The Community Maritime Park Associates Board needs to draft a model lease for all parcels at the Maritime Park to level the playing field and avoid future melodrama. Every potential developer at the park needs to be treated the same, live up to the same minimum requirements.
No one should ever be treated again like the YMCA.
The only solution is for the CMPA to develop a model lease and the minimum requirements for all leases. Then the Pensacola City Council needs to approve them. Then it is a level playing field.
What are the minimum conditions acceptable for each parcel at the park?
Every parcel should be appraised and the CMPA vote on the minimum acceptable lease payment for each. What is the minimum acceptable length for lease? Five years? 10 years? What are the acceptable escalators for the lease?
What are the acceptable rules for any non-profit organizations? Can they charge entry fees or memberships? Must they pay a lease fee?
Must all potential leasees give full financial disclosures of their operations, net worth? Should personal guarantees for the leases be required?
Will everyone have to build their own parking spaces?
Will all construction and tenants be required to meet the Covenant with Community?
The City Council needs to decide– will all leasees at the park pay full property taxes. No tax abates allowed?
Then the CMPA and City Council need to give standards for granting exceptions. For instance, does the creation of a certain number of jobs at a certain pay scale make a difference?
C.C. Elebash, C.J. Lewis and the other critics of the Y lease can offer their recommendations.
Most businessmen will tell you that just want to know the rules. Let the CMPA tell the community what are the minimum requirements for getting a lease approved. Let the Pensacola City Council give their blessing.
Let’s keep this full transparent. Everyone weigh. I suggest the CMPA Audit and Operations Committee work out their recommendations for the full board by the May meeting. All done in the Sunshine.
Until then, nobody is going to want to go through the circus the Y did.