Looking south. The marina as viewed from the second floor offices over the marina entry from the street. The building with the restaurant and banquet/meeting halls isat the end of the walkway. The dockmaster’s office and store are to the right just out of the photo on the dock that goes to the right from the restaurant.
Regatta Pointe Marina Reinvests in the Future By Steve Morrell
R
egatta Pointe Marina is one of the largest marinas in west Florida—some say the largest —and it’s come a long ways since its beginning over three decades ago. Current owners plan to take it a lot further. The American economy was slow when construction began in the late ’70s, and after the first phase of about 100 slips was completed, the marina sat dormant until Harry VanDerNoord purchased it in 1987. VanDerNoord came to the marina with a long history of construction and real estate behind him and used this expertise to expand the Looking north. View of the marina from the second floor above the restaurant, looking at the marina and waterfront. He built shops and offices along the waterfront. The two-story building at the end of the walkway with shops and offices, two restaurants, the arched window is where the VanDerNoords’ offices are located, above the marina entry. a pool and other facilities that the hundreds of boats. today make it one of the prime waterfront destinations in What is impressive today about Regatta Pointe Marina Florida. Harry and his son, Peter, today run the marina and is where the VanDerNoords are going with it. Today, you their other real estate holdings and construction business will find construction all over this waterfront complex. from second-floor offices accessed through and above the Recently, the main building received a new coat of paint, portico, which serves as the main entry to the docks. new light fixtures and a new colorful standing seam metal Today, the marina boasts 350 slips—of mostly fixed roof, replacing the old shake roof. On the docks, one can see docks—and a pier that runs down the center with a wide new dock boards everywhere. In some places, all the dock boardwalk out to an island-like building housing a restauboards are new. Nothing seems rundown at this marina. rant, banquet/meeting hall and marina facilities. Shops and Everything is well maintained and in good condition. You offices, many of which are home to several yacht brokers, can just feel it. run along the marina’s waterfront. A popular restaurant At the end of the main boardwalk out to the “island” and pool with deck for marina boat owners sits at one end sits a three-story building that houses banquet and meeting of this commercial complex that gives one a nautical feel. rooms on the second and third floors, and on the ground The building was designed and built with a maritime flavor floor—at boardwalk level—is the main restaurant facility— in mind. Trees line the parking area along the front of this currently undergoing major remodeling—marina bathbuilding. The backs of all the shops and offices open out rooms, a clubroom and a workout facility. onto a boardwalk that runs along the waterfront across from
42 January 2009
SOUTHWINDS
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