About Tierra Verde NEXT

• Tierra Verde residents vigorously protested and initiated lawsuits. The lawsuits failed.

 

• March 8 2008: The Pinellas County Board approved the Tierra Verde Overlay to be incorporated into the County Comprehensive Plan which had a 50ft height restriction on commercial property.

 

• Note: This restriction was in place when Greenleaf bought this property in 2011.

 

• November 2008: 28+ acres of Tierra Verde were formally annexed by the City of St Petersburg.

 

• 2009: The County and Tierra Verde filed suit against the City of St Petersburg to prevent the city from allowing intensive commercial development. The decision was in their favor, preventing the development. The stated reason was that the development was too high density, posing potential hurricane dangers, and was against the character and height standards of the surrounding community. The case was closed in 2010.

 

• 2010: The developer went bankrupt and the properties were sold. On the south side of Madonna, a marina update and hotel (the current Marriott Residence Inn) were planned along with another high and dry.

 

• While that project proceeded, local residents successfully lobbied to reduce the hotel’s original proposed height and alter the appearance of the high and dry and retail. Currently that high and dry has an attractive and modest footprint with ~340 dry stack racks, enclosed building, and a negotiated 54ft maximum height.

 

• 2011: The north side of the marina area was sold to Greenleaf Capital.

 

• 2018: The Resort Marina (south side) was resold and rebranded PORT 32

 

• March 2025: Greenleaf presented its redevelopment plan for the first time during a TVCA meeting. The proposal included four 90-foot tall High and Dry facilities, an expanded marina, and a private restaurant and pool. The 711-slip proposed dry boat storage would be the 2 nd largest high and dry in the USA. (The largest is the 780 rack Legendary Marina in Destin, situated NOT in a small residential neighborhood, but among retail buildings, a seaplane airport, a school’s outdoor field and track grounds, and a golf course.)

 

• The plan alarmed and concerned many Tierra Verde residents. The TVCA, and individual home and condo owners in Tierra Verde, nearby, Bayway West and in south St. Petersburg, all voiced strong objections to Greenleaf and to officials at the City and County levels.

 

• Former St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman is leading these expansion efforts—despite widespread local resident opposition.

 

• Although the plan was not yet approved, Greenleaf terminated leases for all retail businesses on the site. The final lease, a Shell gas station, expired at the end of October 2025. The removal of leases was not formally included in Greenleaf’s proposal.

 

• Greenleaf did not engage with residents regarding height limits or design mitigation.

 

• September 2025: The TVCA hired a land-use attorney to support the residents’ opposition.

 

• October 2025: TVCA determined that this “fight” was not part of their charter as an HOA.

 

• October 18 2025: To fill the need for organized opposition, Tierra Verde NEXT (TVN) held an Open House to begin to establish this organization as the voice of Tierra Verde residents, organizing petitions and opposition campaigns.

 

• November 21 2025: Greenleaf withdrew their proposal. The scheduled hearing at the St Petersburg DRC (Development Review Commission) scheduled for December 3 2025 was canceled.

 

• March 9 2026: After rejecting many requests since November 2025 to meet with Tierra Verde NEXT, Greenleaf submitted a second proposal to the DRC. The new proposal is similar to their first proposal’s Phase 1, but scaled back from 90 ft to 72ft. It would now become the 3 rd largest high and dry in the USA.

 

• March 23 2026: TVN finally met with Greenleaf. The developer refused to budge on our primary issues—the unsafe type of open rack boat storage and the unacceptable increase in height over the Overlay’s 50 ft maximum.

 

• To Date…March 2026: For 15 years, Greenleaf has made no substantial improvements to this property; in fact, they have created a dismal, decaying marina area. Tierra Verde fears that this decay will continue. This history is a strong indicator that Greenleaf’s newly proposed development will also be neglected.

 

• TVN still wants to make the redevelopment of this property a safe and compatible success. But we want Greenleaf to listen to our safety and compatibility concerns.

 

• May 6 2026: Greenleaf’s new proposal will go before the St. Petersburg DRC for formal review. Tierra Verde residents plan to be there in VERY large numbers.