The Bahia Mar is home to the annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, but its new developers want to make it a public attraction the rest of the year as well, with an Intracoastal Waterway promenade, waterfront restaurants, a retail-oriented "fishing village" and a grocery store.
The plans for the city-owned property also include two 39-story condominium towers, which would be the tallest buildings on the barrier island, a $40 million hotel renovation and a 200,000-square-feet exhibition center for the boat show that will double as a parking garage.
The plans have not been submitted to the city yet and developers are still working on a study to see if beach streets can handle the added traffic, but they're getting a decent reception from the beach residents most affected by the project.