Largo’s ‘downtown activation plan’ will include Dead Bob’s

A St. Petersburg neighborhood bar known for burgers, wings and sports is expanding into Largo, where city officials are spending public money to bring restaurants and other businesses into their new downtown complex.

Largo commissioners approved a 10-year lease Tuesday for Dead Bob’s Bar & Restaurant to open its fourth location at Horizon West Bay. The restaurant will occupy about 2,072 square feet in the development’s parking garage building, next to an outdoor stage along West Bay Drive.

The deal includes up to $414,400 in city-funded assistance to turn the unfinished space into a restaurant. Dead Bob’s will be responsible for costs beyond that amount.

Dead Bob’s currently operates two locations in St. Petersburg and one in Tampa. The Largo restaurant will be its first in the city and is expected to operate as a sports bar and restaurant, according to the lease.

The location puts Dead Bob’s in the middle of Largo’s effort to create more of a downtown around its new City Hall.

Horizon West Bay opened this year at 440 West Bay Drive, combining city offices, public gathering spaces and commercial storefronts. Largo describes the development as the heart of a “reimagined downtown” and has been recruiting restaurants, retailers and service businesses to give people reasons to visit beyond a trip to City Hall.

Dead Bob’s will join businesses including Louis Pappas Fresh Greek, Parlor Doughnuts, Strachan’s Ice Cream and The Tox.

Its space sits next to Horizon West Bay’s outdoor stage and includes use of a patio area. The lease allows music on the patio as long as it complies with Largo’s noise ordinance and does not unreasonably disturb other tenants.

Dead Bob’s was not the only restaurant approved Tuesday. Commissioners also signed off on a lease with Vachelli Modern Italian, a Tampa restaurant planning a roughly 6,443-square-foot location along West Bay Drive.

The two agreements were considered back-to-back and both passed 5-1, with Commissioner Curtis Holmes opposed.

The Vachelli discussion also brought up a larger question facing Largo as it fills the commercial spaces it built at Horizon West Bay: How much should the city spend to get private businesses through the door?

Commissioner Michael DiBrizzi acknowledged being uneasy about the amount of money involved, but said tenant-improvement funding was necessary to attract businesses to spaces the city had already built.

City Manager John Curp said the city’s contributions are expected to draw additional investment from the businesses themselves. The improvements will also remain with the city-owned properties, he said, and occupied storefronts will generate property tax revenue.

“It’s part of our downtown activation plan,” Curp said

For Dead Bob’s, that means Largo will reimburse documented construction costs up to $414,400 after the restaurant completes the work. Dead Bob’s is responsible for designing and building out the space and paying anything above the city’s allowance.

The restaurant will pay an initial base rent of $51,800 annually, or about $4,317 per month. The lease runs for 10 years and includes three options to extend it for another five years each.

The public investment drew criticism from resident Robert Avery, who questioned why taxpayers should help pay to prepare space for private restaurants. He called the arrangement “crony capitalism” while criticizing the city’s broader spending on Horizon West Bay.

Commissioners did not discuss the Dead Bob’s lease itself before voting. Holmes cast the lone vote against both restaurant agreements.

An opening date for Dead Bob’s has not been announced. The lease gives the restaurant 210 days after receiving possession of the space to complete its improvements. Rent begins when the restaurant opens or 300 days after the agreement takes effect, whichever comes first.

During the earlier discussion, DiBrizzi acknowledged that the city’s investment represents “a lot of money up front.” But with Horizon West Bay built and its commercial spaces waiting for tenants, he said the city now has to make them work.

“We have the space and we have to turn it into something,” DiBrizzi said. “We can’t go backwards and we can’t leave it empty.”