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Committee approves 10-year riverfront mooring lease to SCF Fleeting LLC

2169312 · January 27, 2025

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Summary

The Transportation and Commerce Committee voted to advance Board Bill 145, authorizing a 10-year lease of roughly 1,600 linear feet of Mississippi River mooring to SCF Fleeting LLC, with an initial annual rent of $125,000 and annual 3% increases; Port Authority counsel said SCF was the sole bidder.

The St. Louis Board of AldermenTransportation and Commerce Committee voted to advance Board Bill 145, authorizing the City to enter a 10-year lease with SCF Fleeting LLC for about 1,600 linear feet of mooring along the Mississippi River at the near North Riverfront.

The bill summary read into the record says the lease starts at $125,000 for the first year and increases by 3% each year, with three mutual options to extend for five additional years. Tom Ray, an attorney representing the Port Authority, told the committee SCF was the only bidder and that the awarded rent "is far in excess of the normal rate." He described the agreement as a standard mooring lease under Port Authority terms.

Committee members asked questions about market rates and negotiations. Alderwoman Schweitzer said she understood the $125,000 as an annual charge and that it was "in excess of the standard." Alderman Browning and others praised Port Authority negotiations to bring leases in line with market rates after prior years of under-market agreements.

A public commenter urged increased security monitoring of boats on the river under any lease, saying security responsibilities should be clear and enforced.

The committee passed the bill out with a "do pass" recommendation. The roll call recorded four aye votes during the committee action.

Notes and clarifications: Port Authority counsel Tom Ray said the mooring had been unsuccessfully marketed previously and that the river conditions later made the site operable; SCF was the sole bidder. The clerk's summary and Ray's comments differ slightly in lease-option wording (the clerk's summary stated "three mutual options to extend for 5 additional years"; Ray referred to a different phrasing during his remarks). The committee recorded the formal motion to advance the bill and passed it with a due-pass recommendation.

The bill now advances to the full Board of Aldermen for further consideration.