ANNA MARIA – The city of Anna Maria and the Sarasota-based Mote Marine Laboratory mutually agreed to terminate the lease agreement that allowed Mote’s Marine Education, Science & Outreach Center to operate rent-free on the City Pier before the pier walkway was destroyed by Hurricane Milton in October 2024.
City commissioners unanimously approved the lease termination on Thursday, Jan. 8.
Featuring a touch tank containing live marine life and other live and virtual educational exhibits, the pier-based Mote facility opened in May 2023 and occupied the larger of the two city-owned pier buildings at the T-end of the pier until Hurricanes Helene and Milton struck.
Tampa Bay Marine is currently constructing the new pier walkway to be completed by March 31 and most of the solid concrete pier pilings are already driven. Mayor Mark Short anticipates the City Pier fully reopening this fall.
The smaller pier building on the northwest end of the pier has been emptied of its contents but remains leased to Anna Maria General Store owner Brian Seymour and his business partners, Vic Mattay and Nick Graham. Operating as GSM Partners LLC, the trio opened their City Pier Grill & Bait Shop in December 2020.
Both city-owned pier buildings remain inaccessible to foot traffic until the new walkway is completed.
Lease terminated
When presenting the termination request, Short said, “Over the past several months, we have been in discussions with Mote regarding their existing lease. Through those discussions, as well as conversations with county commissioners, the county administrator and the TDC (Tourist Development Council), we are all in mutual agreement that it makes sense to terminate the Mote lease. It’s a mutual termination of the lease.”
When asked how the city will conduct its search for a new tenant to occupy the larger pier building, Short said a public meeting in January or early February will be held to solicit city commission input on how to proceed with that search. Short said he’d also confer with the city’s contracted engineering firm and Tampa Bay Marine regarding any structural improvements needed to accommodate a different use of the vacant pier building.
When Commission Chair Charlie Salem sought a motion to terminate Mote’s lease agreement, Commissioner Gary McMullen said, “I happily move to approve that.”
The commission then voted 5-0 in favor of the termination.
Letter to mote
The Jan. 8 agenda packet includes the termination letter to be sent to Mote President and CEO Dr. Michael Crosby for his co-signature.
Short’s letter to Crosby began by expressing the city’s appreciation and gratitude for the partnership with Mote Marine.
“As you are aware, the two hurricanes in 2024 caused extensive damage to the pier, including destruction of the walkway leading to the outreach center and the loss of all mechanical infrastructure. In addition, all fixtures and furnishings have been removed to allow the city to properly remediate and make repairs to the buildings,” the letter says.
“In addition, Manatee County is planning to bring an expanded ferry service directly to the pier, which will significantly increase foot traffic on the pier and has raised concern regarding visitor flow, safety and long-term best use of this space.
“In light of these changed circumstances, the city of Anna Maria would like to revisit our agreement regarding the outreach center. The city proposes mutually terminating the lease agreement which would allow both the city and Mote to move forward with their respective priorities,” the letter says.
Lease negotiation timeline
The original wooden City Pier was built 1911 and frequented by the steamboats and other vessels that transported people and supplies to and from Anna Maria Island.
The current pier buildings were part of the previous pier construction project completed in 2020 after Hurricane Irma damaged the existing wooden pier in 2017.
In January 2020, the city commission rejected longtime City Pier tenant Mario Schoenfelder’s offer to lease the new pier buildings. In May 2020, Holmes Beach-based restauranteur Sean Murphy withdrew his offer to lease the pier space to operate a restaurant. Murphy withdrew his offer days after the commission voted 4-1 to authorize Mayor Dan Murphy to begin lease negotiations with Sean Murphy.
In August 2020, the commission voted 3-2 to reject the lease proposal received from the owners of the Ugly Grouper restaurant in Holmes Beach.
In September 2020, the commission voted 4-0 to authorize Mayor Murphy to begin lease negotiations with Seymour and his partners. The grill and bait shop then opened that December. The group’s initial five-year lease was scheduled to expire on Dec. 31, 2025. After the hurricanes, the monthly lease payments were suspended until the pier reopens and the lease expiration date has been extended to account for the time lost because of the hurricanes.
When his discussing his lease with Short and the city commission last June, Seymour expressed interest in renegotiating the lease terms before reoccupying the smaller pier building and extending the lease for five more years.
In September 2021, the city commission voted 4-1 to approve the 10-year, rent-free lease agreement with Mote. Commissioners Carol Carter, Doug Copeland, Jon Crane and Deanie Sebring supported the Mote agreement and Short, a city commissioner at the time, opposed it.
“I don’t think having Mote on the pier is a bad thing. Although, to be honest, I’m not necessarily convinced it’s the best thing,” Short said at the time.
Short felt the pier building should have been occupied by a restaurant operator.
After numerous delays and missed deadlines, the Mote outreach center opened on May 5, 2023.
Related coverage:
Mote Marine Science, Education & Outreach Center opens
Anna Maria and Mote Marine reach pier lease agreement
