Lido beach is a major reason people visit and reside in Sarasota. The beauty and accessibility of our beaches is a linchpin of prosperity here in our fair City. According to Sea Grant Florida (a partnership between the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Association, Florida citizens & governments, and the Florida Board of Education),  only 20 percent of Sarasota’s sandy beaches are in public ownership, compared to the state average of 40%.  Public access to that precious 20 percent is critical to our quality of life and tourism. The City’s plan to lease Lido Beach Pool and Pavilion to a private entity puts that access at risk with a deal that appears to be a foolish giveaway.

The City has been working for five years on a plan to renovate the Lido Beach Pool and Pavilion, the former site of beloved Lido Casino. Estimating that redevelopment will cost $3.2 million, the City issued an Invitation to Negotiate in 2014, inviting interested parties to improve the facility and run a beachfront restaurant. The City currently has $1.25 million put aside to rehab Lido Pavilion. 

While citizens were heavily involved in creating the initial plan, their involvement was limited to a few public meetings once the City began negotiating. The City’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board was never brought in to review and make recommendations regarding the redevelopment lease, despite a City ordinance requiring their participation in development of City parks.

The proposed 30-year lease values the property at $80,000 annual rent in year one, with an extra $10,000 per year until year three, when the rent becomes $100,000 per year or 3.5 percent of gross sales. The 2.5-acre site is 108,900 square feet, with a 200-seat restaurant, 39-seat tiki bar, plus pool, splash pad and cabana seating, and a 28,000-square-foot special events area. This rent for a prime waterfront location has raised eyebrows, particularly since the City did not acquire a professional appraisal of the venue. 

Parking is the major problem that will impact beachgoers who travel by car to Lido The parking lot holds 308 spaces. Patrons and staff of the restaurant, bar, pool, cabanas and splash pad will grab most available parking.  Add a private special event, and those who are there for the beach will be out of luck.

Other lease elements seem unusual. The lease makes the City responsible for half of the slab plumbing and roof repairs.  At year 24, if the lessees want to make further improvements or updates, there is an option to extend the lease to amortize the cost of the new improvements. In this way, the 30-year lease could become much longer. And while the lease specifies that public special events will continue at Lido Beach Pavilion, those events will only continue if they do not pose an “undue hardship” on the lessees.  Who defines “undue hardship”? That’s anybody’s guess.

The City Commission will have to approve two major land-use changes for this plan to move forward. Be careful Commissioners. Fleecing the public of beach access with this bad lease may cost all of us dearly.

Cathy Antunes is host of "The Detail" on WSRQ.