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New look for St. Pete Pier vendors
If you've ever spent a weekend at the St. Pete Pier, you've probably shopped at the local pop-up tents. Now, city leaders are looking to swap those temporary tents for permanent kiosks. FOX 13's Kailey Tracy reports.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - St. Petersburg city leaders are evaluating a plan to transition local vendors at the St. Pete Pier Marketplace from tents to permanent kiosks.
Replacing tents with permanent kiosks
What we know:
At a recent St. Pete Economic and Workforce Development Committee meeting, officials discussed a proposal to replace three vendor tents with permanent kiosk units each year over a seven-year period.
Currently, 28 tenants operate at the Pier Marketplace from Friday through Sunday. While seven vendors already occupy permanent kiosks, 21 set up and take down tents every weekend.
"For me, it takes about two hours to set up, and to break down is about maybe an hour and a half," Luis Ramos, owner of Land of Gaia, said.
Ramos has rented a spot at the Marketplace for six years. City officials noted that the weekend tents are also vulnerable to weather conditions, creating challenges for small business owners.
What they're saying:
"This is important for the Pier, important for small businesses and something that they have been requesting, and we have been requesting for some time," Beth Herendeen, Managing Director of the City Development Administration, said at the Committee meeting.
"The tents, because they are up there Friday, Saturday and Sunday, are certainly subject to weather, and it does make it harder for our local small businesses," she said.
How much would the proposed kiosks cost?
The proposed kiosks are designed to last 20 years and carry a price tag of $54,000 each, plus extra for the awnings, electrical and artwork on them. Herendeen said the estimated cost is $208,730 for three new kiosks each year.
The vendor rent would increase for those who rent a tent currently for $567 per month to $900 per month for a kiosk. Ramos expressed support for upgrading the marketplace, though he noted concerns that higher monthly rent could price out longtime sellers.
"Hopefully it doesn't push out the vendors that had been there for a long time when it comes to the monthly rent, but I think it would be a great upgrade to the Marketplace. It'll improve the experience of the visitors that come out there and take their time to spend their weekends there. And I think it'll help not only the vendors, but the overall look of the Pier," he said.
City officials have not yet identified a funding source or made a final decision on purchasing the kiosks.
What's next:
The Economic and Workforce Development Committee is scheduled to hold its next meeting on Aug. 27.
The Source: The information in this story is from the St. Pete Economic and Workforce Development Committee meeting and small business owners who rent space at the Marketplace on the Pier.