The developer behind Tampa’s Armature Works received unanimous approval April 28 to rebuild the storm-damaged Blind Pass Marina at 9555 Blind Pass Road, replacing it with an outdoor restaurant, live music venue, and 70 boat slips for transients and liveaboards.
St. Pete Beach commissioners granted Ping Pong Partners the conditional use permits and variances needed to reconstruct the marina’s nonconforming dock structure after it was destroyed in the 2024 hurricanes. The restaurant building on the property was also substantially damaged, and the owner has applied to demolish it.
The redevelopment will reduce the marina from 106 slips to 70 and shrink the overall dock footprint. The 32-slip central dock will retain liveaboard slips, and 19 wet slips on the northern dock will serve transients, including restaurant guests.
To address neighborhood concerns about noise, commissioners attached conditions on outdoor music: no performances after 10 p.m., speakers oriented away from neighboring properties, and a required sound governor to cap decibel levels at the property line.
Brian Aungst Jr., the attorney for Ping Pong Partners, said the developer is committed to being a good neighbor while redeveloping what he described as a blighted property, noting the project reduces the slip count, shortens dock length by five feet, narrows the width by nearly 20 feet, and increases setbacks on both sides. The restaurant will be owner-operated and family-oriented, he said.
Commissioner Karen Marriott, who represents the district, expressed enthusiasm for the project, and Commissioner Jon Maldonado called it long overdue, though he noted traffic concerns remain among some residents.
The conditional use permits and variances are the first phase of approvals. Ping Pong Partners next goes before the Pinellas County Water and Navigation Authority.
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