The City of Fort Lauderdale and Suntex Marinas broke ground last May on the new Las Olas Marina as part of a public/private partnership.
In addition to being the future location of the expanded Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, the iconic marina will redefine the Fort Lauderdale waterfront with fine dining, boutique retail, infrastructure improvements and a lush, pedestrian friendly landscape.
Suntex will own and operate the Las Olas Marina for 50 years in partnership with the city. This multi-million-dollar project is in addition to the $70 million redevelopment the city has already invested to create waterfront and beach access, public parks, and new parking facilities.
The $70 million project will be built and paid for by Suntex Marinas and is estimated to take 24 months to complete.
Plans for the new Las Olas Marina include:
- 7,000 linear feet of dockage;
- a three-story 31,000-square-foot marine services building with a casual restaurant, ship store, office space, a gym, a swimming pool, and an outdoor patio; and
- a two-story 15,000-square-foot upscale waterfront restaurant with outdoor dining areas
The project will create more than 650 jobs during construction and 1,110 full-time equivalent jobs. It is also expected to generate $221 million in annual economic impact, $6 million in annual state local tax revenue, and $446,000 in annual real estate property tax revenue.
“The Las Olas Marina will be a world-class destination for mega yachts and a signature destination for visitors to South Florida for the next 50 years,” Suntex stated in a press release. “The marina will include 68 boat slips capable of handling vessels up to 250-feet and two buildings.
The iconic marina will redefine the Fort Lauderdale waterfront featuring fine dining, boutique retail, state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements, and a lush pedestrian-friendly landscape.
Las Olas Marina is the capstone of more than $130 million in public amenity improvements along the Las Olas Corridor connecting pedestrians to the ocean. The marina will also contribute to the City’s environmental resilience by converting 3 acres back to water and natural habitat and providing seawall improvements to protect against sea level rise.
TIMELINE
April 2022 – October 2022:
Completion of the installation of the new Lift Station and supporting infrastructure.
November 2022:
Commencement of excavation, dredging, and installation of the sea walls.
Reprinted from Marine Construction Magazine, Issue II, 2024
