Proposals sought for next phase of Marina Village
RIVIERA BEACH — This city is starting the next phase of its waterfront Marina Village as it seeks a master developer.
The Riviera Beach Community Redevelopment Agency announced Monday that it has issued a request for proposals for Phase II of the project, which are due by noon May 31. A pre-submittal conference, which is mandatory for anyone submitting a proposal, is set for 3 p.m. May 14 at the Marina Event Center, 190 E. 13th St.
Riviera Beach Marina Village is a 23-acre area between the Intracoastal Waterway and U.S. 1 that the city and CRA have spent about $35 million on in preparation for redevelopment.
The strategic vision for the project is to leverage Riviera Beach’s public waterfront and maritime district setting to create a mixeduse destination that will serve as a destination center and employment hub, CRA officials said.
The first phase opened in 2016 with a two-story Marina Event Center and a pavilion at a revamped Bicentennial Park with a children’s splash park.
The event center, at the foot of East 13th Street south of Blue Heron Boulevard, overlooks the Intracoastal Waterway and the 111slip marina. Rafiki Tiki, a restaurant, is operating at the site.
Plans for the second phase call for a mixed-use project, including a hotel, more restaurants and shops, on about 6 acres within the interior of the district, which fronts the marina.
Options for the hotel’s location
are opposite to the event center’s main entrance; in the southern quadrant closer to the existing cruise terminal; within the waterside promenade dining area; on the site of the former Spanish Courts fronting Broadway; or at the marina district’s Broadway entrance.
The goal is to open the second phase by the spring of 2021.
This phase excludes a half acre of strategically positioned land that is owned by Viking Development — an affiliate of Viking Yachts. In December 2015 the CRA cut ties with Viking Development, which in 2006 was selected as master developer for the project.
In May 2017, the Riviera Beach CRA adopted new objectives that reset Marina Village’s master plan to clarify the city’s interest, plan approach and priorities, and the CRA is now seeking a development partner with experience and a successful track record in planning, designing, constructing, leasing, operating and marketing mixed-use real estate ventures.
“We believe in our city and the Marina Village’s potential to catalyze broader economic development that will create new avenues to opportunity and prosperity for all citizens,” said Scott Evans, interim executive director of the Riviera Beach CRA. “This is an incredible business opportunity to partner with our city’s leadership team to create a vibrant and prosperous waterfront destination.”
The Marina Village project is one of the last major waterfront redevelopment projects in South Florida, CRA officials said.