\u201cWe have a vested interest to make sure it\u2019s done right,\u201d Corbett told the Catalyst. \u201cWe\u2019re not cutting corners to save money.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The 640-slip marina has needed repairs since at least 2017. Recent storms exacerbated issues. Photo by Mark Parker.<\/p>\n
Plans for a private company to repair, reimagine and operate the marina hit a snag in April after Blackstone, a trillion-dollar investment firm, acquired Safe Harbor Marinas. The city ended those negotiations in June and decided to pivot away from leasing the facility.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Corbett said the city is now \u201cessentially the developer.\u201d He noted that private companies could prioritize profits -money the city will now keep \u2013 over ensuring the facility can withstand a harsh saltwater environment for approximately 75 years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The previously proposed<\/a> $48 million project\u2019s scope has increased exponentially. Corbett said Safe Harbor would have kept some of the existing concrete and repaired things the city prefers to replace.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to implement a 100% floating dock system, which is more expensive,\u201d he added. \u201cBut again, in the case of a storm, the docks will be able to rise up and not be damaged.\u201d<\/p>\n Project delays and prioritizing environmental resiliency have increased costs. However, the city is also completing previously separate infrastructure improvement projects.\u00a0<\/p>\n Documents state that the selected applicant will replace utilities and implement stormwater improvements throughout the central, south and, potentially, north marina basins. The company will analyze and rebuild degraded roads around Demens Landing.\u00a0<\/p>\n Administrators are also replacing the Demens Landing bridge and surrounding seawalls, which exponentially increases<\/a> the total project cost. The selected firm will conduct a wave action study and design and construct facilities using current sea-level rise projections. <\/p>\n A sample contract does not include a guaranteed maximum price for the work, which Corbett said would \u201cbe determined through a progressive design phase.\u201d The contractor will provide new estimates, including for inspection and permitting costs,\u00a0 \u201cat each phase.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s better to do it that way, because this is a long process,\u201d Corbett explained. \u201cThe permitting process for a marina is like 18 months.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n However, RFQ documents state that applicants should \u201cdevelop a design consistent with the city construction budget of $148,000,000.\u201d<\/p>\n Tony Ashley, a St. Petersburg Municipal Marina resident, shows how high the water rose over electrical equipment during Hurricane Helene. Photo by Mark Parker.<\/p>\n Self-funding the project was always a concern, despite many stakeholders and officials preferring that the city control<\/a> the public amenity and 100% of its revenues. In June, before the administration included multiple infrastructure and resiliency initiatives, Council Chair Copley Gerdes said marina redevelopment is an \u201c$85 million, $100 million or $110 million project.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Corbett said the selected firm must ensure \u201call designs, materials, phasing and guaranteed maximum price packages,\u201d which the city could divide into stages or funding cycles, stay within the $148 million budget. The figure \u201csets a financial boundary\u201d to guide decisions and project sequencing.<\/p>\n A master plan called for modernization efforts and improvements to docks that reached \u201cthe end of their service lives\u201d in 2017. Time and a devastating hurricane<\/a> season have exacerbated those issues.\u00a0<\/p>\n The antiquated 640-slip marina is home to roughly 100 residents and several businesses. Once the project is complete, the facility will boast a new ship store and offices, two covered bath buildings, two dock houses, a maintenance facility and an administrative building totaling at least 14,700 square feet.<\/p>\n \u201cThe previous proposals and what we\u2019re looking to do are not necessarily apples to apples,\u201d Corbett said.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Municipal-Marina-resident-scaled-e1727958577972-1024x792.jpg\")
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