Long-awaited plans to breathe new life into the St. Petersburg Municipal Marina recently hit a snag after Blackstone, a trillion-dollar global investment firm, acquired Safe Harbor Marinas.
Mayor Ken Welch selected Safe Harbor Marinas to reimagine and operate the aging 640-slip marina in late December 2023. The city-owned facility along the downtown waterfront suffered extensive damage during Hurricane Helene.
Administrators planned to present a contract to the city council for approval in March. Their recommended 2026 capital improvement project budget, unveiled at an April 24 Committee of the Whole meeting, now includes $26 million for marina repairs…