Gulfport Council Workshop on Marina Property - 2026-01-08
Gulfport Council Workshop on Marina Property - 2026-01-08
City Council convened a workshop on January 8, 2026, to gather public input regarding the future redevelopment of the former Lions Club and Coast Guard station properties in the Gulfport marina district. The meeting was explicitly non-decisional; Mayor and Council members adopted the role of active listeners to shape the upcoming process as the buildings, which contain asbestos and storm damage, are scheduled for demolition in January. The city noted that while a living shoreline project was paused during storms, it remains under control pending a submerged land lease. The session focused on balancing the unique needs of yacht clubs, boat launching, flood mitigation, and public access without commercialization.
Consent Calendar
- No consent calendar items were discussed or voted upon, as the Mayor and Council clarified that no votes or binding decisions would occur during this workshop session.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Beth Birkabine (BCYC): Expressed support for retaining the small boat launch area for youth sailing programs. She stated that the beach-style launch is essential for small boats that cannot use hoists, noting that BCYC members have historically maintained and funded this area. She urged the city to formally recognize shared access for BCYC and Gulfport Yacht Club.
- Christine Crosby: Stated full support for preserving the launch area as a unique spot for teaching children to sail, highlighting personal experiences with grandchildren learning at the site.
- Chuck: Expressed support for keeping the area for marine use only and preserving the beach launch. He voiced opposition to introducing vehicular traffic or developments that would cause congestion, citing the narrow infrastructure and environmental concerns in the adjacent mangroves.
- Paula Duby: Expressed support for opening the beach to the general public for non-motorized small boats (sailboats, kayaks, paddleboards) while maintaining caution regarding power boat safety due to the area's role as a "hurricane hole" and birthing area for manatees.
- Judy Kuhn: Expressed support for retaining the boat launch and advocated for redesigning the parking lot and former building site with salt-tolerant native plants and permeable surfaces to mitigate flooding in the flood zone.
- Guy O'Connor (BCYC representative): Expressed support for the city to formally recognize and guarantee shared access for BCYC and Gulfport Yacht Club, including limited on-site storage. He supported expansion of the dry storage lot as an income stream but discouraged significant new paving or motorized infrastructure.
- Jonathan McCoachy: Expressed support for a marine-focused, low-impact green space. He proposed forming a Marine Advisory Committee and suggested exploring educational partnerships (e.g., Tampa Bay Watch, USF). He expressed openness to adding restrooms but opposed heavy commercialization.
- John Hogan: Expressed support for a small bar and grill to serve transient boaters and neighbors, arguing it would be a revenue generator with manageable parking, suggesting it could coexist with the small boat launch.
- Joel Hine (Boca Siega Yacht Club): Expressed support for the maintenance of access for small boats by partnering with sailing clubs. He argued that membership-based programs are responsible managers who carry liability and ensure safety, comparing them to community centers.
- Bob Fechner (Gulfport Yacht Club): Expressed support for retaining access for small boat launches (catamarans, monohulls) for club racing and regattas. He emphasized the affordability of the club and the necessity of the launch area for launching boats that cannot use docks.
- Fred Fortis: Expressed support for preserving the unique status of the area for hand-launching catamarans, distinguishing it from large sailboat and power boat docks. He expressed concern that full public development would increase city costs and security issues.
- Kimberly McAllenis: Expressed support for environmental impact mitigation and public access, emphasizing the need to prioritize safety given recent hurricane devastation. She noted that the area serves as a critical habitat for wildlife.
- Albert Risenberg: Expressed support for opening the space to the general public rather than keeping it exclusive to yacht clubs. He advocated for a park-like setting with permeable surfaces and opposed construction that would require high elevation due to flood zones.
- Paula (Resident): Expressed support for a marine council and public small craft access. She voiced strong opposition to a restaurant or grill due to existing traffic congestion on Delevio Way, stating commercial traffic would be devastating to her neighborhood.
- Karen Schwartz: Expressed support for a low-impact, permeable design with no permanent buildings, suggesting the use of portable restrooms and food trucks instead to minimize storm risk and traffic.
- Lenny Gokenheimer: Expressed support for portable, elevated restrooms and a council to manage the area. He advocated for a balance between access and rule enforcement.
- Debra Atkins: Expressed opposition to commercialization like a Ferris wheel, pool, or dock park. She voiced support for a public launch but emphasized environmental impact and traffic concerns, particularly from boater vehicles.
- Lauren Stern (Gulf Park Coastline Coalition): Expressed support for depaving, rewilding, and designating the area as a wildlife release site. She advocated for trailer-style portable restrooms.
- Julie Jacoby: Expressed support for allowing yacht clubs to utilize the beach for launches while acknowledging the need for parking and security. She expressed opposition to a restaurant and concerns about increasing traffic.
- Margaret Tober (Written): Proposed demolition of the building to create either a living shoreline or selling the property.
- Brian Durr (Written): Expressed support for a dog beach, public park, and kayak storage. He opposed an amphitheater, hotel, or commercial property, and opposed selling the land. He suggested covered picnic pavilions and a dog beach on the Lions Club site.
- General Consensus Points: Multiple speakers supported a Marine Advisory Committee, opposed heavy commercialization (hotel, mall, Ferris wheel), and advocated for permeable surfaces or green infrastructure to manage flooding and preserve wildlife habitat.
Discussion Items
- Building Demolition & Timeline: The Mayor confirmed the Lions Club lease expired and the Coast Guard station is also being demolished due to asbestos and flood damage. Demolition is planned for January once market value appraisals are delivered to finalize the buyout.
- Marina Lease & Permits: The Vice Mayor and Council discussed the process for the South Basin lease. The City Manager indicated that the process is delayed by the need for submerged land leases and federal permitting, which are taking longer due to resource constraints, but the project is moving forward.
- Restrooms & Amenities: Council members discussed various restroom solutions ranging from permanent structures to elevated mobile trailers or portable units. The Mayor noted existing plumbing infrastructure but prioritized cost-effectiveness. The concept of food trucks was raised as an alternative to building a permanent bar and grill to avoid flooding construction costs.
- Marine Advisory Committee: Several council members and residents proposed forming a Marine Advisory Committee to guide the development. The Mayor advised that if the group is public, it must comply with Sunshine Laws, and suggested consulting with the City Attorney to determine the appropriate structure.
- Flood Mitigation & Green Infrastructure: Strong discussion centered on using the redevelopment to mitigate flooding through the planting of salt-tolerant natives (mangroves, palmetto) and replacing asphalt with permeable surfaces. The area's role as a "hurricane hole" for manatees was highlighted as a conservation priority.
- Commercialization: The Mayor and Councilmembers noted that local businesses do not want competition and expressed skepticism regarding a new bar and grill or hotel. The consensus leaned heavily toward a passive park and small boat access rather than intensive commercial use.
Key Outcomes
- No Vote Taken: The Mayor and Council explicitly stated that no votes or decisions were made regarding the property's future use; the meeting was strictly for gathering input.
- Next Steps: The Council plans to receive the final appraisal for the Lions Club buyout and will return to council to clarify the issue. The South Basin lease bid is scheduled to go out within the next two weeks.
- Demolition Order: The council confirmed that both the Lions Club and Coast Guard buildings are to be demolished, with work likely commencing in January.
- Consensus Identified: The Vice Mayor noted a high degree of consensus (estimated at 75-85%) among residents for a low-impact, publicly accessible small boat launch area with minimal paving and no major commercial buildings.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. I love it. I love seeing a lot of people here. And I'm hoping that a lot of you are gonna want to share your ideas with us. We're gonna appreciate that. I'll get really upset if anybody has their phone on and it rings during this discussion. So if there's any chance, you might want to fix it now. And while we're having the discussion, if there's any need to talk to your neighbor, I'd appreciate if you walk out there and do it in the hallway. So we only have one discussion going on at a time. So a workshop is a little bit different than uh a city council with a real strict agenda. So here's what tonight's gonna look like. Um first I'm just gonna give a real quick little overview, you know, maybe two minutes, and then the uh council will have an opportunity in speaking order to share what their thoughts are about the marina property or properties, and then we're gonna open it up for council comments. And so if I'm not staring at you when you're talking, it's because I'm writing notes, okay, trying to see what the most common response is, so that we would know how to start to proceed. So um, and when that's done, and everybody that wants to talk is gonna have an opportunity to talk. When that's done, then we'll probably go in speaking order one more time, and that'll probably be the end of it. There's no vote tonight, there's no decisions being made. This is all about what are we gonna do with the property. So for my real quick overview, um the Lions Club did not renew their lease, okay. Um, and so I think as of December 5th, that is back in the possession of the um city of Gulfport and the city of Gulfport, for those of you that don't know this, most of you do because you're from that the marina area. We've always owned that land, and the Lions Club owned the building. And there was a contract signed many years ago, probably before I was even in town, that talked about the buyout and how that would happen. So the actual buyout, the exchange of money has not happened yet because there's a little discrepancy and we're working through an appraisal issue, but it will help it will happen and it will be settled. So the question is, and the property will come down. It was damaged in the floods. It's an old building, it also has asbestos in it. So it is gonna come down no matter what, okay. And so now we have a big piece of property, and of course that was the point of having the maps up there kind of outlined in that hot pink, okay. I also will say, because I could see where um knowing this other little component might affect what you have to say. For those of you that did not hear, the Coast Guard station is also coming down. Okay, that was underwater, that's also full of asbestos. The city has done a very good job of accommodating the Coast Guard and the Lions Club, I believe both at the neighborhood center. So in terms of meeting space, they're getting it from us, okay. Um so that that's probably the most that I I want to say is that you know we're here primarily to talk about the one property, but there's nothing wrong about talking about the other property if you choose. And the other thing, just to be clear on the front end. I'm gonna say before the storms ever hit, so I'm gonna uh suggest it was early in 2024. The city council decided to move forward with a living shoreline on the area that we all talk about, kind of the point, the mangroves. Okay. When the storms hit, that got put on hold. It was not forgotten. So don't quote me exact, but I'm gonna say either June or July, I talked to the city manager and asked him what the next step was on that to move forward, and he said that we had to get a submerged permit submergable. Submerged land lease. S submerged land lease, okay. And so we did that paperwork at that time. I also asked him, is that gonna be two weeks, two months, or two years? Who knows? Okay. So I mean, I'm not trying to be a smart alley, but we don't know. It's not like you know, we've done it before during these times when um the federal government's been uh cut substantially. So I just wanted to be clear is that that is moving forward when it can. It's not a matter that we can do it right now because we have to have that land lease, but we are going to move forward with that.
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