FORT LAUDERDALE — Think of it as another cool hangout spot on a Water Taxi route lined with waterfront mansions and oceanfront views.
A new Water Taxi hub currently dubbed The Landing would rise near Bahia Mar on city-owned land long used as a parking lot if commissioners give the final ok.
The $10 million project calls for an 8,600-square-foot building with four levels that would include a ticketing and visitors’ center on the ground floor, a restaurant and bar on the second and third level plus a rooftop event space.
If all goes as planned, Water Taxi owner Bill Walker says he wants to break ground by mid-2024 and open by early 2026.
“What we’re doing is going to activate that part of the barrier island and give people a variety of things to do,” Walker said. “This is just a little more icing on the cake. I think it’ll be a lot more inviting for guests. It’s a really needed piece of infrastructure for people to use. Gets people out of their cars to really see Fort Lauderdale as you could and should.”
Commissioners are expected to vote on the deal in the coming months.
Critics say they don’t like the idea of leasing away more public land. But supporters say it will draw more people to the southern section of the barrier island and give them another high-up haven where they can enjoy the view.
Some hope it might even help relieve traffic on the barrier island by giving people one more way to get there — by water taxi.
That includes longtime resident Ina Lee, the owner of Travelhost Magazine of Greater Fort Lauderdale.
“Water Taxi has proven they can transport thousands of people. And that’s what we want,” Lee said. “We don’t want people to drive over to the beach. You’re talking about getting thousands of people a day to the beach and getting them out of their cars. So I’m all for it.”
Anne Hilmer, a resident of the Idlewyld neighborhood that sits on the other side of the Intracoastal across from the project site, questions the wisdom of leasing taxpayer-owned land to the private sector, even if it’s just a tiny sliver of land.
The waterfront parcel is 0.19 acres and currently home to 10 parking spaces and seven boat slips on the east side of the Intracoastal.
“How much more city land are we going to give away,” Hilmer said. “What if at some point, with all the growth on the barrier island, we need more space for the fire station? (And) there’s going to be more entertainment space and more noise with the restaurant. I don’t know where everyone is going to park.”
But here’s the thing. They won’t need to find a place to park if they’re coming by Water Taxi, says longtime owner Bill Walker.
“We bring people to and from the barrier island,” Walker said. “People can hop on at Shooters or the Riverside Hotel in downtown Fort Lauderdale. If people did want to drive down, they can use the South Beach parking lot across the street.”
Walker presented the city with an unsolicited proposal in May to build and operate a Water Taxi terminal at 1001 Seabreeze Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale commissioners accepted the proposal on Sept. 19 and gave any would-be competitors 45 days to come forward with their own plans. The deadline came and went with no one stepping forward, Walker says.
Under the deal, Walker would lease the land from the city for 40 years with a 20-year renewal option. The terms of the deal are still being negotiated, he said.
Walker plans to redesign the seven boat slips to accommodate private boats during the day and part of the Water Taxi fleet overnight.
“We have 13 boats we run from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. for 363 days a year,” Walker said. “We’re closed for Christmas and the Winterfest Boat Parade. We go as far south as Margaritaville and the Diplomat in Hollywood, as far north as Bokampers and as far west as the Riverside Hotel and Stranahan House.”
On a normal day, the fleet transports around 2,000 customers a day, Walker said.
But that number can skyrocket to 20,000 people a day during major events like the Tortuga Music Festival or the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.
“We sell people a ticket to go on a boat but we’re really taking them to a destination,” Walker said. “The idea is that you can get on and off at multiple stops and you go to whatever place moves you. The new hub is right next to Bahia Mar. They’ll have a view of the Bahia Mar marinas and they can also look back over at the beach.”
For now, the project is called The Landing, but Walker says it will likely end up with a new name. Whatever it’s called, he thinks it will fit in just fine.
“I think the architectural style fits in with everything being built and proposed along the barrier island,” he said.
Commissioner Steve Glassman, whose district includes the neighborhood, loves the idea.
“It just adds to our tool chest of mobility options for the city,” he said. “It’s just a small strip of asphalt that’s been used as a parking lot. And it makes much more sense to use that space for something worthwhile. It makes sense to me to try to remove as many cars as possible on A1A. It’s a nice little project for that area of the beach.”
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan