Florida county considering marina purchase

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Pinellas County has not given up on preserving water access for its residents.

Despite the fact that two marina deals fell through for the county in December, it is now trying again, entering into an agreement to buy Belle Harbor Marina in Tarpon Springs for $3.6 million, according to an article Wednesday in the St. Petersburg Times. The marina has 110 dry storage units and 18 wet slips.

Part of the county’s difficulty in finding marinas to buy is that it’s restricting itself to those facilities that can generate revenues over a few decades to cover the initial purchase price, according to the newspaper. With prices being driven up by interest from condo developers, finding a marina to meet that condition isn’t easy.

The county has a 45-day period in which to take a closer look at the numbers, the newspaper added.

Also being considered is the purchase of the Palm Harbor Resort in North Pinellas. The 5-acre property, which includes 16 wet slips, a boat ramp and an RV park, is available for $3.8 million, the newspaper reported.

While the owner had received much higher offers from developers, he told the newspaper that he would hate to see condos built there.

• For more of the latest news, click here.