After heavy opposition, Tampa developer reveals revamped plan for marina

A Tampa-based developer that withdrew an initial application to redevelop the aging Tierra Verde Marina has come back with a new, scaled down proposal for the city.

Greenleaf Capital LLC withdrew its initial plan for the 7-acre property after roughly 3,000 neighbors signed a petition in opposition of the project, citing concerns over increased traffic and the height of the proposed buildings on site.

Now, Greenleaf Capital has submitted a new application to redevelop the 40-year-old marina on a significantly smaller scale, according to a release. The new proposal can be completed in one phase while still modernizing the marina, expanding “high-and-dry” boat storage and introducing new amenities “while significantly reducing the overall scale from plans discussed last fall,” the release says.

“We listened carefully to feedback and worked diligently with our team to substantially reduce the size and intensity of the project while still addressing the growing demand for safe, secure boat storage,” Anthony Saravanos, president of Greenleaf Capital, says in the release. “This updated plan focuses on improving an aging marina, enhancing access and delivering amenities that benefit both boaters and the broader Tierra Verde community.”

After receiving community feedback, Greenleaf updated its original $32.7 million redevelopment plan for the site in October before withdrawing its application completely in November to “revisit the project’s height and intensity,” the release says.

The island community’s existing marina has 64 wet slips for boats along with 314 above-water boat racks in a 58,000-square-foot storage facility. The property also houses a 24,000-square-foot shopping center and a gas station.

The new proposal for the marina fully complies with current codes and specifications without making any additional requests, the developer says, showing “significant reductions in scale and intensity.”

The project plans now call for the marina to keep its existing boat barn while the number of new dry-rack buildings has been reduced from four to two. Those buildings will house 173 total spaces, increasing the marina’s capacity to 500 dry boat spaces instead of more than 700 as originally planned.

The new plans have also reduced the maximum building height from 90 feet to 72 feet, the release says. According to the Institute of Transportation Engineers Manual, the scaled back plan should result in a 37% reduction in daily trips to the marina. 

Plans for the site also include a new marina office, a three-story “Harbor House” amenity pavilion, 1,250 square feet of retail space and construction of a new stormwater system. No new wet slips are included in the revised plan, but existing slips that sustained storm damage will be repaired, the release says. 

The redevelopment plans also call for continued and upgraded marina fueling access for boaters arriving by water and street-level retail open to the public that will be located within one of the dry-rack buildings. The new Harbor house will include a 2,581-square-foot restaurant with outdoor balcony seating on the second floor and a 2,465-square-foot bar on the third floor, the release says. There will also be a pool in the Harbor House for boat storage members. 

Tierra Verde Marina has long been a staple in Pinellas County, which has the second-highest number of registered boats in Florida. The marina offers boat storage and maintenance to boat owners while also providing the public with Waverunner and boat rentals. The marina is also home to the Tampa Bay Pilots Association of harbor pilots

All existing marina business will continue operating as redevelopment plans move forward, the release says. 

Greenleaf Capital LLC is an arm of the company that also owns Tampa-based Homeowners Choice Property & Casualty Co. Inc. It actively acquires and manages commercial properties throughout Tampa Bay, recently signing a major lease with GEICO for a 190,000-square-foot office in Tampa’s Westshore. In addition, Greenleaf owns several other office properties, retail centers anchored by Publix and Aldi, and also owns and operates John’s Pass Marina in Treasure Island.