Twin Dolphin Marina expansion set to begin any day now

With the final agreements in place and signed by Mayor Wayne Poston on Wednesday, the $5.2 million Twin Dolphin Marina expansion and renovation can begin immediately.

Notice to proceed letters are in the hands of contractors and work will begin as soon as workers are deployed to the site. The contract states that work must begin within 30 days of the notice.

The cost of the project is being covered by $1.3 million in grants applied for by the city through the Florida Fish & Wildlife’s boating infrastructure grant program. The city owns the marina but has a long-term lease with Hugh Miller, owner of the Pier 22 restaurant, to operate the marina. Miller’s company, Don Miller Development Corp., will be paying for the remainder of the costs and financing is in place.

The project is more than a year in the making. Only two contractors replied to a request for proposal in December and both came in over budget. Couple that with failed negotiations with the first developer, “and it’s been challenging to get through all the hurdles,” Miller said in May.

Miller predicted then that it would be “full speed ahead,” for the project and the time has come to begin construction. The scope of work includes dredging, reconfiguring the eastern part of the marina with 129 new slips and updating the floating docks with full amenities.

Construction is expected to take up to nine months. Of the 129 new slips, 86 will be designed for larger vessels up to 50 feet in length and 15 will accommodate boats up to 105 feet long.

City officials have long heralded the project as a major economic development tool that will not only enhance the marina’s capacity, but bring larger boats with more people and more money, into the downtown area.

“It’s been a long process to get here, but everyone is excited to get this going,” said Economic Development Director Carl Callahan. “They are ready to go.”

With construction already starting on the new $17 million Spring Suites Hotel in the 100 block of Old Main Street, the marina construction will become the second of several major projects expected over the course of the next year that will bring significant change to downtown Bradenton.

This story was originally published July 6, 2017 at 3:58 PM with the headline "Twin Dolphin Marina expansion set to begin any day now."