The city government of Melbourne sold a vacant marina property to a developer that plans to build a new marina, three restaurants and a hotel there.
River Walk Marina Partners, LLC, paid $2 million to buy the waterfront property on June 29 from the city, which had acquired the waterfront property in 2013 for $1.375 million.
River Walk, led by managing partner Harry Mirpuri, based in Orlando suburb Ocoee, plans to invest $25 million to $30 million to redevelop 7.1 acres (including 2.7 submerged acres) in Melbourne between NASA Boulevard and Cherry Street along the Indian River. Mirpuri also owns a home south of Melbourne.
Melbourne City Manager Mike McNees told Florida Today that Mirpuri has “a great concept for the hotel and the other uses there.”
River Walk is planning a 100-room riverfront hotel, an 81-slip marina and three restaurants, one spanning 7,000 square feet, the other two 2,500 square feet each.
Among other structures that formerly occupied the vacant property, a restaurant was demolished in 2011.
In 2013, an engineering firm determined that the former marina property’s seawall needs repair or replacement, which could cost upwards of $500,000. [Florida Today] – Mike Seemuth