Multimillion-dollar upgrade coming to Beaufort Marina. Where money is coming from
With the help of a major federal grant, multimillion-dollar improvements are coming to the Beaufort waterfront that could almost double the dock space.
Beaufort City Council heard Tuesday that Downtown Marina operator Safe Harbor Marinas had secured the largest grant available, $1.5 million, under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Boating Infrastructure Grant Program.
Through the program, grants are provided to construct, renovate and maintain tie-up facilities with features for transient boaters in vessels 26 feet or more in length.
Including the $1.5 million grant, Safe Harbor is planning to invest $2.5 million to $3 million in additions to the Downtown Marina, including a near doubling of the dock space to 2,800 linear feet, City Manager Bill Prokop said.
The improvements will occur on the water, said Prokop, noting the city owns the buildings and land associated with the marina.
The marina store and fuel area will be moved into the dock area as part of the new design, he said.
Beaufort’s Downtown Marina, operated by Safe Harbor Beaufort, is midway between Charleston and Savannah, and has long been a popular destination for boaters traveling the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.
The marina and currently provides 1,002 linear feet of dockage for transient boaters.
Marina facilities also include 2,860 linear feet of flexible‐use side tie berthing space, 32 dedicated wet slips, shore power and potable water, gas and diesel, Wi-Fi and a ship’s store.
Safe Harbor Marinas took over management and operations of the city‐owned marina in the summer of 2019.
Under the agreement with the city, Safe Harbor was required to invest at least $1 million in the docks during the first 10 years of the lease.
Dallas-based Safe Harbor Marinas, which operates 115 marinas in 22 states, says it’s the largest owner and operator of marinas in the world.
This story was originally published May 12, 2021 at 12:00 AM.
