Margaritaville could be headed to Riviera Beach’s Marina Village

Parrotheads rejoice. 

A Margaritaville-branded hotel could anchor a proposed waterfront mixed-use project in Riviera Beach’s Marina Village.

The project’s master developer, Atlanta-based APD Solutions, is partnering with singer-turned-hotelier Jimmy Buffett to add a five-story building with 150 rooms and an 875-space parking garage to anchor the proposed mixed-use site, which also entails 225,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space.

Vaughn Irons, APD’s CEO, unveiled his development team’s plan last month during a meeting of the Riviera Beach Community Redevelopment Agency, which owns the sprawling 90-acre redevelopment site known as Marina Village. The partnership also includes Sonnenblick Development, based in Pacific Palisades, California. 

“We’re not just saying ‘Hey this is our idea,’” Irons told the CRA Board on June 28. “They have committed to bringing this hotel to the property. We’ve shared with your staff proof of that commitment.”

Irons also displayed a 20-page Powerpoint presentation with renderings of the proposed mixed-use project and interiors of the proposed Compass by Margaritaville Hotel that would anchor the development, according to video of the meeting. 

“We’re bringing a hotel brand that will be a great match for the vision that you are looking for Marina Village,” Irons said. We think we found a great blend and match.”

The proposed Compass by Margaritaville Hotel would create synergistic opportunities with the Margaritaville at Sea cruise ship that sails from the nearby Port of Palm Beach, Irons said. Buffet’s firm, Margaritaville Hotels & Resorts, will be able to promote hotel stays to its cruise ship passengers, and therefore “increasing the economic prospects,” Irons added. 

The CRA staff is still negotiating business terms with the APD-led development team, and the agency’s board could vote on a final contract in September. 

There are other projects on tap for Marina Village. Also last month, the CRA approved a 99-year ground lease with a joint venture between Related Group and BH Group to build a multifamily project. The partnership, which also includes West Palm Beach-based Tezral Partners, is proposing a pair of 20-story buildings with 424 apartments and 8,000 square feet of retail in Marina Village.

In March, Coconut Grove-based Related completed Icon Marina Village, a two-tower project with 399 apartments on 5 acres of waterfront.