Developers and community members gathered Thursday to break ground on the long‑awaited Rio Marine Village project, a 16‑acre mixed‑use development along the St. Lucie River in West Palm Beach. According to WPBF, the project was approved in 2025 and is intended to replace a waterfront hotel, restaurant and marina that were destroyed by Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne in 2004.

The plan calls for eight multifamily residential buildings, a townhome building, a restaurant, a marina clubhouse and public access to the beach and riverfront. “It’s about time that we’ve come in and to reinvigorate the area and make it accessible for all of the residents to go down to the water and enjoy it,” said developer Charles Modica, who emphasized that the project is more than just new housing.

Local resident JoLynne Jensen of the Rio Civic Club highlighted the community’s long wait for revitalization. “This property used to be a restaurant and a marina and a hotel, but it was all destroyed in the 2004 hurricanes,” Jensen told WPBF. She added that the development will not be a gated enclave but an open space that allows anyone to walk down Dixie Highway, view the river and ride bikes through the site.

Construction is expected to take about two years, with developers having completed construction documents and secured the necessary permits, WPBF reported. Jensen described the project as “Rio’s Renaissance,” signaling a new chapter for the neighborhood after more than two decades of vacancy.

What’s next: The Rio Marine Village construction timeline projects completion roughly two years after the groundbreaking, providing new housing options and public waterfront amenities for West Palm Beach residents. Community members will be invited to future updates as the development progresses.

Sources: wpbf.com