<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=14lwmY_0vlD2pvM00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=14lwmY_0vlD2pvM00" width="667" height="500" ><figcaption>Less than three months after applause erupted to herald the designation of Little Jim Bait and Tackle as an historic landmark, the City of Fort Pierce has no takers so far to run the popular restaurant and bait shop after the current lease expires April 30, 2025. Little Jim Bait &amp; Tackle/For Hometown News</figcaption></figure>FORT PIERCE — Less than three months after applause erupted to herald the designation of Little Jim Bait and Tackle as an historic landmark, the City of Fort Pierce has no takers so far to run the popular restaurant and bait shop after the current lease expires April 30, 2025.That’s prompted the city, which owns the property, to extend the deadline for potential lessees to submit bids and operating plans for the one-time military guard shack.The deadline for submitting proposals had been set for Monday. But because city officials reported receiving no responses as of Thursday, the deadline now has been pushed out another three weeks to 3 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 21.Fort Pierce city commissioners had discussed the possibility of selling the North Hutchinson Island site at 601 N. Causeway Drive back in 2023. But community members signed petitions and packed city hall meetings, advocating the city keep the property and declare the popular shoreline restaurant/bar/entertainment venue a historical site.“The RFP deadline has been extended due to a significant number of questions submitted on the final day for inquiries,” said Kaitlyn Ballard, the city’s marketing and communications manager. “This extension is designed to ensure a fair and transparent process, allowing adequate time to address all questions and giving potential offerors enough time to prepare their proposals.”Ballard said no proposals had been received thus far and that city officials are unsure how many proposals they could receive by the new October deadline.Attempts to reach Little Jim’s current operator, Donna Qvarnstrom-Burke, were unsuccessful.“Whether the current operator will submit a bid is unknown,” Ballard said. “We can only report on submissions as they are received.”With the historic-site designation comes rules about the property’s design and construction. The city’s lease terms say new restrooms will be required “once new water connections become operational within a year of obtaining the lease.”City reviewers also want bidders to outline planned operating hours, sample menus, whether alcohol will be served onsite or packaged take-out, the types and schedules for entertainment and the projected number of jobs.In addition to the restaurant and bar, the lease includes adjacent docks, bait, tackle and merchandise sales.According to Ballard, the city currently collects $2,638.34 in monthly rent. A new agreement could be signed for up to five years and the city is tentatively scheduled to award it in December.Little Jim’s was originally a guard shack and checkpoint during World War II when historians say 140,000 military personnel trained on North Hutchinson Island for the Normandy invasion and Pacific operations.Navy “frogmen” trained for underwater demolition work here, becoming known as Navy Seals.When the Navy left the island in 1944, the property was given to the City of Fort Pierce.</div></body>

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Little Jim bid deadline extended to Oct. 21

FORT PIERCE — Less than three months after applause erupted to herald the designation of Little Jim Bait and Tackle as an historic landmark, the City of Fort Pierce has no takers so far to run the popular restaurant and bait shop after the current lease expires April 30, 2025.