Old Southeast Sells the Boating Life. So Where Does the Boat Actually Go?

"We have almost 1,000 boats. Take that away, and where are you going to put those 1,000 boats?" Mario Farias asked that in an August 2025 St. Pete Catalyst report on Salt Creek redevelopment. Farias consults for Harborage Marina and co-owns The Big Catch at Salt Creek.

That question belongs on the list of anyone who boats and is weighing Old Southeast. The neighborhood sits beside Tampa Bay, Bayboro Harbor and Salt Creek, so it's easy to assume that buying here settles where the boat lives. It doesn't. Boat space is its own market here, with its own supply, its own rules and only a few operators. Two separate pressures are tightening it right now.

The lot comes first, and the city sets the rules

Start with the house, because that's where most buyers assume the problem gets solved. The City of St. Petersburg's residential parking guide treats boats on trailers as "domestic equipment." It's specific about where that equipment may sit.

According to the city guide:

• Boats and domestic equipment may be parked in the rear or interior side yard of a lot, or inside a legally built, fully enclosed structure.
• Driveway parking is allowed Friday through Sunday only, and other rules may apply depending on how the lot is laid out.
• Boats on trailers may be parked temporarily in front of a residence from Thursday afternoon until Monday morning, as long as they don't block motorists' view or any part of the sidewalk or roadway.
• They may not be parked or stored in a front yard, in the street-side yard of a corner lot, or in a waterfront yard.
• Anything parked within 50 feet of the street or curb must be screened by a 6-foot privacy fence.
• Up to two pieces of domestic equipment are permitted.

The city's property maintenance page adds size limits. Each piece parked in a rear or interior side yard should generally be no more than 35 feet long, 8 feet wide and 12 feet tall. The ordinances themselves are in the St. Petersburg Code of Ordinances on Municode.

Put those rules together and the house hunt changes. A boat on a trailer that fits the size limits needs a rear or interior side yard with room for it, and possibly a fence, which are features of the lot, not of the neighborhood. A waterfront yard, the very feature many boating buyers want, is listed as off-limits for storage. A boat too big to trail home has to go somewhere off the property. In Old Southeast, that somewhere has mostly meant Salt Creek.

Salt Creek's marine sites changed hands in about two years

Salt Creek runs from Bayboro Harbor south toward Lake Maggiore, and the stretch on Old Southeast's north edge is industrial-zoned working waterfront. From early 2024 on, Clearwater-based Prometheus Partners bought much of it, according to St. Pete Rising. The order of the purchases shows how the marine parcels went first:

1. March 2024: Progressive Marine Service Inc., 1351 Bay Street SE, for $4.8 million
2. April 2024: the former Sailor's Wharf yacht yard, 1421 Bay Street SE, for $10 million
3. July 2024: St. Petersburg Marine Center, 101 16th Avenue South, for $12.5 million
4. November 2024: Salt Creek Marina, 105 15th Avenue SE, for $16.425 million
5. August 2025: the Salt Creek Arts Center building, 1499 Beach Drive SE, for $6 million

More purchases followed the Arts Center deal, including the former Captain's Fine Foods site at 333 16th Avenue South. Then, on December 31, the company bought Bayboro Station, the 1924 former power plant at 263 13th Avenue South. St. Pete Rising's report on that purchase put the total at more than $93.8 million for nearly 23 acres around Salt Creek.

The boating side of that is easy to miss. In the Catalyst story, Farias said Prometheus now owns all but two marine facilities in the area. The plans filed so far point to other uses. St. Pete Rising has reported a proposed 4,271-square-foot car-themed "drive-in" restaurant on the old St. Petersburg Marine Center site, a "Classic Automotive" complex of nearly 18,000 square feet next door, and parking and office applications at the Progressive Marine site. St. Pete Rising said none of those filings had been approved when it reported them. In May 2026, the Tampa Bay Business Journal reported new filings that add a bar and office to the development. The company hasn't publicly shared an overall vision for the site.

None of this means boat storage on Salt Creek has disappeared. It means most of the area's marine land now belongs to one owner whose plans are still unfolding. A buyer who expects to rent rack space near home over the next several years is betting on decisions that haven't been made public yet.

Harborage Marina is the largest independent option

Across the creek, about half a mile northwest of the Prometheus sites, Harborage Marina is still operating. It sits at 1110 3rd Street South. Its operator page advertises high-and-dry storage for boats up to 40 feet, with open-rack, inside, covered and trailer options and room for more than 400 boats. It also offers wet slips for vessels up to 200 feet and a fuel dock at its High & Dry facility on Salt Creek. The marina's Dockwa listing takes short-term and seasonal or annual inquiries and showed fuel prices updated September 28, 2026. Pricing comes by quote, so there's no posted rate to budget against.

The two capacity figures don't line up neatly. Farias described almost 1,000 boats and 134 contractors in August 2025. The operator advertises dry storage for more than 400. They probably measure different things. Either way, Harborage is the name to call first. Farias also pointed out that the city and many homeowners associations have strict rules on keeping boats in residential areas, and that many owners don't have vehicles that can tow larger boats. That's the gap high-and-dry storage fills.

His restaurant, The Big Catch at Salt Creek, sits at Harborage at 1500 2nd Street South. It has a dock for visiting boaters and live music on weekends.

The city marina has posted prices and few openings

For a wet slip, the St. Petersburg Municipal Marina at Demens Landing is the public option. It has 640 permanent wet slips, a 500-foot transient dock, a public launch, fuel, and showers and laundry. Unlike the private marinas, it posts its prices. Monthly resident totals, tax included, from the city's rate schedule effective October 1, 2026:

A posted price only helps if a slip is open. St. Pete Rising reported that the marina is typically fully occupied. It's also heading into a $165.45 million redevelopment that includes replacing docks and facilities in the south and central basins. The city lists Skanska as its design-build contractor. Construction is expected to start in 2028 and the finished project to open in 2031. The marina is expected to stay open throughout, with the work done in phases. The city also lists 13 moorings at $40 per day and takes transient reservations no more than 30 days ahead, depending on availability.

What this changes about the house search

For a boat owner, storage should come before the house. If the boat fits the city's size limits and you trailer it, the right house needs a rear or interior side yard that can hold it legally, so measure the yard before you fall for the porch. For anything larger, look into storage before the house. Ask Harborage about rack availability for your boat's length. Check whether the Municipal Marina has a slip your size, keeping in mind that it's usually full. And treat any Salt Creek option on Prometheus-owned land as uncertain until the owner shares its plans.

A few questions to settle before writing an offer:

• Does the lot have a rear or interior side yard big enough for the boat and trailer, and would a fence be needed within 50 feet of the street?
• Is the home on a corner, where the street-side yard is excluded, or on the water, where the waterfront yard is excluded?
• Does an HOA or deed restriction add rules beyond the city's?
• Has a marina confirmed in writing that it has space for your boat's length?

The rules above are general information, not legal advice. Confirm how they apply to a specific property with the City of St. Petersburg or a qualified attorney before you rely on them.

A short FAQ

Can I keep my boat in the driveway in Old Southeast? According to the city's residential parking guide, only Friday through Sunday. Boats on trailers may also be parked temporarily in front of the house from Thursday afternoon until Monday morning if they don't block the sidewalk, the roadway or motorists' view.

Is Salt Creek Marina closing? Prometheus Partners bought it in November 2024. The plans filed for the company's nearby parcels are for a restaurant, automotive buildings and offices, and it hasn't publicly shared an overall vision for the site.

Will the Municipal Marina close during redevelopment? The city's plan keeps it running through phased construction, which is expected to start in 2028.

If a boat is part of why you're looking at Old Southeast, let's work out the storage before we tour the homes, so the yard, the marina and the house all fit together. Reach out to Nanette Counselman and we'll start with your boat's length and go from there. Let's Connect.