By the end of July, Puerto Rico will have selected a developer for a proposed megayacht marina in San Juan. It will be on the site of the current Isla Grande Dry Dock.
The Puerto Rico Ports Authority (PRPA) is soliciting proposals to revitalize the Isla Grande Dry Dock. Isla Grande was created in the 1940s for use by the U.S. Navy during World War II. It measures 672 feet long by 273 feet wide, according to newspaper accounts at the time. While the Isla Grande Dry Dock has been unused for many years, the surrounding area has been redeveloped as the Convention Center District.
The PRPA believes the Isla Grande Dry Dock is ideally suited for not just a megayacht marina, but also refit and repair services. It further envisions other attractions rising alongside the marina. “Puerto Rico is going to be the premier destination in the Caribbean for maintenance, repair, and overhaul services of luxury vessels, while further fostering the growth of the service and tourism industries on the island,” says Ingrid C. Colberg-Rodriguez, executive director of the PRPA. She adds that the organization further wants to see “a Marina Site to provide services and luxury shopping, dining, and accommodations for the yachting community.”
Puerto Rico does hold some advantages as a home for a megayacht marina and service center. The Atlantic Ocean is on one side, while the Caribbean Sea is on the other. Its infrastructure is well established. the Port of San Juan, upon which the Isla Grande Dry Dock sits, is reportedly the busiest ocean terminal in the Caribbean. The Convention Center District itself includes a significant-size convention center and a jet airport, plus a Sheraton hotel. As a U.S. commonwealth, Puerto Rico uses the U.S. dollar, plus American citizens can travel there without a passport. The B1/B2 visa, which non-American crew currently need to enter the United States, also applies there. And, of course, a number of megayachts have already been calling on Puerto Rico and her smaller surrounding islands over the years.
In an interesting development, the PRPA will consider alternate locations in San Juan Bay for the megayacht marina. Those alternate sites would be mentioned by developers in their proposals. However, the PRPA reserves the right to accept or reject the locations.
Regardless, the PRPA anticipates revealing its megayacht marina location decision by the end of July, with a binding agreement in place by the end of August.
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