City Breaks Ground for Dazzling New Riviera Beach Marina

Courtesy of “The Riviera” the City of Riviera Beach Quarterly Newsletter.

On July 14, the Municipal Marina Director Edwin C. Legue hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the demolition of the marina’s sea wall as the first phase of a $10-million-plus marina redevelopment planned to finish in late 2013.

The exciting goal: a world-class facility with every modern convenience.

Much effort has been made by the City and its Community Redevelopment Agency to solicit ideas for the new marina’s design. Several public meetings were held prior to the selection of the final design firm for both the Marina District and the adjacent upland development. A second set of public meetings was held about a week after the groundbreaking.

But what will it look like? Rather than dry descriptions based on diagrams and stylized drawings, imagine instead a trip into the future.

Riviera Beach Marina

Stretching ahead, after turning east on 13th Street from Broadway, the brick-paved roadway is lined with palm trees. To the right, a public market—a two-story structure fronted by boutique shops and restaurants. To the left, an open parking area which could, some day, become surrounded by luxury condominiums.

Continuing east, drive across a tree-lined Avenue C and park in the five-story garage, which would also serve the neighboring Port of Palm Beach. Ahead, from the exit, is a green market, flanked on the right by splashing fountains in the tastefully landscaped public plaza. Crossing this open space leads to what will be the newly refreshed Tiki Waterfront Sea Grill, still overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway and Peanut Island.

To the north is Newcomb Hall – a completely rebuilt, $3 million, two-story structure with a 400-seat conference facility, meeting rooms, educational space and an ornamental rooftop garden. Next to it is a revitalized Bicentennial Park with new walkways, a shaded playground, picnic areas and an amphitheater.

The marina itself will feature floating docks with beautiful hardwood decking; submerged lighting will provide a nightly aquarium show. Each of the eventual 100 public slips will have all the amenities – including in-slip pump out, water, electric, Wi-Fi connection and cable TV. Alongside the water is a two-tiered, landscaped boardwalk which leads south towards the separate Tiki bar, with plenty of outdoor seating looking out towards the water.

Once complete, not only will the City have the best beach in Florida, it will also be able to boast the best marina.

For more information on the Marina, call Edwin Legue, director of the Municipal Marina, at 561-845-3408.