St. Pete Pier names tenants

The City of St. Petersburg has selected 17 vendors to fill out the initial roster of its St. Pete Pier Marketplace retail concept, which is expected to be a key part of the $76 million attraction when it debuts next year.

Initially, the 10 market tents and seven stalls will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Pier, just off the city’s downtown Bayshore Drive.

The 17 include jewelers Lily Rose Jewelry and Flamed Copper; clothing purveyors Craft-Tee, Hats at the Pier, Flaming Pearl, Kashien Chanterell; food vendors The Poppery, McTavish’s Cookie Shack, Hey Mon Sauces and Cashew Brittle; sign maker Planks; souvenirs by The Merchant and One Community; artwork from Sunshine City Arts, Goofy Faces and Land of Gaia; and Ancient Herbal Care, an organic skincare shop.

Each will have a lease of a year or less, says Stephanie Addis, a director of retail services at Colliers International Tampa Bay, the commercial real estate brokerage firm the city tapped to facilitate leasing at the 26-acre attraction.

The 17 that were selected were among 66 applicants who vied to be part of the Pier Marketplace, Addis says.

“The city really wanted the initial vendors to be very product and artwork focused,” Addis says. “They directed us to give special consideration to specialty foods and pre-packaged foods, so they would not compete with the restaurant offerings that will be part of the Pier. The decision to keep it to 17 was a strategic one, because we want to make sure that everyone at the Pier is successful.”

Restaurants Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille and teak are expected to anchor the Pier when it opens in March. The attraction, which has a $3.2 million annual operating budget, also will feature a kayak launch, educational center, playground, splash park and greenspace.

Mayor Rick Kriseman says the Marketplace at the Pier, which has been closed since May 2013, will “reflect the entrepreneurial spirit of the Sunshine City.”