Fort Lauderdale, June 21, 2020 -- Earlier today, Mayor Dean J. Trantalis, Vice Mayor Steven Glassman, and City Manager Chris Lagerbloom welcomed U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt to the City of Fort Lauderdale.
Secretary Bernhardt was in town to receive an update on plans for the new Las Olas Marina as well as tour the project site, which is located on the banks of the Intracoastal Waterway just north of the Las Olas Bridge.
The $70 million Las Olas Marina project, which will be built, paid for, and operated by Suntex Marinas through a public/private partnership agreement with the City, has received approval for a $1.1 million matching federal grant through the Boating Infrastructure Grant Program (BIGP). Funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the BIGP is a nationally competitive grant program that provides federal dollars to construct, renovate, and maintain boating infrastructure facilities for transient recreational vessels 26 feet or longer.
In addition to construction and renovation services, eligible activities under the grant include, but are not limited to, engineering, economic, environmental, historic, cultural, or feasibility studies or assessments; planning, permitting, and contracting; dredging; installing navigational aids; and producing information and educational materials.
Fort Lauderdale officials provided Secretary Bernhardt with an overview of current plans for the new Las Olas Marina, which include expanding public boat slips to encompass 7,000 linear feet of dockage to accommodate both mega-yachts and smaller vessels. In addition, the complex will include a three-story 24,000 square-foot marine services building with a casual restaurant, ship store, and office space, along with a gym, swimming pool, and outdoor patio. The marina will also feature a two-story 11,000 square foot upscale waterfront restaurant with outdoor dining areas offering spectacular views of the Intracoastal Waterway. Lush landscaping will surround a pedestrian promenade making the area an inviting destination for walkers, joggers, and bicyclists.
The Las Olas Marina is projected to create more than 650 jobs during construction and 1,110 full-time equivalent jobs. The project is expected to generate $221 million in annual economic impact, $6 million in annual state and local tax revenue, and $446,000 in annual real estate property tax revenue.
The project is currently in the process of securing permits from the appropriate regulatory agencies. Construction is scheduled to begin in September, and is expected to take approximately 18 months to complete.
Upon completion, the signature project will enhance Fort Lauderdale’s position as the “Yachting Capital of the World,” strengthen two of the City’s leading economic engines - the marine industry and tourism – and generate hundreds of millions of dollars in economic impact.
