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O'NEILL'S MARINA
Update (May 16th)
By Claude Jenet
The city renewed the lease to O'Neill's Marina for 2 years (until June 2009) with options for one year extensions (at the City discretion).
At this time, (May 17) the City did not yet review the study presented April 12 and summarized below.
Summary of the Study For Development of
O'Neill's Marina
By Claude Jenet
Several months ago the City conducted a workshop regarding waterfront access and local marinas, including the possibility of re-development of O’Neill’s Marina which current lease ended June 2007. A major part of our General Meeting March 17th was consecrated to our waterfront and affordable boating and included presentations by O’Neill’s management and City officials.
A consultant had been hired by the City to develop a study for the development of O’Neill’s Marina as well as the boat ramps at Maximo park. The result of this study was presented by Moffat & Nichols April 12 at City Hall and is summarized below:
Currently, O’Neill’s Marina is heavily used with 108 wet slips, dry storage for 125 boats, fuel and boat repair facilities and a boat ramp. Due to low water levels, it can only accommodate boats under 35 feet and only has 5 vacant slips at the moment.
The study present 4 different plans, each involving a redesign of the wet slips and diminishing their number from 108 down to 40/47 while increasing their sizes to 44/48 feet to accommodate larger boats.
Each plan involves the replacement of the seawalls, docks, utilities and requires dredging to increase the water depth. Construction costs are estimated at $5.4 to 7.4 million. Permitting (Federal, State and Local) may take over 24 months and time frame from planning to construction completion is estimated at 5 years.
The study also proposes the following:
· Construction of a High & Dry facility to be located in Maximo Park, next to the existing boat ramps and to be build in 3 stages to accommodate 600 boats up to 40 feet in length. Estimated cost $7.5 to 9 million, time frame 53 months.
· Replacement and lengthening of the two existing boat ramps at Maximo Park, minimal dredging, re-design and improvement of car-trailers parking and the addition of restrooms and boat wash facilities. Estimated cost $1.5 to 2 million, time frame 28 months.
· Establishing a mooring field between Frenchman Creek and the access channel to O’Neill’s to allow mooring of 50 boats. Estimated cost $125,000 to $150,000
The total estimated cost for this proposal is between $14.525 and $18.550 million and is likely to increase substantially
as time goes by and building costs increase.
There was no time allowed for discussion after the presentation but three short comments were made by Council members:
1- A consensus of opinion to extend O’Neill’s lease by 2 years with an option to extend had been previously reached.
2- Consideration should be given to provide docking space for small boats since larger ones can be accommodated in the
City Municipal Marina, The Harborage, Yacht Club and other local private Marinas.
3- The possibility may exist for the City to extend the O’Neill’s/Maximo Park complex by obtaining possession of the
adjacent prime waterfront property currently owned by the D.O.T. and used as a dirt dump.
The study will be reviewed and discussed during the next City Council meeting April 19th. GPPCA representatives will attend and voice our concerns, suggestions and position.
At this time the writer’s opinion remains that the City should extend O’Neill’s lease to 5 years and let them operate the marina as it is until all necessary permits, plans and funding are obtained. If approved, the project should start by improving the public boat ramps/parking at Maximo Park and building the first phase of the Hi & Dry facility for 200 boats. This would provide space for the boats currently docked at O’Neill’s while the marina is re-developed.
NOT JUST AN OLE FISH CAMP
By Jodi Irwin
I sat across from Alan Phillips, Owner/Operator of O’Neill’s Marina and listened to him tell the story of how O’Neill’s began in the 1950’s. He explained, from beginning to end, with the enthusiasm of a prideful father talking about his child.
In a sense, O’Neill’s is like a child to this family. Born in 1954 from the City of St. Petersburg as a few acres of land on a natural tidal pool and raised by the O’Neill family to be the thriving business it is today. With the care of a parent, every detail in developing this property was taken. They dredged and cleared the land, put in a wooden seawall and docks and set up a little bait & tackle shop to accommodate the local fisherman and the many families that bonded over a day of fishing on our beautiful waters.
In the early ‘80s O’Neill’s was threatened by the expansion of I-275. This time the survival of O’Neill’s was not just defended by the O’Neill family, but by a community that had adopted O’Neill’s as their own. Thousands of supporters banded together to save this neighborhood icon and their “loud & determined” voices were heard and O’Neill’s was spared.
Once again, change is in store for our O’Neill’s. The City’s five year lease is up and their plan is to take over the spot and turn it in to a fully functional, modern marina facility. Although, on its face, this sounds great, there is one very big draw back to this plan. The city wants to do this on their own which means that O’Neill’s, as we know it now, will cease to exist. Gone will be our “little fish camp”; transformed in to a modern facility that may or may not be profitable to the city after all of the updates. A report due out later this month will answer these questions. In the meantime, Alan Phillips and 25 other employees will be forced to find other employment.
City Councilman of district 5, James Bennett, supports the additional 5 years and states:
“Like so many long-time families that have supported and developed St. Petersburg, the O’Neill family needs our support now for this five-year lease extension. The city can make plans and prepare for the future uses of the marina site but we need to respect and cherish those that guided it for five decades.”
As of right now, it looks like we will be loosing a neighborhood monument, a place where memories were made and a community was proud to call their own, but more tragically, a family that put their life’s blood and sweat equity in to a plot of land that was like their child, even though they didn’t even own it and gained little monetarily, is loosing an opportunity to say goodbye. Alan Phillips, his family and his 25 employees are asking the city for just 5 more years to reach retirement age, so that he can say goodbye in the same spirit that this “Little Ole Fish Camp” began.
If you would like to show your support or have any comments please email us by clicking on the link below. Copy of all comments will be transmitted to City Councilman James Bennett
CITY OF ST. PETERSBURG
City Council Workshop - Selection of Council Chair & Vice Chair and
O’Neills and Harborage Marina Leases
Tuesday, December 19, 2006, 1:48 p.m.
PRESENT: Chair Bill Foster, Councilmembers Herb Polson, John Bryan, Leslie Curran, James
Bennett, Earnest Williams, Rene Flowers, and Jeff Danner.
ALSO: Mayor Rick Baker, First Deputy Mayor/City Administrator Tish Elston, Deputy
Mayor Dave Metz, City Attorney John Wolfe, Chief Assistant City Attorney Mark
Winn, Senior Administrator Rick Mussett, Downtown Facilities Director Beth
Herendeen, Port & Marina Director Walt Miller, Don Mastry, Esq. (representing
both Marinas), Randy Wedding, Jeff McClanathan, CPA (outside accountant for
Marinas International), Marinas International Managing Director J. Stan Johnson,
and City Clerk Eva Andujar.
Chair Foster announced that Mr. Mastry, representing the Harborage and O’Neills Marinas,
would like to address Council. Mr. Mastry was allocated thirty minutes for his presentation
regarding both marinas. Chief Administrator Rick Mussett reviewed the Presentation Outline and
Downtown Facilities Director Beth Herendeen reviewed Policy Considerations (should the City
continue to lease the facilities as private marinas or self-operate as public marinas to maximize net
operating revenue to the City and would City control enhance public access to the waterfront),
Current Situation (existing leases and Charter restrictions/referendum outcome), Pending Lease
Requests (O’Neill’s - 5 years at current terms; The Harborage - 20 years at 10% of gross revenues
(currently at 8%)), Current Status, Recommendations (O’Neill’s - retain a consultant to prepare
a master plan and related financing plan and enter into short-term lease extension; Harborage -
negotiations to date have not resulted in agreement on lease business points), Harborage Financial
Summary, City Qualifications for Self-Operation and Recommendations/Discussion (City
recommendation is to develop an action plan for City self-operation of The Harborage, report to
Council in April 2007, and defer The Harborage lease proposal pending Council’s review of City’s
self-operation action plan).
Mr. Mastry provided historical information concerning O’Neill’s which has been a part of the
City’s history for more than 50 years. He reviewed the maximum size ships which can be
accommodated, stated pilings have been and will continue to be replaced as needed, and that they
would like a five-year lease extension. Council provided comments and Mayor Baker suggested
a two-year lease extension for O’Neill’s. A majority of Council present supported Administration
negotiating a two-year lease plus extension.
City Council Workshop - Selection of Council Chair & Vice Chair and
O’Neills and Harborage Marina Leases
December 19, 2006
page 2
Mr. Mastry provided information concerning Marinas International (presently operates 17 marinas
in Florida, California, Kentucky, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas) who lease the
submerged land and operate the Harborage Marina. Prior to the referendum, City staff provided
and Marinas International signed a 30-year lease. The referendum passed and as of today, the City
has not signed the lease. There have been extensive negotiations, but we have not been able to
come to an agreement. The lease extension is being requested to permit Marinas International to
construct mega yacht slips at the marina and recover their costs which they cannot do over a fiveyear
period. Messrs. Mastry and McClanathan provided financial information which, at face
value, shows that the City could be better off extending the lease and taking a percentage of the
gross revenues as rent rather than terminating the lease and rebuilding the marina. If the lease is
not extended, Marinas International will remove the floating docks permitted by the lease unless
the City pays market value estimated at approximately $15 million.
Mayor Baker suggested Council conduct an independent review of the Harborage Marina and the
feasibility of leasing or the City managing the facility. He also indicated that developing a master
plan for all marina facilities should be reviewed and suggested looking at contracting out
management of the marina(s).
Chair Foster asked if there were any performance measures or targets in the proposed lease and
if, there are none, suggested they be added. Council consensus was to hire a consultant to review
financial feasibility and to provide a report by March 31.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:00 p.m.
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