The Anna Maria Oyster Bar can call the Historic Bridge Street Pier in Bradenton Beach home for another five years.
City commissioners voted 4-1 Nov. 19 to extend We’re Back Inc.’s concession lease at the pier through Dec. 31, 2025.
Commissioner Jan Vosburgh voted “no.”
The city agreed in 2015 to lease the building to We’re Back, chiefly owned by John Horne, for $42,000 a year and monthly payments of 2% of the restaurant’s gross revenue.
The lease was set to expire Dec. 31, but offered Horne the option to extend the lease in five-year periods up to three times. Rent will increase by 3% every year now that the first five years are over.
Horne notified Mayor John Chappie via email Sept. 30 that he would like to renew the lease for another five years.
“We’re happy being tenants,” Horne told commissioners at the Nov. 19 meeting. “We just want to move forward.”
However, Horne requested the city make or assist AMOB with several changes, including:
- Shouldering the cost of repainting the building’s exterior;
- Sharing the cost of expanding the pier’s public restrooms;
- Permitting permanent outdoor dining along the south side of the restaurant;
- Waiving the open container law in some areas outside the restaurant.
Commissioners agreed to the Hornes’ requests.
Commissioners unanimously voted to pay Precision Painting of Bradenton $18,289 to paint the exterior of the pier buildings, as well as the fence and clocktower at the base of the pier.
Public works director Tom Woodard said the paint job is due on the buildings, which were last painted several years ago.
The cost of other changes, such as expanding the pier’s restrooms, are to be determined before scheduling the work.
There was no public comment.