Boat International | 16 November 2023 | Written by Christiana Lilly
With massive waterfront projects, Fort Lauderdale is entering a new era in its yachting history, says Christiana Lilly…
The booming yachting industry of Fort Lauderdale began with a humble gas station back in 1957. It’s a shortcut, true, but hear us out.
While Bahia Mar started welcoming yachts to its marina in 1950, the Phillips 66 gas station, a mere half-mile from the ocean near the inlet, was an important refuelling point that connected the popular cruising grounds farther north to the idyllic Bahamas. And you know the story from there – Fort Lauderdale became the destination, thanks in part to the rise of a resort known as Pier Sixty-Six with a 100-slip marina in the 1960s.
The resort’s 1965 landmark tower, with its revolving cocktail lounge, was the tallest building in Broward County at the time and enticed celebrities, public figures (at one time it had a Liza Minnelli suite) and yacht owners to what the property dubs its “social harbour.”
But while yachts consistently came calling over the years, some say for their owners, the city had lost its lustre. In South Florida alone, the powerful poles of Miami and West Palm Beach attracted global guests with their mix of legacy hotels, shiny new luxury branded resorts and waterfront estates, and Fort Lauderdale was falling behind.
To play catch-up, the city is doubling down on its maritime offerings. Pier Sixty-Six is undergoing a massive transformation, Bahia Mar is getting a $1 billion makeover, a multifaceted expansion is in the works for the waterfront Broward County Convention Center, and developers are incorporating yachting amenities into their blueprints. Names like Tate and Tavistock will join names like Denison, Strauss, Roscioli, and Derecktor to shape Fort Lauderdale’s boating future.