Plans are underway to build a new $12 million superyacht marina on a five-acre plot in Dania Beach, Florida.
Edelman Development Corp. is planning to buy the waterfront plot and transform it into a new marina that will be able to accommodate up to 20 superyachts.
Luxury yachts flock to yachting capital Fort Lauderdale every autumn for the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show and in preparation for the Caribbean winter cruising season. It is hoped that the new marina, just south of Fort Lauderdale, will help to meet the increasing demand for superyacht berths.
Superyachts will be able to access the marina from the Atlantic Ocean as the waters were dredged as part of a $7 million project that was completed last year.
The developers are still waiting final approval to buy the land but it is hoped if everything goes ahead the new marina will be opened up the end of 2017.
Ken Edelman, president of the real-estate group, told local press they were deliberately targeting superyachts due to demand in the area.
"We're targeting the larger boats, because they have very few choices to park," Edelman said. "To get to our Dania Beach megayacht marina, they'll have unobstructed, deep-water access with no bridges."
The Marine Industries Association of South Florida (MIASF) has welcomed the proposal.
“Plans for the megayacht marina underscore the growing strength of boating industry in Broward County, which last year supported more than 110,000 jobs and produced an economic impact topping $8.8 billion,” said MIASF executive director Phil Purcell.
Earlier this year plans for luxury yacht dockominiums in Fort Lauderdale were revealed in a separate effort to meet demand. The development called Harbour Twenty-Six will create 26 covered superyachts slips. Likewise, the new SeaVault marina on Miami River will offer yacht owners a unique homeport.