Time for the next round.
Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy and staff Aug. 21 opened bids to operate a takeout grill and bait shop on the new city pier, 101 Bay Blvd.
The city received bids from FP Growth Partners of Anna Maria, with Michael, Patrick and Casey Coleman of Anna Maria listed as title managers; Tevatan LLC, with Sarah Baldwin, daughter of Sherman Baldwin, owner of Paradise Boat Tours in Bradenton Beach, listed as title manager; and Harry’s Continental Kitchens of Longboat Key, a restaurant and takeout deli operated by Harry and Lynn Christensen and son Hal for more than 40 years.
Lastly, the city received a joint proposal from former Commissioner Brian Seymour, owner of the Pine Avenue General Store, Victor Mattay, owner of Dips Ice Cream, and Nicholas Graham of Pine Avenue Bait. They all operate their businesses at the Historic Green Village on Pine Avenue.
The city hopes to have the pier grill and bait shop open in the smaller of two buildings on the T-end in late 2020.
At a pre-bid meeting Aug. 7, the mayor said the commission might schedule a meeting at 5:30 p.m. to discuss the proposals prior to the next commission meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27.
Until then, or a until the commission meets, the bid information and the mayor’s negotiations are confidential.
The city issued the request for proposals for the grill and bait shop after negotiations fell through with the current tenant and operator of the City Pier Restaurant for 20 years, Mario Schoenfelder, and the new bid from the Ugly Grouper restaurant of Holmes Beach for a larger restaurant in the main building on the T-end of the pier.
The original pier opened in 1911 but was closed after it was damaged by Hurricane Irma in September 2017.
The city demolished the old pier and then began construction on the new pier in 2018.