Then COVID-19 hit, and city officials held off on rebidding the land until now. The initial rights were only supposed to last a year. “This is a naturally beautiful canvas that we knew we could make into something better.” “When my team and I were walking the grounds, it was love at first sight,” Sinclair said. Related: Another beer garden? Yes, but the Anchor does more than sell pints
The formula has allowed Anthem to pay for nearly $200,000 worth of free events over the past three years, from a portion of food and drink sales. This structure is essentially how Sinclair’s Anthem Group pays for the site’s use today. Diverting the rent money to events is the BPDA’s ultimate goal. The city would charge $3,000 a month, essentially for maintenance costs, and then at least 15 percent of the gross receipts, though the operator can reduce that portion, possibly to nothing, by getting credited for the costs of running free events there. The aim is to find a use that brings people to the waterfront and supports local artists and entrepreneurs.
The BPDA is seeking to award a new license to use the property from March 2022 through February 2025, with options to extend the agreement for another two years. I think it should have been a longer tenure, but these guys like to do things on the level, and I don’t think we have anything to be afraid of because we’ve done a good job.” Anybody who complains about that, they’re in the wrong business. “To me, this is part of doing business with a municipality,” Sinclair said. Sinclair, meanwhile, said he understands the reasoning, though he wishes he could have had a little more time running the place before he had to contend with potential rivals. BPDA officials said they’re putting the leasing rights out to bid because of good governance principles, not because they have any particular issue with the way Sinclair and his team have brought to life a windswept corner of the old Navy Yard.