PSJ Marina rebuild to begin this month

Posted on 05/07/2020

By Tim Croft
Posted May 6, 2020 at 12:01 AM Updated May 6, 2020 at 11:01 PM

The rebuilding of the Port St. Joe Marina is about to break ground.

The St. Joe Company announced last week its plan to construct a dry storage facility at the marina, which the company owns.

The dry storage building is the first of several phases in the rebuilding of the marina, which was destroyed during Hurricane Michael, boats floating along the storm surge as far as downtown.

The marina’s location, sitting on St. Joseph Bay, provides easy and quick access to the Gulf of Mexico and Intracoastal Waterway.

Port St. Joe commissioners have already approved zoning changes and small scale map amendment for the overall marina rebuild, which will include a restaurant and retail shopping among other amenities.

The new dry boat storage facility will be roughly 63,200 square feet with 252 dry boat slips.

Construction is expected to begin this month with completion by the end of the year, according to a press release from St. Joe.

St. Joe intends to make the slips available for lease: the largest of which will be designed for boats up to 45-feet in length, according to the release.

“As we were planning this project, it was important that we not only rebuild what was there previously, but create a space that the people of Port St. Joe and the boating community could be proud of,” said Patrick Murphy, Senior Vice President of Operations with St. Joe.

“We are thrilled to be through the planning and permitting phase of this project and ready to kick off construction.”

According to the St. Joe release, planning and permitting is moving forward for additional phases of the marina including 48 wet boat slips, a ship’s store and other amenities.

Port St. Joe Mayor Rex Buzzett expressed excitement last Friday about the announcement, adding that with a new Capital City Bank going up along U.S. 98 and an agreement in place for a new city hall complex there are positive signs amid the current pandemic.

“Boating is central to the lifestyle in Port St. Joe for so many,” Buzzett said. “The marina serves as such as important gathering spot for our residents and visitors.

“Getting it closer to opening is something that we have been looking forward to.”