st pete yacht club renovation

St. Pete Yacht Club to be torn down, rebuilt in 5 years. Here’s why.

• Bernadette Berdychowski Times staff

Hurricane Ian was a wake-up call, said St. Petersburg Yacht Club rear commodore Joe DiVito.

For several years, St. Petersburg Yacht Club leaders discussed options to renovate the century-old downtown facility on Beach Drive. But after the devastation of yacht clubs farther south in the Fort Myers area from the Category 4 storm originally forecast to hit Tampa Bay , DiVito said they had to act.

“Hurricane Ian was a message that said, you need to plan for the future if you’re going to spend this much money,” DiVito explained.

Their plan? Tear down the yacht club and start anew.

But demolition won’t happen soon. The St. Petersburg Yacht Club is thinking five years ahead, said DiVito, who’s third in command and the club’s appointed project spokesperson. The downtown organization, which has about 2,500 members, needs to raise funds for a project that could cost up to $40 million, find a temporary replacement home and finalize architectural designs to have the rebuilding completed by 2028.

Membership fees would go up from $50 to $125 a month to help finance construction costs, DeVito said.

He added the new building would incorporate the same Mediterranean architectural style as the current club.

The waterfront yacht club at 11 Central Ave. was originally constructed in 1917 and has had several renovations throughout its history. In 1921, it was hit by the last major hurricane to make landfall in the Tampa Bay region, which caused extensive flood damage to the building, according to club archives. Membership still increased after that storm, and the building extended its clubhouse in 1922.

Many parts of the building are now on their last legs, DiVito said. And with a bustling downtown, members wanted more amenities.

Remodeling would be too expensive because the waterfront building isn’t up to newer Federal Emergency Management Agency standards to be insured in case a storm hits. Starting fresh would allow the building to comply with those standards and add amenities and more parking space for a growing membership.

“Looking at the damage of the hurricane and how we’ve been lucky for almost 100 years, it doesn’t make any sense to put $15 million into a building that’s at major flood risk of being hit,” DeVito said. “And you lose all that money and have to start over again because flood insurance doesn’t pay dollar for dollar.”

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Teardown of st. pete yacht club planned: reports, after consulting with an architectural firm, members, the st. petersburg yacht club board decided to tear down the facility, rebuild..

Tiffany Razzano , Patch Staff

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — More big changes are coming to downtown St. Petersburg's waterfront.

The St. Petersburg Yacht Club, located at 11 Central Ave., across the street from the St. Petersburg Municipal Marina, will be torn down to make way for a new facility, according to multiple reports.

The club’s board told its members about the redevelopment plans for the property on Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Business Journal reported.

Find out what's happening in St. Pete with free, real-time updates from Patch.

The yacht club was founded in 1909 and the clubhouse was inaugurated at its current site in 1917, according to its website .

The clubhouse flooded in October 1921 when the Great Hurricane hit the area. Despite this, membership grew and the club expanded the building. The addition formally opened at the end of 1922, the club said in its Centennial Book .

Initially, the club planned to renovate the existing building, but after hiring an architectural firm to review plans and holding 20 focus group sessions with members last year, the organization determined this wasn't feasible, reports said.

Renovation requests from members included an elevator, new roof, tiki and pool deck replacement, electrical repairs, and an updated kitchen, according to the St. Pete Catalyst. These projects were cost-prohibitive.

“It became evident that remodeling of the clubhouse to accommodate all of the changes desired by the membership would simply not be practical,” Brian K. Smith, club president, wrote in a letter to members. “But most importantly, we would end up with a remodeled building which would not comply with current FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) standards.”

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Hurricane Ian was a wake-up call, said St. Petersburg Yacht Club rear commodore Joe DiVito.

For several years, St. Petersburg Yacht Club leaders discussed options to renovate the century-old downtown facility on Beach Drive. But after the devastation of yacht clubs farther south in the Fort Myers area from the Category 4 storm originally forecast to hit Tampa Bay, DiVito said they had to act.

“Hurricane Ian was a message that said, you need to plan for the future if you’re going to spend this much money,” DiVito explained.

Their plan? Tear down the yacht club and start anew.

But demolition won’t happen soon. The St. Petersburg Yacht Club is thinking five years ahead, said DiVito, who’s third in command and the club’s appointed project spokesperson. The downtown organization, which has about 2,500 members, needs to raise funds for a project that could cost up to $40 million, find a temporary replacement home and finalize architectural designs to have the rebuilding completed by 2028.

Membership fees would go up from $50 to $125 a month to help finance construction costs, DeVito said.

He added the new building would incorporate the same Mediterranean architectural style as the current club.

The waterfront yacht club at 11 Central Ave. was originally constructed in 1917 and has had several renovations throughout its history. In 1921, it was hit by the last major hurricane to make landfall in the Tampa Bay region, which caused extensive flood damage to the building, according to club archives. Membership still increased after that storm, and the building extended its clubhouse in 1922.

Many parts of the building are now on their last legs, DiVito said. And with a bustling downtown, members wanted more amenities.

Remodeling would be too expensive because the waterfront building isn’t up to newer Federal Emergency Management Agency standards to be insured in case a storm hits. Starting fresh would allow the building to comply with those standards and add amenities and more parking space for a growing membership.

“Looking at the damage of the hurricane and how we’ve been lucky for almost 100 years, it doesn’t make any sense to put $15 million into a building that’s at major flood risk of being hit,” DeVito said. “And you lose all that money and have to start over again because flood insurance doesn’t pay dollar for dollar.”

Contact Bernadette Berdychowski at [email protected]. Follow @bberdychowski

St. Pete Yacht Club to be demolished

First opened in 1917, the St. Petersburg Yacht Club's downtown facility has served as a waterfront landmark for over a century; however, father time and mother nature have caught up to the historic building. Brian K. Smith, club president, notified members of the impending demolition and redevelopment project in a letter Tuesday. The decision stems [...]

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The Life & Lies of St. Pete’s Founding Mother, Part II Sarah Judge

The life & lies of st. pete’s founding mother, sailing into history:  the st. petersburg yacht club.

Founded in 1909 by a small group of sailors, the St. Petersburg Yacht Club had no dock or clubhouse. What they did have was a common interest in boating and the belief that the waters of Tampa Bay were special.  Their first outing consisted of twenty boats carrying about 100 members and guests to Blind Pass. That's a pretty impressive turn out for a city with a population of only about 4,000 citizens.

 The lack of a proper yacht basin stymied the organization's growth for a few years until two local newspaper men called a meeting on the evening of May 30, 1916. Seven prominent local  men rallied to lead the charge to incorporate the club and raise funds for a proper clubhouse. On June 23, 1916 articles of incorporation were drawn up and filed with the county clerk. Just shy of its first anniversary, the St. Petersburg Yacht Club formally opened their clubhouse on June 15, 1917.

Located on the northwest corner of Bayshore Drive and Central Avenue, the Spanish Mission style clubhouse was designed by architect George W. Stewart and was roughly 100 feet by 75 feet. The St. Petersburg Times marveled at the imposing waterfront structure stating that "its  pleasing interior and spacious porches offer a center for the social activity of its members and guests."

The club did have a slight setback when on October 25, 1921 hurricane force winds damaged some porches and pushed several feet of bay water into the structure. As with other damaged structures in town, repairs were quick to happen and ready the city for the wintering tourist season.

As membership soared during the next few years, it was all too clear that an expansion was needed,  and on December 21, 1922 the new wing was opened. The clubhouse more than doubled in size, offering the finest of amenities to its members and guests. And plenty of spacious porches to take in the beauty of clear bay waters. Additional clubhouse improvements occurred over the years, with a major renovation and construction of a multi-story garage in the early 1990s.

From card games, social meetings and dancing, a bevy of activities could be enjoyed off the water. Water-based activities taught boating and sailing skills to its members young and old. Events consisted of power and sailing races, regattas, and for the adventurous yachtsmen, The St. Petersburg to Havana Yacht races.

The first race to Cuba was organized by George Gandy, Jr. on March 30, 1930 with 11 yachts competing.  With the Pier serving as the staring points, racers finished 284 miles later at the Morro Castle near the entrance to Havana Harbor. The races served as the forerunner to the Southern Ocean Racing Conference (SORC).

The St. Petersburg Yacht club has a rich history, and the membership rolls over the past century were literally a Who's Who list within the city. Today, the Yacht club is in the headlines with the news that Club leadership have a tentative goal to replace the current 51,000 sq ft structure with an improved facility to withstand major storms by 2028-29.

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Yacht club’s new owners envision creating a ‘destination’

The 37,000-square-foot Treasure Island Yacht and Tennis Club will soon have a new lease on life as an entertainment and hospitality destination with pickleball facilities.

Its new ownership group has no plans to redevelop the embattled property that recently changed hands twice in less than five months. West Hollywood, California-based Tavaco Properties acquired the 7.76-acre waterfront club in late December from an entity connected to Bank OZK.

Tavaco officials now seek individual operators to upgrade and transform the site’s multiple venues. Managing partner Sam Tavakoli told the Catalyst that once-popular weekend pool parties could return in March.

“Many people out there have disposable income, and they want entertainment,” Tavakoli said. “We want to help fill that void and give people what they want.”

He plans to convert the club’s six tennis courts into pickleball facilities. Tavakoli said the building’s first floor, currently vacant and used for storage, could house a pro shop.

The area could also house a small café and retail store catering to the 47-slip marina’s tenants. Tavakoli called rental interest “on fire.”

“The property was so mismanaged before that they weren’t even signing leases,” he added. “We’ve been filling up the marina and getting a ton of activity there.”

Tavakoli said the overarching goal is offering a “club-like feel” to the general public. He said visitors could play pickleball, work out at a downstairs gym, have a couple of cocktails by the pool and a nice meal at the second-floor restaurant.

Tavaco Properties has no plans to redevelop the nearly eight-acre waterfront property.

Tavakoli said discussions with numerous local and national hospitality groups to operate the restaurant are ongoing. However, he pledged that the facility would not feature a chain or “tourist trap.”

The firm also seeks long-term tenants to oversee the third-floor event space. Tavakoli said the venue, which includes a fully operational kitchen, is move-in ready for someone with a catering and liquor license.

“But while that’s being finalized, we’re speaking with local operators for bringing back those weekend pool parties,” he added. “Again, we are not operators – we will not be hosting these. But there’s an immense interest.

“Truly, we’re trying to create a destination here.”

Tavakoli said the pickleball facilities would “absolutely” have a separate operator. However, he said the local market’s popularity has garnered interest from national groups who want to manage the event space, restaurant and pool.

Tavakoli stressed the importance of finding ideal operators and setting them up for success. He also wants to ensure synergies between the tenants.

While the long-term leasing process will take some time, Tavakoli hopes to find groups that can immediately utilize the event space and pool area. He also noted the club’s historically “astronomically high” liquor sales.

In January, Bank OZK’s property manager said the eight-acre parcel, the largest on Treasure Island, is “sitting useless” due to state statutes that prevent local governments from increasing density on barrier islands. St. Petersburg businessman Bill Edwards, the club’s former owner, sued the City of Treasure Island in November 2022 amid a zoning dispute.

Tavaco remains unphased by a lack of redevelopment opportunities. “Why develop condos when you have such a nice venue, and you have a target audience surrounding it,” Tavakoli said. “That’s our opinion.”

Tavaco Properties has received an influx of interest in marina slip rentals.

John Burpee, CEO of Seminole-based John Burpee & Associates, managed the property after Bank OZK acquired it from Edwards in August 2023 for $15.1 million. He said it was previously under contract with a local developer who defaulted on the contract.

However, he noted Tavaco was an all-cash, fast-close buyer. Founded in 1987, the firm’s website boasts extensive experience with nonperforming loans, value-added investments and repositioning projects.

Tavakoli said the company owns assets throughout Tampa Bay and has kept a close eye on the region’s “impressive” growth. He called the opportunity to acquire eight acres of waterfront land in Treasure Island “tough to pass up.”

“We want to create a venue of entertainment and hospitality for the community,” Tavakoli added. “That is where the void is. I can’t emphasize that enough.”

He said potential operators are considering “pouring tons of money” into the club. Tavakoli also stressed that a local group could open the pool and event space “tomorrow.”

He said the firm intends to purchase additional properties in the area. Tavakoli credited Mayor Tyler Payne and other Treasure Island officials for their support throughout the process.

“It’s so nice to see a city where the officials care and want to see the city and operators succeed,” Tavakoli said. “It’s very refreshing.”

Hugh Hazeltine

February 7, 2024at3:04 pm

I will miss the tennis courts

February 7, 2024at1:35 pm

Are they going to pay the vendors that have outstanding unpaid accounts?

Kathleen Mendelssohn

February 7, 2024at11:26 am

I hope they continue with Jetride boat club… would possibly be a good draw for them…excited about pickleball

Jennie Renfrow

February 5, 2024at4:17 pm

Yay! This is what I was hoping for!!

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Situated in a bustling arts community on the downtown St. Petersburg waterfront, the St. Petersburg Yacht Club has been a part of the sailing community for over 100 years.

We pride ourselves in creating a relaxed private club atmosphere with a warm, friendly, family-oriented environment.  we offer a wide variety of social activities and our clubs within a club meet a plethora of special interests for our members where they can mix and mingle. , banquets & catering, community events.

What's happening at St Petersburg Yacht Club?

• Champions Club
• Account Login
• Rookie Racers
• Hospitality & Group Pricing
• Partnership
• Festival Map
• Additional Information
• Travel Options

Come enjoy the spectacular Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Yacht Club during the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding! By anchoring in the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Yacht Club, an exclusive, members only area, located on private floating docks at Turns 10 & 11, you and your guests will experience unprecedented access to the Event!  Enjoy the Horse Soldier Bourbon Whiskey Waterside Club connected right next to the Yacht Club slips!

For more information and reservations, please contact: Kim Green (727) 898-4639 x203 [email protected]