Deal may provide for Riviera boat ramp, development

By William Cooper Jr.

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Friday, February 10, 2006

RIVIERA BEACH — A county commissioner and a high-profile developer are close to resolving a land dispute, which could propel Riviera Beach's billion-dollar waterfront development.

County Commissioner Warren Newell and Wayne Huizenga Jr. have met twice in the past two weeks to discuss developing 3.7 acres of county-owned land into a boat ramp park in Riviera Beach, Newell said.

The parcel, known as Moroso Park, rests between Huizenga's property and land owned by Lockheed Martin.

It is crucial to both Huizenga's company and Lockheed, which have plans for waterfront projects that promise to bring hundreds of jobs and millions in revenues to the city.

Last month, Huizenga, the son of billionaire and Miami Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga, began buying properties along the Intracoastal Waterway near the county's land for more than three times their appraised value.

At a recent meeting, Huizenga told city and county officials the county's piece was critical to his plans to build a mega-yacht business along the Intracoastal Waterway.

County commissioners, however, sent Huizenga a message: The county land wasn't for sale. Instead, commissioners vowed to keep their promise to voters and to develop the land into a boat ramp park.

That's when Newell, a friend of waterfront business owners — such as Mike Murphy, owner of Cracker Boy Boat Works, whose business is due south of the county's land — took the lead and began meeting with Huizenga.

The result, according to Newell, has been Huizenga's company creating some initial drawings of developing the land in a way that allows both the county and the developer to get what they want. The project would include a boat ramp park with parking spaces for boat trailers. In addition, Huizenga could make use of the property through a long-term lease agreement if county commissioners approve it, Newell said.

"The first step was to get the concept down on paper," Newell said. "The benefit is for the public to have access to the water."

Any deal would require the approval of the entire county commission.

Alex Muxo Jr., senior vice president with Huizenga Holdings, said the meetings have been productive. Huizenga's company doesn't necessarily have to own the land in order for its project to work, he said.

"Our purpose was to talk to see if there was a level of interest (in reaching a compromise)," said Muxo, who reiterated that Huizenga plans to make a substantial investment in Riviera Beach's waterfront. "We're going to fine-tune the plan.... We're ready to start as soon as possible."

The potential for Huizenga to lease the land is good. Last June, county commissioners entered into a $9,000 month-to-month lease for the property with John Staluppi, a controversial developer and yacht-builder.

Staluppi, who eventually sold a site north of the county land to Huizenga, had wanted to buy Moroso Park. The deal was a virtual lock until local boaters got wind of it and forced county commissioners to abandon the sale.

The county's land also is critical to Lockheed Martin, which recently received approval from Riviera Beach officials for the city to enter into a $1.6 million state contract to dredge the Lake Worth Lagoon. Lockheed Martin needs the Intracoastal to be deeper to bring in the Littoral, a 300-foot combat ship that the company will service.

The contract requires the building of a 500-foot public pier on the county-owned park, long a subject of controversy.

Huizenga also will benefit from the deal because he won't have to pay for dredging the lagoon. Yet the water will be made deep enough for him to dock 300-foot yachts along his property.