St. Petersburg has begun its third attempt in six years to find a contractor for its municipal marina, aiming to update docks, fuel stations, seawalls and other facilities while keeping the marina publicly operated.
According to a report by Colleen Wright from the Tampa Bay Times, City Development Administrator James Corbett told city council members that a notice was published on 28 October inviting qualified firms. Vendors have until 2 December 2025 to submit their qualifications, with interviews and a final selection scheduled for 13 January 2026.
The redevelopment plan dates back to 2019, when Safe Harbor Marinas proposed renovating the facility in exchange for operational control. The plan did not move forward under former Mayor Rick Kriseman.
In 2023, Mayor Ken Welch issued a new bid request and selected Safe Harbor Marinas, but after the company was acquired by investment firm Blackstone in April 2025, negotiations stalled and the city ended the agreement in June.
The current project focuses on replacing or updating the ship store, fuel facilities, seawalls along the marina basins and the bridge to Demens Landing. A separate solicitation will cover commercial development near Second Avenue South and Bayshore Drive.
More than 100 vendors have accessed project documents online. Page Obenshain, a member of the marina advisory committee, said: “It’s progress. It’s in the right direction rather than trying to get someone a five-year lease and put however-many-million dollars into it. It didn’t work. It took from 2017 to 2025 to figure that out. This is the only way to do it and do it right.”
The municipal marina includes the Central (CYB) and South (SYB) Yacht Basins along St. Petersburg’s waterfront. CYB docks were built in 1963, and four of the five SYB docks date from 1977. While the facilities have been maintained, exposure to saltwater over time has caused wear.
Current marina services include 640 permanent wet slips, a 500-foot (152-metre) transient dock, a public boat launch, diesel and marine-grade fuel, bait and tackle, electric and water hookups, as well as shower and laundry facilities.
