Opinion: St. Pete residents should vote 'Yes' to strengthen the Port of St. Petersburg
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The Port of St. Petersburg sits on a 4.4-acre waterfront site just south of downtown St. Pete | City of St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg has a rule that protects our waterfront. If the city wants to lease public waterfront land for longer than a short term, voters decide via public referendum. That rule is worth keeping, and a "yes" vote on Charter Amendment #2 does not weaken it.
Here is what it changes. Today, the city can lease Port of St. Petersburg land to a private tenant for up to 10 years with City Council approval. Anything longer requires a citywide referendum.
Amendment #2 would raise that limit to 25 years, the same limit neighboring Albert Whitted Airport has had since 2004, when voters raised it from five years. Giving the Port the same terms as its neighbor is sensible.
Here is what it does not change. The ballot language says the amendment "would not change the permitted use of the Port." It does not approve residential development at the site, and it does not approve any specific project.
It changes one number, the maximum lease length. Every lease would still need its own approve by city administration and City Council. The amendment does not hand anyone a blank check.
The Port of St. Petersburg is located just across 8th Avenue South from Albert Whitted Municipal Airport, and bordered by USF St. Pete to the west and the U.S. Coast Guard station to the east | Google Earth
The 10-year limit is a real problem because serious investment doesn't work on a short clock. A company building a facility, or a lender financing one, needs years to recover the cost. A decade is often too short, and the city risks losing good projects before they reach the negotiating table.
That matters for projects already on the horizon. The city has discussed expanding the Maritime and Defense Technology Hub on what is now a surface parking lot at the Port, and a longer lease term would make that kind of project possible.
Matching the airport's 25-year structure would also satisfy federal funding requirements, which helps bring in outside dollars and long-term financing so St. Petersburg taxpayers don't have to carry everything alone.
The Hub is the kind of work our waterfront should support. It draws maritime research, technology jobs and resilience expertise to our city. After Hurricanes Helene and Milton, knowledge about coastal resilience pays off for the whole community. Companies that start here can also grow here, rather than leave for a city that can offer longer terms.
The Maritime and Defense Tech Hub when it was first constructed to house SRI | Maritime and Defense Tech Hub
Some residents will ask whether a longer lease means less accountability. It's a fair question. A "yes" vote does mean voters would no longer get a direct say on Port leases between 10 and 25 years. But those leases would not be rubber-stamped. Under the City Charter, long-term waterfront leases need the votes of at least six of the eight City Council members, not a simple majority, and voters keep the power to hold those officials to account. The 10-year limit was set for a different era and now works against the city's own goals.
This is also a modest request. A 50-year term was floated early on, but the council steered toward 25 years to align with the airport and keep the ask simple for voters. St. Petersburg voters have approved limited waterfront lease extensions before. The Sailing Center's long-term lease passed with 84 percent, because residents saw that thoughtful, bounded extensions serve the public.
A more resilient Port means a stronger local economy, more maritime research and a better-prepared waterfront.
St. Pete Rising recommends voting ‘Yes’ on the City of St. Petersburg’s Charter Amendment #2 to authorize a 25-year lease limitation for the Port of St. Petersburg.
For more information on the November 3, 2026 General Election, visit the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections website.
The ballot language of the referendum is as follows:
City of St. Petersburg
No. 2 Charter Amendment
Authorizing a 25-year Lease Limitation for the Port of St. Petersburg
The City Charter currently limits leases at the Port of St. Petersburg to 10 years without approval by citywide referendum. Shall the Charter be amended to increase that limitation to 25 years? That amendment would make the Port consistent with adjacent Albert Whitted Airport and provide the City with additional flexibility to enter into agreements with private entities for redevelopment of Port facilities. That amendment would not change the permitted use of the Port.
Yes
No
