"The goal is not to drive other marinas out of business, but to provide more opportunities for transient boats to dock and enjoy the area," said City Manager Michael Beedie.
FORT WALTON BEACH — City officials hope to obtain $10 million in Triumph Gulf Coast money to potentially buy a property along the Santa Rosa Sound and use it for a municipal marina, dry boat storage and a mixed-use development.
The mixed-use development, which would be built in partnership with a private developer, could include amenities such as a hotel and restaurants.
The possible project site is a 3.5-acre property that stands across U.S. Highway 98 from Capt. D’s restaurant several blocks east of Fort Walton Beach City Hall.
The overall site consists of a 1.78-acre parcel at 14 Miracle Strip Parkway and several smaller, mostly vacant parcels to the east. Currently, Destin-based Legendary Marine sells and repairs vessels and provides other services at the site, which is owned by Peach Reo LLC of Fort Worth, Texas.
"That would be a good location because the foundation for a municipal marina is already there," City Manager Michael Beedie said Tuesday. "If Triumph decides to fund it, we would work with the property owner to turn it into a municipal marina."
Another alternative would have the city consider expanding the dock at Fort Walton Landing into a city marina, he said.
Beedie said the City Council has discussed such possibilities at its past three or four annual strategic planning sessions.
"The goal is not to drive other marinas out of business, but to provide more opportunities for transient boats to dock and enjoy the area," he said. "We’re not doing it to be a competitor to existing marinas, but to provide amenities in a different location."
The city would receive revenue from the rentals of boat slips and from boaters storing their vessels in the dry boat storage. The marina that is operated by Legendary Marine has boat slips for more than 60 vessels.
"We would probably have a partnership with a marina operator to run the marina," Beedie said. "We’re not in that business and we never have been."
He said the city has not yet talked with Peach Reo LLC officials about the possible land purchase and developments.
"It’s really conceptual right now. We’re in the pre-application phase" of applying for money from the Triumph Gulf Coast board, Beedie said. "We haven’t heard anything from the board on when we’ll get an answer."
He said city officials also have not yet discussed the conceptual project with any developer.
"Once we get through the Triumph process, we would have to get a master plan in place and then issue requests for proposals to get developers to work with the city," Beedie said.
Depending on the agreement with a developer, the city would receive lease revenue from the potential hotel, restaurants and/or other types of amenities at the 3.5-acre site, he said.
Fort Walton Beach officials could use city Community Redevelopment Agency money to complete the downtown master plan and design of the marina and mixed-use development, according to city information. The master plan will include an economic analysis of the overall project.
"With Triumph, you have to have some skin in the game" to receive some of the BP oil spill settlement money, Beedie said. "Fortunately, (the 3.5-acre site) is in our CRA area, so we could use some CRA funds to help move this project along."
The marina project "allows for the expansion of the use of the region’s greatest asset, the water, to provide an affordable location for boat traffic to dock with the intent to explore and enjoy the attractions of the Emerald Coast," Fort Walton Beach officials wrote in the project benefits’ portion of their pre-application to the Triumph board. "It also provides a location to host fishing tournaments, (inshore) charter fishing excursions and overnight docking for extended stays in the area."
Although it would be about a 35-minute boat ride from the Gulf of Mexico and offshore opportunities, the municipal marina would have a good chance of being successful, said Gary Jarvis, president of the Destin Charter Boat Association.
The association represents more than 80 professional fishing companies that make up Destin’s fishing fleet. Jarvis is also the founder of the Galveston, Texas-based Charter Fisherman’s Association, which represents more than 500 professional fishing business owners/operators in all five states on the Gulf of Mexico.
"I think the marinas on the Sound now appear to be full," Jarvis said. "There is plenty of room for more marinas, and I’m sure if (the proposed marina) is run the proper way, it would be a profitable marina.
"Just be fiscally accountable if they’re going to use that kind of (BP oil spill settlement) money," he added. "Make sure it’s a net positive to the area and to the city’s bottom line."