Plans are now being submitted that will begin the process of an outdoor patio outside of Smiths Landing Seafood and Grill within the City of Antioch.
According to Sean McCauley, the plans were submitted 3 years ago, however, the city held onto them and were never approved. With recent approval, permits can now be pulled and construction could begin. If all goes quickly, the patio could be built and ready to open by the end of 2025. If not, a spring 2026 opening date would occur.
The outdoor seating area will include approximately nine tables and 25 seats, expanding the capacity of the Smiths Landing restaurant from 299 to 324. The adjacent pathways will remain accessible with minimal impact to the community. This addition will generate revenue for the City as well as improve the site
Vision of what further expansion/investment could look like near the marina
The approval came at the July 8 city council meeting where Sean McCauley Investments will have a lot lease adjacent to 1 Marina Plaza for a period of 10 years—a total of 2,540 square feet. The agreement will generate $1,200 in revenue for the first three years of the lease, $1,800 in the fourth year, $3,600 in the fifth year, and $7,200 in the sixth through tenth years. Beginning in year seven, the lease will also include annual CPI adjustments.
Antioch City Council Delays Outdoor Dining Downtown
In an email dated August 16 to the City Council, Sean McCauley expressed disappointment that the city council rejected a proposal to allow waterfront outdoor dining for his building at G St and 2nd – which could begin to allow outdoor dining to face the waterfront.
According to videos posted by McCauley, the concept would be to take 20 feet of parking and turn it into outdoor dining – he would not only lease the property, but would invest his own money to fix the parking lot. The council rejected it during closed session and now want him to submit new plans without outdoor dining.
- Video Concept 1 – click here
- Video Concept 2 – click here
Had the item been approved, it would allow for 30-40 people to dine outdoors over looking the delta. Now, the city is in the hook to not only fix the parking lot, but make improvements—versus McCauley simply fixing it.
Here is his letter to the city council:
Dear Council Members,
I would like to express my concern regarding the Council’s decision not to move forward with my proposal to repair and improve the city-owned parking lot adjacent to the restaurant at 2nd and G. While I am disappointed by this outcome, we have just decided to move forward with opening the restaurant without the outdoor dining element.
This decision seems contradictory given that, for the last two decades, Council has consistently emphasized the importance of utilizing Antioch’s waterfront as a catalyst for downtown economic development. Nevertheless, my team and I will adjust accordingly and focus on our other projects in neighboring cities rather than assist further with waterfront redevelopment.
That said, in order to open the restaurant without the outdoor dining element, the following items will need to be completed by the City as landlord of this public property:
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- Replace failing asphalt, recoat and stripe the asphalt.
- Repair all areas of erosion on the north side of the lot, including installation of a retaining wall and repair of the demising wall. (this is a hazardous condition)
- Install proper lighting to address crime and vagrancy issues.
- Repair asphalt damage caused by tree roots and replace the sidewalk to allow safe patron egress.
- Replace and maintain landscaping.
- Confirm where Republic Services will be collecting garbage for this building as garbage service is a right commercial properties are entitled to.
What is especially concerning is the inconsistency in priorities. The Council has approved millions of dollars for homeless hotels and homeless-related programs, yet when a private party offers to contribute over $60,000 toward improvements of a city-owned asset—with no out-of-pocket cost to the City—the proposal is rejected.
This type of poor decision-making is exactly what has contributed to Antioch’s current economic struggles, and unfortunately it appears to be continuing under this Council. I do look forward to seeing you make appearances at all the openings of the new operators and restaurants my team has been opening.
It is unclear if the City Council will change its tune or continue to ignore economic development as a whole for the city. McCauley said he still believes outdoor dining facing the waterfront is the direction the city needs to go to help revitalize the downtown.