CLEARWATER BEACH, Fla. — Even though it took several years and more than double the funding, city council members agreed the Clearwater Beach Marina was in disrepair, outdated and in need of a multi-million-dollar major overhaul.

Monday’s unanimous vote was the second and final time all council members agreed to seal the deal and approve Kokolakis Contracting to start work on the rebuilding project this October.

“Everything needs to be updated — it’s obsolete,” said Michael MacDonald, marine and aviation director for the City of Clearwater. “The slips are going to be wider. It’s going to be more power for all of them. When the marina was designed back in the 60s, there were smaller vessels. Today, they have big powerboats that draw a lot of electricity, air conditioners, TVs, computers and sound systems.”

According to MacDonald, during construction, the marina with 165 slips will be rebuilt in two phases starting first with the West end, and then transitioning to the East end for the final phase.

Construction cost is expected to be $43,5 million.

“It’s going to the be the best marina on the West Coast,” MacDonald said. “We already have the finest fishing fleet on Florida’s West Coast. We have thousands upon thousands of visitors every year come through Clearwater Beach. We have 58 commercial, tour vessels that operate out of the marina, and they take around 4000 visitors every day,” MacDonald added.

Capt. Chad Haggert, president of the family-owned Double Eagle Deep Sea Fishing, is one of the commercial operators at the marina. This redevelopment is not just about business, he says it’s personal.

“I’m the third generation of Haggerts to be captain in the Clearwater Marina,” he said. “My grandfather actually had a charter boat, and up at the northeast corner there used to be a marina building there. He had a restaurant called the Captain’s Table and a small seafood market there. He was on the design team for the marina when they built it.”

The new design was created with a focus on sustainability and strategies to better manage sea level rise, which includes raising the height of the sea wall and fixed docks.

Floating docks will be installed for non-commercial users, along with the creation of Marina Walk. It’ll be an extension of Beach Walk and feature a promenade, shaded areas, and ticket kiosks.

Haggert, who also has been working with city leaders through the Clearwater Marina Tenant Outreach Group, stated he is excited about the new renderings, but more needs to be done to increase parking. The current design would reduce the number of parking spaces on-site.

“I’m pushing for some type of storage for the larger businesses, which they’re saying will be on the first floor of a potential parking garage, which I am in high hopes for and praying for every day, because we’ve been told for a lot of years that we were going to get one,” Haggert said. “So, yes, if the Marina project goes through the docks are going to be nice, the Marina will be nice and it will be extravagant if they give us some parking and extra storage that we need.”

The Clearwater Beach Marina Replacement Project is scheduled to start this October with expected completion in the spring of 2026.