The Harborage Marina is asking St. Petersburg voters to approve a crucial lease extension that stakeholders say will keep the city’s boating economy and culture alive.
The marina’s operators want to invest $2.15 million in the city-owned facility – at no cost to taxpayers. However, because it utilizes submerged land, a lease extension requires a public referendum.
Mario Farias, a Harborage consultant and local business owner, said the extra time would let the marina finance capital improvements. Planned upgrades for the aging facility include 200 linear feet of new docks with water, electrical and fire suppression infrastructure, boat lifts to accommodate large vessels, and expanded restroom facilities.
“Everything we’re doing – we’re investing in a city facility, so it’s a win-win situation,” Farias said. “The city gets a well-run marina at no cost. Everybody usually has their hand out. We don’t.”
Voters first approved a submerged lands lease to build a marina at 1110 3rd St. S. in 1986. The site sits within a rapidly evolving area historically dedicated to maritime industry.
Harborage began operating the marina in 1999. Voters approved a 30-year lease in 2004.
In 2007, voters approved a lease amendment that allowed the facility to expand from 11.4 acres to 13.4 acres. The agreement also obligated Harborage to construct new mega-yacht slips.
Voters approved another 30-year lease and expansion to 15.3 acres in 2018. That also required an additional 200-foot dock and infrastructure upgrades.
“All the expansions we’ve done by adding the mega-yacht docks, adding the new water systems and everything, have always been paid for by the (management) group,” Farias said. “Which is unheard of.”
The latest lease amendment, which voters will decide on Nov. 3, does not expand the marina’s footprint. Farias said an eight-year extension would help Harborage secure favorable financing for the improvements.
St. Petersburg retains ownership of the facilities, submerged land and all improvements once the lease expires. The partnership is already a much-needed revenue source for the city.
Harborage pays the city 15% of slip rental income for the use of submerged land. That amounted to $672,000 last year, which will inevitably increase with the expansion.
According to a city presentation, privately funded capital investments in the facility range between $250,000 and $500,000 annually, not including special projects.
The marina also supports dozens of employees, 150 independent marine contractors, multiple boatyards and brokerages and several local businesses. Farias warned that the upgrades are essential to the survival of St. Petersburg’s maritime industry.
“You have to look at this whole picture of boating,” Farias said. “It’s bigger than just boats. These are all good-paying jobs. And it’s an economy within its own economy. You start taking away places for people and things like that … it’s crazy.”
Redevelopment is nearly ubiquitous in the city, and developers have set their sights on the area surrounding the marina. The boating industry is also evolving.
Farias noted the shift toward large sport-fishing vessels with multiple motors. High-end boat owners demand specialized lifts for convenience and storm safety, which renders older rack systems obsolete.
The lack of dedicated space is a stakeholder concern. “We keep pushing boaters out – we’re gonna kill an industry,” Farias said.
Voter approval is no slam dunk, despite the economic benefits. The lease extension will be buried on a contentious ballot crowded with local, state and national races, and two other marine-focused local referendums.
“Am I worried? Yeah, I’m worried,” Farias admitted. “I just hate to lose the identity of St. Pete … it’d be awfully weird if we didn’t have a thriving boating industry.”
Farias emphasized the philanthropic efforts of the marina’s operator, Marshall Funk, who donated $250,000 to area food banks during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also had Farias distribute thousands more to neighborhood associations, diaper banks and local businesses struggling to recover from the devastating 2024 hurricane season.
Bridgette Heller, CEO of the Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation, and Michael Long, executive director of Sail Future Academy, also touted Funk’s support in a city presentation. “I’ll be with this marina as long as they have me,” Farias said.
“To me, it isn’t just a marina. It’s the people who live there, the people who work there,” Farias added. “And they deserve the best marina they can possibly have.”
