Spent part of my weekend rereading the so-called amendment to the Pate Cold Storage contract. Let’s get real this isn’t an amendment. It is brand new lease….a bait and switch.
The lessee is a brand new entity, Northwest Florida Cold Storage. The warehouse space is expanded. There is new a rental rate, new wharfage penalty, new expiration date and different termination penalties.
Why is staff playing this game? Simply call this what it is— a new lease. Let the Pate contract expire in March 2009 and, if approved by Council, then Northwest Florida Cold Storage can become the new tenant after that.
Other than staff thinking the amendment might be seen more favorably politically, the only reason I can surmise is that Pate Cold Storage gets some fee for assigning his lease that would expire anyway. Port staff wants to take care of Pate for some reason.
