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3/24/08 Port Summit 2008 Emerges with Possibilities
On March 18th the city hosted a community summit with
80+ attendees seeking input from citizens regarding concerns and desires
for the Port’s future. Elected officials Mayor Rick Baker, Council
Chairman Jamie Bennett, Council Members Jeff Danner, Bill Dudley, Herb
Polson, and Wengay Newton were in attendance. In addition, special guest
speakers included Larry Langebrake, director of SRI International and Dr.
Peter Betzer, president of the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership.
Presentations about the Port’s opportunities included:
Mega Yacht facility, Small Cruise Vessel facility, Marine
R&D/Education, Marina Extension, Industrial, Entertainment/ Retail,
Ferry Service and Inter-modal Connectivity and Parking considerations.
The Port of St. Petersburg, the smallest of Florida’s 14
ports, was dredged to its depth of 23’ in 1914 and opened as an
industrial service terminal in the mid 1920’s. Located between Albert Whitted Airport and the USF campus, it consists of three acres, a 1,300 ft wharf,
and a 13,000 sq ft terminal facility. The Port is also designated as a Free
Trade Zone.
Over the years, high-tech and marine research entities have
clustered to establish the largest Marine Science District in the
Southeast. Represented in the district are: Florida Wildlife Research
Institute, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S
Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Coast Guard. In 2006, SRI
International announced it would build a new marine research facility just
steps from the Port, in collaboration with USF’s Marine Research
division. Subsequently, this attracted the interests of International Ocean
Institute to establish its headquarters at Bayboro Harbor.
The city’s prior interest in establishing a cruise ship
hub hit a snag in April 2007 when the Army Corps of Engineers’ (ACOE)
report stated additional dredging of the Port could cost $72-million and
would not be funded by the ACOE. The Port Summit 2008 is expected to
provide possible revenue generating opportunities for this prime waterfront
property. Council Chairman Jamie Bennett stated “The city has a blank
slate to finally have The Port become a true economic driver in our
community”.
Click here to obtain a copy of
the summit’s presentation materials. In the coming weeks, a City
Council Port proposal will be available at the city’s Port website.
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