Dallas company acquires Gulfport Marina
By Breanne Williams
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Sep 26, 2023

Mariner’s Cove Marina in Gulfport has sold to Dallas-based Suntex Marinas for $4 million.

The sale closed on Sept. 21, according to a deed filed in Pinellas County. The seller was a private investor who had owned the site since 1977. Suntex Marinas is one of two companies that has bid on a contract to redevelop and operate St. Petersburg’s Municipal Marina along the downtown waterfront.

Mariner’s Cove Marina, located at 5018 31st Ave. S, is on Boca Ciega Bay and 10 minutes from the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and the Gulf of Mexico. It also has ease of access to the Florida Intracoastal Waterway.

The marina offers dry storage, and amenities include a fueling station, fish cleaning station, all aluminum floating dogs, work racks and boat fire sprinklers. The site also has available mechanics for regular maintenance or seasonal repair.

Suntex’s portfolio includes approximately 60 marinas across the country, including nearly 20 in Florida, according to its website.

Downtown St. Petersburg’s marina project comes as the infrastructure of the existing marina — built in the 1960s and 1970s — has “reached the end of its service life,” according to the request for proposals presented by the city.

The marina, which is adjacent to the St. Pete Pier, will be the next redevelopment to continue the transformation along St. Pete’s waterfront district. Suntex proposed $70 million in improvements to the marina in its proposal. The company requested an initial 30-year lease term with the city and two 25-year renewal options.

A spokesman for the city previously told the Tampa Bay Business Journal the proposals for the Municipal Marina would be evaluated, and once an agreement was made, it would go before city council. However, there is no current time frame for the selection.