TIERRA VERDE, Fla. — A scaled-down proposal to redevelop the Tierra Verde Marina is already drawing renewed resistance from some neighbors, even as the development team says the new design addresses many of the concerns raised last year.
Tampa-based Greenleaf Capital recently submitted a revised application to the City of St. Petersburg to redevelop the 40-year-old marina in Tierra Verde.
The developer withdrew its previous proposal in November after weeks of backlash from residents. That earlier plan called for four new dry storage buildings and more than 700 boat storage spaces.
The new proposal reduces the project to two new dry-rack buildings and about 500 total storage spaces. The tallest structures would also be lowered from 90 feet to 72 feet.
According to the developer, the changes reflect feedback from neighbors.
“Concerns that were raised by the community were heard and were listened to and taken into consideration in the new design,” said Rick Kriseman, an advisor representing the developer.
The revised plan would also move forward as a single-phase project instead of two phases. Plans include new public-facing amenities such as a restaurant, bar, and marine gas pumps.
Kriseman says the redevelopment would modernize an aging marina.
“I think it’s going to be a beautiful addition to the island,” he said.
But some residents say the changes still fall short.
Members of the group Tierra Verde Next, which helped organize opposition to the original proposal, remain concerned about the size of the buildings and the potential for increased traffic on the island.
“We remain fully opposed to Greenleaf’s proposal and development plan,” said Melanie Coleman Simon, a member of the group.
Coleman Simon says she worries about how the marina’s dry-rack buildings would look at the entrance to the island.
“The first thing you’re going to see when you come into this beautiful community is this big open warehouse full of boats,” she said.
She says residents want to see more compromise before the project moves forward.
But Kriseman says the developer has already made significant concessions and believes the updated proposal reflects community input.
“You can’t keep changing the goal posts,” he said. “At some point in time, you have to kick the ball.”
Coleman Simon says she plans to meet with the development team on Monday to discuss the proposal.
The project is expected to go before the city’s Development Review Commission in May. If approved, the marina redevelopment would move into the permitting process.
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