If you could redesign the Merry Pier bait shack from scratch, what would you add? A larger fish market, a better counter for rentals, more space on the bay side? None of that is in the plan. The city's bid documents for the 801 Pass-a-Grille Way building describe a project that "aims to restore the Project Site to pre-storm conditions." The documents also set the budget. The repairs have to cost less than $105,000.
The same idea runs through the rest of the Pass-a-Grille bayfront this fall. The rules allow repair, and they make any change in size or design very expensive. The waterfront that comes back will look much like the one Hurricanes Helene and Milton damaged in 2024. The 7th Avenue pier, which the city once expected to start rebuilding this summer, has only now gone out to bid.
A 1902 Building on a Modern Flood Map
Joseph Merry built a dock in 1902, along with the first store on the Gulf beaches. He sold bait, tools and eventually groceries, all of it brought in by boat. His son, Capt. Kenneth Merry, lived in Pass-a-Grille for 83 years and later ran the business. The Eighth Avenue Pier was renamed the Kenneth B. Merry Pier in 1979. "My father rented poles and sold bait from this pier he built," the captain said at the time, according to a Tampa Bay Times account of the city's decision.
St. Pete Beach later bought the property and finished a major renovation in 2022. That work restored it as a working fishing and boating stop, with a bait shop, a fish market and rentals. Helene arrived on September 26, 2024, and Milton followed on October 9. The shack stands over Boca Ciega Bay at the eastern end of 8th Avenue, in what the city's bid calls the High-Risk Coastal Area, the VE flood zone.
That flood designation shapes most of what follows. Public Services Director Camden Mills told commissioners the structure was "substantially damaged," which put it under FEMA's 50% rule for coastal areas. Under that rule, if repairs reach half the building's value, the whole building has to meet current flood standards.
The Arithmetic Behind the Repair Plan
When staff priced the options, the figures stacked up like this, as reported in the Times.
| Line item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Appraised value of the structure | $210,000 |
| Rebuild to current building and FEMA standards, before design and permitting | $210,682 |
| Insurance coverage | $82,121 |
| Demolition | $65,688 |
| City budget, including $65,529 from the capital improvement program | $144,650 |
The full rebuild came in slightly above what the building was worth on paper, and the budget fell short of it. Then Commissioner Jon Maldonado asked a key question. If the city tore the building down, could it build anything there afterward? Mills said it could not. Demolition would have meant losing the site for good. Maldonado's response showed how commissioners thought about the project from then on.
"So the only option is to rebuild. Maybe, as Commissioner Robinson said, scale back to a bare basic minimum structure. It's a bait shack and possibly maybe one bathroom."
He described the gap as about $106,000 and asked staff to "shave down" the cost as much as possible. "We're not asking for a state-of-the-art structure or building," he said. "We're just asking for a bait shack that can service both our residents and tourists, who rely on that heavily in our community." Commissioner Karen Marriott called the building "a little bit iconic for Pass-a-Grille." Then-Mayor Adrian Petrila said he had heard from many residents who wanted the city to save it. The commission voted unanimously to restore it, even though the building is not designated historic and is not eligible for that status.
What $105,000 Buys Over Open Water
The solicitation the city issued in July 2026 is titled "Merry Pier Rebuild," but its scope reads like a repair list.
- Selective demolition of damaged materials, plus two new exterior doors
- Three damaged floor joists replaced, with hurricane clips and fasteners added
- A new ¾-inch subfloor with flood-resistant covering, and new decking for the bait tank, ice box and ice machine
- Electrical circuits upgraded and moved above flood level
- Plumbing repaired and a new pump installed for the bait tanks
- Repairs to the roof soffit, new siding and trim, exterior paint and hurricane impact windows
The dollar cap holds everything else in place. The bid requires repairs to stay under $105,000 to comply with the 50% rule, and the city's Building Department will check those costs at permitting. The structure also has to be wet or dry flood-proofed. Mills had told commissioners that as a commercial building, the shack could be flood-proofed with waterproof walls and floors and a vent system. That avoids raising it to base flood elevation. In practice, the cap keeps the shack at the level and footprint people already know. A larger plan would cost more and trigger the full rebuild requirements.
Labels in city records differ. The city's August 2026 project dashboard lists the item as "Merry Pier bait shack demolition," still in design or procurement. The bid itself starts with selective demolition and then moves to repair and restoration.
On timing, bids closed August 5, 2026. The city's bid page marks the solicitation closed, and no awardee, price or award date has been posted. Once work starts, the contract allows 90 calendar days to finish. As of early October, no start date has been announced.
Who Runs the Pier Is a Separate Question
The repair will settle what the building looks like. A separate dispute will decide who operates the pier. On August 19, the City Commission voted 5-0 to approve Resolution 2026-25. It demands that the operator, Merry Pier Partners, LLC, leave the city-owned property by 11:59 p.m. on September 30. Mayor Scott Tate, Vice Mayor Lisa Robinson and Commissioners Karen Marriott, Al Causey and Jon Maldonado voted for it, The Gabber reported.
City Attorney Ralf Brooks said the lease expired in February 2026 and the city chose not to renew it. He said the operator had turned down a city proposal and sent back a counteroffer. "They sent us a counterproposal that is unacceptable to staff, and doesn't meet our charter, and would give them up to a 15-year lease on the property," Brooks said. The city also disputes a five-year lease covering the whole property. It says the commission never gave that lease the specific approval the City Charter requires. The resolution notes that the operator's counsel has claimed a five-year renewal right, which the city disputes.
There was an earlier compromise. In July, commissioners approved a settlement under which the operator would leave most of the property and lease a single dock space. The city later withdrew that offer because the deal was never completed. The September 21 commission agenda then included an item titled "Proposed Resolution of Merry Pier Dispute with Proposed Lease Agreement." The posted meeting file had no attachment for it. As of October 5, no public record shows whether the operator left, whether an eviction case was filed, or whether a lease was signed. The next scheduled commission meeting is October 13.
The dispute matters for regular visitors because the pier is more than the bait counter. A photo with the Gabber's report shows the entrance signs advertising fishing charters, an island shuttle, fresh seafood and sunset cruises. Shell Key Shuttle checks passengers in at Merry Pier on 8th Avenue. Its posted schedule lists departures at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. on weekdays, and at 10 a.m. and noon on weekends and holidays. The page asks riders to call and confirm because the schedule changes.
The 7th Avenue Pier Follows the Same Rules
One block south, the same restore-what-was-there approach applies to the fishing pier at 700 Pass-a-Grille Way. In May, Bay News 9 reported that residents felt repairs to the Helene-damaged pier were taking too long. Commissioner Maldonado first said the city was waiting on a county permit. The county said the city had not yet applied. Maldonado corrected himself, saying he had confused the county with a pending review by FEMA's Environmental Planning and Historical Preservation Program. At that time, the city expected underwater inspections within weeks and construction to start in the summer.
Construction did not start in the summer. The city published the rehabilitation bid on September 30, 2026. It calls for in-kind repairs: replacing identified beams, joists, cross-members and damaged pile jackets, and possibly the decking and substructure. The existing pilings and footprint stay. These are the remaining dates:
- October 7, 10 a.m.: mandatory pre-bid meeting
- October 28, 10 a.m.: deadline for contractor questions
- November 4, 9 a.m.: bids due, with the bid opening at 10 a.m.
After a notice to proceed, the contractor has 30 business days to start work and 180 calendar days to finish. Suppose a contract were signed the same week bids open and every allowed day were used. The project would still run into summer 2027. The city's FY2026 capital plan set aside $825,000 for the 1st and 7th Avenue piers together, noting both were damaged by Helene and Milton. No current public source confirms whether the 1st Avenue pier is open or what its repair schedule is. The August dashboard lists both piers, along with the Pass-a-Grille Way seawall replacement and Gulf Way rehabilitation, as in design or procurement.
What to Expect This Fall
The October 13 commission meeting is the next likely place for news on the lease dispute. Watch for a posted award of the bait shack contract and the opening of 7th Avenue pier bids on November 4. Until those happen, the 90-day and 180-day clocks have not started. If you plan a Shell Key trip from 8th Avenue, call the shuttle to confirm departures, as its own schedule page advises. When the bait shack does reopen, expect the same building over Boca Ciega Bay, with new impact windows, wiring above the flood line and a new pump for the bait tanks.
At Leisa Erickson Group, we follow Pass-a-Grille's docks, piers and seawalls because they shape everyday boating life on this part of the bay. If you want to know how a waterfront property connects to these access points, or what the city's repair schedule means for your own time on the water, Let's Connect.
