Venice receives almost $1.25 million in rent, profit sharing for beachfront restaurants

Earle Kimel, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Updated ·2 min read
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The Venice Pier Group delivered rent and profit sharing checks for Fins at Sharky's, pictured here, and Sharky's on the Pier to the Venice City Council Tuesday.
The Venice Pier Group delivered rent and profit sharing checks for Fins at Sharky's, pictured here, and Sharky's on the Pier to the Venice City Council Tuesday.

Correction: The profit-sharing agreement between the Venice Pier Group and the city of Venice is based on gross revenue. An earlier version of this story said otherwise.

VENICE – The Venice City Council received checks totaling almost $1.25 million from the Venice Pier Group Tuesday, for the 2023 rent for the property adjacent to the Venice Municipal Fishing Pier and the company’s profit-sharing agreement with the city.

The rent check for Sharky' on the Pier and Fins at Sharky's totaled $140,952, while the profit-sharing totaled $1,108,221.

The lease, last amended in 2008, calls for Venice Pier Group to share 5% of the gross sales greater than $2.2 million, as well an annual increase in rent.

This is the second consecutive year that profit sharing has exceeded $1 million, after several years of coming in between $700,000 and $750,000.

Council nominates Venice Army Air Base rec center as historical resource

The last structure still in its original location from World War II, when the city hosted the Venice U.S. Army Air Base, will be considered for the Local Register of Historical Resources, following a unanimous vote.

This photo from the mid 1950s shows a portion of the U.S. Army Air Base in Venice that would become the Venice Municipal Mobile Home Park. The long building at the top is the building that is now the community center. A portion of Tamiami Trail is in the upper left.
This photo from the mid 1950s shows a portion of the U.S. Army Air Base in Venice that would become the Venice Municipal Mobile Home Park. The long building at the top is the building that is now the community center. A portion of Tamiami Trail is in the upper left.

The former air base recreation center is now used as the Venice Municipal Mobile Home Park Community Center.

City Council Member Ron Smith asked his colleagues to approve the nomination, since it’s a city-owned structure.

The mobile home park is still on land owned by the Venice Municipal Airport.

Airport Director Mark Cervasio told the board that the Federal Aviation Administration had no issue with the building being placed on the local register.

Historical Resources Director Harry Klinkhamer explained that if it were listed, the major change would be that “any work that’s done on the building will follow guidelines for best preservation practices.”

Kinkhamer will next fill out an application for the city’s Historic and Architectural Review Board's consideration.

“It definitely is a representation of a significant part of U.S. history and Venice history,” Klinkhamer said.

If the HARB recommends approval, the application would then be forwarded back to the council, which would host two public hearings on an ordinance to place it on the local register.

A spot on the local register would allow the city to apply for state grants to pay for restoration work.

Cervasio noted that the FAA would have to be involved in any push to add the building to the National Register of Historic Places and if that were to occur, the FAA would have to review any proposed work on the structure.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Venice Pier Group 2023 payments to city total almost $1.25 million