St. Petersburg voters will decide this fall whether to extend the city’s submerged lands lease with downtown’s Harborage Marina, a move that would allow the marina to invest more than $2 million into new docks and waterfront improvements without using taxpayer dollars.
City Council unanimously approved the ordinance on first reading July 9, sending the question to the Nov. 3 municipal ballot. Because the lease involves publicly owned submerged lands, the City Charter requires voter approval before the city can execute a long-term lease amendment.
If voters approve the referendum, City Council would still need to adopt a final resolution authorizing the amended lease before it takes effect…