared statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis redevelopment is an exciting opportunity to modernize and enhance the property while expanding much-needed boat storage in St. Petersburg.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Site work will commence following the City\u2019s approval in December. Greenleaf expects to complete the first phase in approximately 18 months and begin the second, which includes the new storage facility, about two years later.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Greenleaf Capital hoped to make a splash by sinking $33 million into the Tierra Verde Marina\u2019s future. The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17769,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[202,204,203,199,201,200],"class_list":["post-17768","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-st-petersburg","tag-st-pete","tag-st-pete-headlines","tag-st-pete-news","tag-st-petersburg","tag-st-petersburg-headlines","tag-st-petersburg-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17768","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17768"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17768\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17769"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17768"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17768"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17768"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Phase-I-1st-Ave--e1761237637342.png\")
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