Las Olas Marina bringing a touch of class to the Fort Lauderdale waterfront

FORT LAUDERDALE — Don’t blink.

In 10 years, you might not recognize the busiest corridor along Fort Lauderdale beach. A dramatic transformation years in the making is finally underway.

Just take a look at the newly renovated Las Olas Marina, a $60 million project in the works for eight years.

The 88-slip marina, with floating concrete docks designed for some of the globe’s biggest yachts, opened on Dec. 1 at 151 Las Olas Circle, replacing an old city parking lot built in the 1950s.

The asphalt lot was dredged to make way for the world-class marina, which can handle vessels anywhere from 65 feet to 315 feet.

Big change is coming to that entire corridor, said Dan Lindblade, president and CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce.

“We are no longer the Spring Break Capital of the World,” Lindblade told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “We are now the Yachting Capital of the World. This is what we envisioned back in the 1990s. I know some people like the old Fort Lauderdale, but we have to move on and move forward. Everything is coming together for us now.”

The new marina is just one piece of the puzzle, though a very important one, said Vice Mayor Steve Glassman, whose district includes the new marina and nearby Bahia Mar, home to the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.

“Everyone wants to be here — businesses, residents, yachts,” Glassman said. “We’ve become a very popular destination. And we have to plan for that.”

The new marina is like night and day from what was there before, Glassman said.

“I don’t remember how many slips were there, but it’s a fraction of what’s there now,” Glassman said. “And it was not a megayacht marina. It’s a whole new presence for that spot. It’s going to be a great destination.”

On the map

Other projects in the pipeline nearby include:

— Bahia Mar: The long-awaited redevelopment of the taxpayer-owned peninsula south of Las Olas calls for four condo towers with 350 units that will stand 270 feet high; a 197-key luxury resort under the St. Regis brand that will be 300 feet tall; upscale restaurants; high-end shops; a public park and 25-foot-wide promenade encircling the entire 39-acre site. The 250-slip marina, home to the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, will be able to accommodate megayachts up to 350 feet. The Marina Village at Bahia Mar, a $16 million open-air entertainment village, opened earlier this year.

— Las Olas Ocean: The mammoth project would take up three blocks just north of the iconic Elbo Room at Las Olas and A1A. The developer plans to build what he calls a village with 29-story twin condo towers with 500 units; a 373-room hotel; upscale shops and restaurants; and a 1,323-space parking garage.

— The International Swimming Hall of Fame: A major $190 million makeover of the Hall of Fame complex is on the way, with plans for an aquarium, rooftop restaurant and new museum. The project will spruce up the city-owned peninsula south of Las Olas with a modern five-story building on the east side just a block from the beach and a six-story building on the west overlooking the Intracoastal. When the project is complete, two new buildings more than 100 feet tall will sit like bookends on either side of the Hall of Fame pools and dive tower.

To help beautify the corridor, Fort Lauderdale has spent millions upgrading public amenities in the area.

Altogether, the city has invested a total of $70 million on projects that include the Las Olas Oceanside Park at A1A; the Las Olas Parking Garage; and the public promenade surrounding the marina.

The marina itself has been in the works for nearly a decade.

In 2016, Suntex was hired by Fort Lauderdale to build the marina at its own expense. Suntex is managing and operating the new Las Olas Marina under a 50-year lease with the city.

The project broke ground two years ago and came in just under budget at $60 million, said Eric Metz, senior director of development with Suntex Marinas.

A new anchor for the beach

But don’t think of the marina as just a place to dock your megayacht, Metz said.

It also will serve as a gathering spot with three upscale restaurants, including Ocean Prime. The nationally acclaimed seafood and steak place is expected to open next spring.

“The marina has the chance to re-anchor this part of the beach, with the public promenade and the walkability of the project,” Metz said. “Ocean Prime is a signature, high-caliber restaurant. When you put that into the fold of what we’re doing, it’s going to redefine that whole area.”

Marina customers will find a three-story building complete with a captains-and-crew lounge, chef’s kitchen, rooftop gym, plunge pool, restroom/shower facilities and dockmaster’s office.

“It will be a whole amenity package there for people who dock their yachts,” Glassman said. “And you won’t have to be a yacht owner to enjoy it.”

Bigger marina, bigger impact

The marina sits on both sides of the bridge over the Intracoastal. For now, only the docks on the north side are open.

“We have two docks south of the bridge,” said McLayne Sisk, the marina’s general manager. “We’ll be looking to have the south side open as well in January or February.”

The old marina had only 60 slips — 28 fewer than the new marina. The slips could only handle boats up to 60 feet.

“I was here when we shut down the old marina on April 1, 2022,” Sisk said. “It was a smaller marina. They only had fixed docks. Our slips are a lot larger now. It was a complete rebuild.”

The new marina is just one piece of the dramatic change coming to that part of the barrier island, Glassman agreed.

“We’ve done a tremendous amount of work in that whole corridor, from the beach to the bridge,” he said. “And now we have the marina, the last piece of the puzzle. The marina is possibly going to be the crown jewel of all that work. Kids used to come from the bars on A1A and smash beer bottles on the parking lot. That’s gone now. It’s really been cleaned up. It’s a win-win.”

Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan

EMEA Tribune is not involved in this news article, it is taken from our partners and or from the News Agencies. Copyright and Credit go to the News Agencies, email news@emeatribune.com Follow our WhatsApp verified Channel