ABOUT THE REFERENDUM
Commitment to Community
750+ people learn to sail each yearSeveral free and highly subsidized programs
Recreational sailboats used over 1,000 times each year
Accessible to Whole Community
Accessible boats and docksFacilitate year-long youth and adult programs, starting with 5- year olds
Investment in Community
SPYC has invested nearly $1 Million in boats, equipment and facility upgrades over the past five yearsSPYC has invested more than $2 million in staff and personnel over the past five years
Successful Partnership
Total annual estimated positive economic impact on the community exceeds $3 millionCity of St. Petersburg and SPYC has fostered this successful partnership for several decades
The Future
Increased overall activitySPYC proposes to absorb some of the maintenance costs from the City
Investment in Growth
SPYC requests a 20-year lease to ensure completion of capital improvements and capacity expansion projects
Youth Summer Sailing Camps
Over 450 children ages 5-16 participate in a summer sailing camp each yearScholarships offered through the YMCA
Adaptive Sailing and Kayaking Clinics
Partnership with SPYC and St. Petersburg's Therapeutic Recreation CenterAverages 100 Participants each event
Regattas
The Sailing Center hosts over 35 regattas each yearOver 9,500 visitors come to the Sailing Center each year for events
A QUICK OVERVIEW
Founded in 1919, and originally located in the central yacht basin, the St. Petersburg Junior Yacht Club moved to Demens Landing (formerly called the "South Mole") in the 1940's where it remained until the property was sold to the City by the railroad in the mid-1970's. After the purchase of Demens Landing was completed, the City of St. Petersburg built a brand-new Sailing Center and entered into a 5-year agreement with the St. Petersburg Yacht Club to operate the new facility and sailing programs. Since then, the agreement has continued and the Sailing Center has remained an integral part of downtown’s vibrant waterfront, providing low-cost access to sailboat rentals, youth sailing programs, and a first-class facility to host regattas, classes, and other educational programs.
Because of the facility’s location on the waterfront, we are currently limited to a maximum 5-year term on the lease, per the City Charter. As you can imagine, being limited to such a short lease term discourages investment in facility upgrades/improvements and stifles the planned growth of our existing educational programs.
In August, St. Petersburg City Council voted unanimously to approve a ballot referendum item giving the voters the opportunity to extend the Sailing Center lease from our current 5-years, to 20-years.
This is an excellent opportunity to ensure the Sailing Center facility and programs are protected for decades to come, so if you are a St. Pete resident and are registered to vote, please remember to vote “YES!!!"