After more than a year after taking over the lease of the Atlantic Seafood building, new owners Atlantic Seafood LLC have submitted revised concept plans for a new seafood store/restaurant building for approval by the Fernandina Beach City Commission next Tuesday.
Atlantic Seafood LLC is also seeking to negotiate a new lease with the City that would extend the agreement another 30 years.
The resolution being considered by the commission states that because plans for the city's floodwall protection project causes a conflict at the existing site, the new building will be located on a city owned parcel just south of the existing building location.
Michael Stauffer, architect for the project, submitted a downsized proposal from plans that were submitted to the commission on Dec. 20, 2022.
The two story building will have a seating capacity for 102 people on the first floor and 49 people on the second floor -- a reduction of 15 seats from the original plan.
The building footprint size has been reduced from 4,815 square feet to 4,330 square feet -- three times the size of the current footprint -- and the building itself is reduced from 3,685 square feet to 3,040 square feet.
The current building is 1,200 square feet and is in such poor condition that it does not meet the standards to have insurance coverage. The prior city commission in 2022 denied plans to expand the size of the building and said a request for proposal should be put out in order to have competitive proposals submitted for a bigger project to avoid the appearance of a "sweetheart deal" to the current leaseholder. Then Commissioner Bradley Bean opposed that plan.
Bean is now mayor and greenlighted the submission of new plans for a bigger replacement building to the leaseholder.
Here are the submitted drawings to the city (click on the images to enlarge them):
The site plan drawing with the river at the top and Front Street/railroad tracks on the bottome
Side view with open deck and porch facing the river
Front of the building facing Front Street
The going rent suggested for the 9,000 sq ft waterfront property was $7.50/per sq ft which would net the City $70K a year. My question is: should an appraisal from 2019 for waterfront property still be considered valid when the lease will be for 40 years with 20 years of rental renewals???? Can this be considered to be financially in the best interest of the City for the next 60 years with a straight face? Hopefully there will at least be cost of living increases written into the contract.
build it down on the petanque courts.
If this expansion is allowed it is positive proof that the “good ole boy” network is alive and well in FB headed by Bradley Bean. The City is absolutely under no legal obligation to permit a new building in excess of the current footprint of less than 1,200 sq. ft. The whole activation of the replacement clause was a scheme by former city manager Martin as time has shown there was no reason to do so. Just say “no” but I’m not holding my breath.