If your in the Tampa Bay Area, you may have heard there is a movement by mayor Kriseman to privatize one of the last few public marinas in the state of Florida. It absolutely needs repairs/updating (and probably increased dock fees) but it should not be at the cost of giving our entire marina and the lions share of our slip fees to a Tennessee based company. Keep those dollars local. This would have a big impact to access for lower income boaters. If you agree, please review and sign our petition to help us prevent this from happening. Thank you Sign the Petition
Privatization of St Pete Municipal Marina
- Thread starter mcartair
- Start date
While I understand and agree with the local economics argument, it's not that simple. Before blindly signing any petition, people should understand both sides of the issue.
To maintain and modernize the marina, the city would have to invest millions it doesn't have and can't afford for the benefit of only a few.
There are more subtleties than presented here on which people should be better informed before taking a position.
To maintain and modernize the marina, the city would have to invest millions it doesn't have and can't afford for the benefit of only a few.
There are more subtleties than presented here on which people should be better informed before taking a position.
Like everywhere else Boaters do not have the numbers to garner Politicians support. That Marina is in Prime waterfront property in downtown St. Petersburg; a Developers dream.
That would normally be true, John, but our governor is not thinking too much about Florida these days. He has bigger fish to fry.
A local campaign was able to save Albert Whitted airport back in 2003 so hopefully we can rally again
In Florida the boating industry is quite strong politically. Developers are strong too - to be fair. The public, sorry to say, not so much. I don’t see much happening for the latter, that the former two don’t
want. There’s a famous quote by James Bovard : “Democracy has to be about more than two lions and a sheep voting about what’s for dinner.”
But, I agree with Don that before signing a petition, one should consider both sides fairly.
want. There’s a famous quote by James Bovard : “Democracy has to be about more than two lions and a sheep voting about what’s for dinner.”
But, I agree with Don that before signing a petition, one should consider both sides fairly.
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 22,746
It is interesting. The Port of Everett took over a superfund sight that was a lumber mill and Concrete production facility. It is now the second largest marina on the west coast. There are Condo's going up and Shopping facilities. It has become the money source for the city. Over 2000 Recreation boats and a Commercial Fishing Fleet are docked there.
It is possible for a city to develop their own marina complex. All that limits them is their creativity or greed. It is easier to sell the property to someone and hope they have a good plan. It is more difficult to develop it yourself. And have the property values build over time
It is possible for a city to develop their own marina complex. All that limits them is their creativity or greed. It is easier to sell the property to someone and hope they have a good plan. It is more difficult to develop it yourself. And have the property values build over time
In spite of what sentiments one may have, privately maintained and operated marinas here in Southern California generally are in better condition and offer more, as well as better, "services." I think that is true in FL as well from my memory. We had our boat in Bayboro. Much nicer than DT. The only way I've seen of how municipal government can up-grade marinas is to pass (i.e., voted in) a bond issue of some type. Where else can it get the dough? The residents of St. Petersburg probably would not pass a bond issue for a new down-town marina just to service a bunch of "yachties," lower income or otherwise. You might have noticed that it's generally the "lower income" boats that are abandoned and must be impounded and auctioned to recover unpaid fees, etc. The City went through hell and back to get money to build the "Thunder (a.k.a. Blunder) Dome" (Tropicana Field), as it was called then (1997 or '98). If there was any money to be retained in Saint Pete from marina operations, the City would not have to farm it out.
I know it well. The city sold that property and now reaps the tax benefit. However, there is nothing to develop in St. Pete as it’s only a marina which the city claims they can’t afford to maintain.
What is interesting here is that most of the adjacent business owners, retail stores, restaurant owners and hotel managers favor selling it as the only realistic means of ensuring viability.
I don’t know about the pier.
Greenport did a municipal Marina. And didn’t go cheap thanks to NYS funding. It probably loses money because it’s run for the benefit of jobs it created. Weekends in the summer it’s full. Weekdays not so much. It’s empty mostly in the shoulder seasons - but prices aren’t adjusted. In other words there is no market sense. Not that I’ve seen so much of that from private marinas - nevertheless, municipalities aren’t usually nimble enough for operating with a bottom line.
Greenport did a municipal Marina. And didn’t go cheap thanks to NYS funding. It probably loses money because it’s run for the benefit of jobs it created. Weekends in the summer it’s full. Weekdays not so much. It’s empty mostly in the shoulder seasons - but prices aren’t adjusted. In other words there is no market sense. Not that I’ve seen so much of that from private marinas - nevertheless, municipalities aren’t usually nimble enough for operating with a bottom line.
When we last visited Florida, we noticed that the state parks seemed to be self-funded. You paid a nominal fee in a drop box to park and put a tear-off label on your dashboard to show you had. Why can't state marina facilities be run the same way, with users paying for the facilities and having the fees factor in the costs for dredging and other improvements? State residents, who supposedly would be the users, would pay - and benefit from the arrangement - while other citizens would not have to foot the bill.
So the city sets it up instead of the state. New York City runs the 79th Street Boat Basin. My town of 50,000 runs a marina for 600 boats. It can't be that difficult to do. Privatization means that someone thinks they can make money at it, and THAT is going to cost boat owners.
You may not like the character but it’s more crowded than any pier I’ve spent time on. It’s actually maddening crowded.
Oh. I thought it had shut down a few years back. In the ‘90s we’d go once in a while. I never thought it so great a place. Kinda of a make-believe tourist attraction b/f the Vinoy was renovated, and for a bit after. “City Fathers” always trying to gIn up activities to keep people coming down there. It was a long walk out there to the end. Little parking. Side-walk vendors with nothing much interesting to vend. Later they put those slips along the south side so boaters would come visit. Big (floolish) idea. East wind (very common) over Tampa Bay set the boats to rocking and pitching
Not a good spot. I think the aquarium went away. Also not too interesting.It was shut down a few years ago, KG, for structural issues. Someone was afraid it was going to collapse, IIRC. So they spent a bunch of money to tear it down and rebuild it. The "new" version could win a prize for ugliest building ever created. It's still a long walk out to the end, but they no longer have any assistance (trams, golf carts, whatever) for the folks who are unable to make that walk. Another interesting decision on the part of our civic leaders.Oh. I thought it had shut down a few years back. In the ‘90s we’d go once in a while. I never thought it so great a place. Kinda of a make-believe tourist attraction b/f the Vinoy was renovated, and for a bit after. “City Fathers” always trying to gIn up activities to keep people coming down there. It was a long walk out there to the end. Little parking. Side-walk vendors with nothing much interesting to vend. Later they put those slips along the south side so boaters would come visit. Big (floolish) idea. East wind (very common) over Tampa Bay set the boats to rocking and pitching
There was valet parking at the end, near the entrance of the upside-down pyramid, we occasionally used. I thought expensive @ $5.00 then. Should have been more like $2.00. We can get valet parking near here for $6.00 (25 yr later) although some places get $10.00, depending on where, of course. But as I said, not much parking space out there. There just was not much reason for the locals to visit.
But the one big exception was when the replica of the HMS Bounty was visiting. Our sailing club (a few members) visited one Saturday evening when this chantey group from Mystic had come. It was Shamus, or one of the musicians was named Shamus, or both; I can’t recall that. It was fun listening. Along toward evening after the tourists had gone, a few of us were still hanging around when “Shamus” asked if we wished to hear their “special” ribald program. (I guess for true sailors only.) OMG if I can use that term. What a hilarious set of totally ribald (or otherwise vulgar) songs. It got so bad that a couple of the wives left, red-faced, but not angry. Just couldn’t take it anymore; kept getting worse. One of milder tunes I recall was “The Farter from Sparta.” We definitely went from chantey to ribald shanty. What a hoot. The most fun I’d ever had at The Pier. Really funny; good musicians. Haven’t heard anything like it since.
But the one big exception was when the replica of the HMS Bounty was visiting. Our sailing club (a few members) visited one Saturday evening when this chantey group from Mystic had come. It was Shamus, or one of the musicians was named Shamus, or both; I can’t recall that. It was fun listening. Along toward evening after the tourists had gone, a few of us were still hanging around when “Shamus” asked if we wished to hear their “special” ribald program. (I guess for true sailors only.) OMG if I can use that term. What a hilarious set of totally ribald (or otherwise vulgar) songs.
It got so bad that a couple of the wives left, red-faced, but not angry. Just couldn’t take it anymore; kept getting worse. One of milder tunes I recall was “The Farter from Sparta.” We definitely went from chantey to ribald shanty. What a hoot. The most fun I’d ever had at The Pier. Really funny; good musicians. Haven’t heard anything like it since.
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