ANNA MARIA – City commissioners have asked Mayor Dan Murphy to approach Mote Marine for a final proposal outlining its plans to create a Marine Educational Outreach Center at the end of the City Pier.
The proposed 1,800-square-foot center would be operated by Sarasota-based Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium inside the vacant, city-owned building next to the City Pier Grill & Bait Shop. The vacant building is one of two city-owned buildings constructed at the T-end of the pier during the pier replacement project completed in 2020.
The Mote Marine facility is one of several potential uses presented during a special city commission meeting held inside the vacant building on Feb. 10. Additional options included a full-service restaurant, a special events venue, a retail shop or some combination of those uses. The commission then held a follow-up meeting Wednesday, Feb. 17 at which Commissioner Mark Short cast the only opposition vote to the exclusive pursuit of the Mote Marine facility.
Options considered
On Feb. 10, Mote Marine representatives proposed a Marine Educational Outreach Center that would require the city to raise $500,000 of the anticipated $555,000 needed for the initial design and installation.
The proposal calls for Mote Marine to cover an estimated $444,000 in annual operating costs, including $303,212 for staffing. The proposal requests that the city pay an estimated $9,500 per year in utility bills and does not offer the city any monthly lease payments.
When reviewing those options on Feb. 17, Murphy discussed other options, including a special events venue that he estimated would generate $60,000 to $75,000 in annual revenues for the city and cost the city and its taxpayers an estimated $275,000 to make the building habitable for that use.
Murphy said it might cost slightly less than that to complete the city’s portion of the buildout and improvements needed for a full-service restaurant offering 50 to 60 seats and limited storage capacity.
In 2020, Ugly Grouper LCC offered to lease both pier buildings and some additional outdoor deck space for $14,000 per month. The commission rejected that offer.
Murphy estimated a retail shop would generate approximately $70,000 in annual revenues for the city and require the city to spend $175,000 to $200,000 to ready the building.
Murphy then presented an additional option not discussed at the previous meeting – a covered, open-air cantina that would require the demolition of three existing exterior walls, with the bar and office located near the remaining wall. Murphy estimated an open-air cantina could generate between $55,000 and $75,000 in annual revenues for the city and the city would incur an estimated $225,000 to $250,000 in demolition and buildout costs.
Murphy noted the cantina would potentially compete with the City Pier Grill – whose operators currently pay the city $6,000 per month to lease the smaller pier building.
“Is the purpose of government to compete with businesses or is it to complement businesses? My feeling is government should do what the private industry can’t do. I think we need to complement businesses,” Murphy said.
When providing public input, City Pier Grill operator Brian Seymour noted his partnership group’s lease with the city allows them to bid on any proposed use of the currently vacant building. Seymour said if his group was selected to operate an open-air cantina that could complement their existing business.
“If it’s a different vendor over here it would definitely be competition, and would probably hurt both businesses,” he added.
Seymour said a regular full-service restaurant with such limited seating capacity would likely have to be expensive to be profitable.
Murphy acknowledged Seymour’s group does have the right of first refusal for any option the city chooses for the other building, providing they can provide the same services the city desires for that additional space.
Murphy said the purpose of the day’s meeting was to narrow down the potential options and provide him with direction as to which option or options to pursue.
Commission comments
Commissioner Jon Crane said the Mote Marine proposal would enhance the city while also enhancing environmental awareness.
“I hear from some people that we ought to maximize the potential of all exploitable resources. That’s not the mission of this commission, although I don’t think we should be wasting money either. I do think with clever negotiation skills the mayor might be able to come up with something with the Mote people where we might get a buck or two,” he said.
Short said he was intrigued by the open-air cantina concept and he doesn’t share the mayor’s desire to narrow down the options at this time. Instead, he suggested issuing a broad request for proposals (RFP) seeking bids for any proposed use of the pier building.
“After the meeting last week, I felt like everyone had made up their mind without knowing enough information. I still believe today there’s not enough information for us to make up our minds,” Short said.
Commission Chair Carol Carter said she opposes another protracted RFP process similar to the previous RFPs that failed to produce a suitable tenant for the still-vacant building.
Crane said evaluating a broad range of RFP responses would be comparing “apples to oranges.”
Citing 45 years of fundraising experience, Carter said the Manatee County Tourist Development Council is not the only potential funding source for the proposed Mote Marine facility. She suggested the Manatee Community Foundation and private donors might also provide funding.
Public support
When expressing her support for the Mote Marine proposal, Anna Maria Island Historical Society President Liz Hager said, “We think it would be a great complement to what we do. It clearly shows the city and the Island care as much about the environment and history as they do the beaches.”
Longtime Anna Maria resident John Dicks said he’s thrilled with the Mote Marine proposal and he considers the City Pier to be a “community treasure” that should provide the public with a place to be enjoyed by people of all ages.
“I believe there would be an upsurge of people on this Island, myself included, who would want to make contributions to see that happen,” Dicks said.
He also suggested local businesses might be willing to sponsor the various Mote Marine exhibits.
Commission decision
When expressing his support for the Mote Marine proposal, Commissioner Joe Muscatello said, “I look at this the same way I would look at a city park. We’re not in this to make money – and even if we have to spend city money to get this going, I think we should.”
Muscatello said the open-air cantina intrigued him too, but that option wasn’t considered when a previous commission approved the pier design.
Muscatello made the motion for Murphy to proceed with getting a final proposal from Mote Marine. Crane seconded the motion and Carter and Commissioner Deanie Sebring also supported it.
Short opposed the motion and made a separate motion to pursue the open-air cantina as a second option. His motion died without a second from another commissioner. Murphy said the cantina concept could be further evaluated if the Mote Marine proposal doesn’t pan out. He also noted the Mote Marine proposal is not a simple undertaking.
“I’m going to have to manage the buildout of this space. I’m also responsible for going out and getting funding. That takes a lot of time, so I would like my efforts focused in one direction,” he said, noting he would provide the commission with an initial status update on Thursday, Feb. 25.
Related coverage
Mote Marine proposes City Pier Marine Educational Outreach Center
