THE MAN ATOP THE “YACHTING CAPITAL OF THE WORLD”
1/13/2009 9:50:52 AM by Sandy Lindsey
Photos by Peter Caspari
Being the mayor of the “Yachting Capital of the World” is no small task, but for Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle it’s just another day. Fort Lauderdale boats 165 miles of lush, tropical navigable waterways, an amazing 3,000 hours of annual sunshine and seven miles of pristine beaches, making it a natural haven for yachtsman the world over. Add in the fact that the Intracoastal Waterway is lined with marinas, waterfront restaurants and nightspots, and the fact that the city is home to the world’s largest boat show, and there’s no reason to dock anywhere else. However, there’s a lot of work behind the scenes to maintain Fort Lauderdale’s title as the boater’s oasis that it is while growing the city further.
“We have established ourselves as a place in the world where you can buy a boat, get it worked on and get it crewed,” says Naugle proudly. “For example, the annual Fort Lauderdale Boat Show, an eye-popping assembly of yachts and super-yachts, has become the largest event in Florida in terms of the direct business it generates. It’s bigger than the Super Bowl for us, pumps several billion into the economy, and draws prospective buyers from all over the world, giving the city a caliber of global exposure it couldn’t get any other way.”
Mayor Naugle’s lifelong love affair with Fort Lauderdale’s waterways began during his childhood. He grew up a block away from Fort Lauderdale’s historic New River — the scene of many marine and other waterfront businesses today, which he has dubbed “Florida’s Most Beautiful Mile.” During his formative years, his family’s business was one block from the New River as well. “Capitalizing on this central feature, the foundation of our city since the 1700s when the first European settlers embarked on the New River, is important,” says Naugle when talking about his efforts for a downtown renaissance anchored by the waterway. “The whole city grew up on the river —
the history is just so rich. It should be a 24/7 destination, and during my years of service, the area has seen the addition of significant residential housing.”
Both the local and international boating community have a true friend in the mayor. Naugle himself is an avid yachtsman and likes nothing more than to start up the 36-foot Hatteras sportfisher docked behind his house and go out cruising with his wife Judge Carol-Lisa Phillips, and their daughter, Rachel. The time on the water helps him gain first-hand knowledge of the recreational mariner as well as the marine industry in South Florida. “If we get people out on the waterways when they visit our city, we have a customer for life because it’s just so awesome out there,” says Naugle. “When I have friends from out of town I take them on the Water Bus because it’s a great way to show them the city.”
“Marina services are essential to our quality of life — as these facilities vanish, so too do jobs,” continues Naugle, who works tirelessly to see that waterfront access is properly maintained for marine needs. “Marine businesses create and maintain nice, labor-intensive jobs and stimulate our local economy. These services can’t easily relocate since they’re dependent on direct access to the water, Marinas and boatyards need to be here on the water but condos don’t have to be built on the water; they can be built on land.”
One notable plan that combines the best of all worlds is the new $500 million Bahia Mar Beach Resort &Yachting Center that has been submitted to the City of Fort Lauderdale by LXR Luxury Resorts & Hotels proposing a mixed-use facility that’s anchored by a new Waldorf-Astoria hotel. In addition to the expected shops and residential units, the development would feature a 4-acre waterfront park and a layout that would create a permanent home for the annual Fort Lauderdale Boat Show, thereby securing its essential presence for decades to come. The project takes into accoun
t the city’s “efforts to spruce up and market Fort Lauderdale beach” as an upscale destination, which includes the St. Regis, Hilton, Starwood, W and Trump hotels currently open or under construction.
“The Bahia Mar property has a fascinating history,” notes Naugle, mentioning it was a Coast Guard base. When it was closed, the city purchased the property. Construction of the marina really changed Fort Lauderdale. It established the city as a marine center; it’s responsible for the boat show today; and the marine industry being number one in the city. This will be the first major reconstruction. Assurance on the boat show has great value to the city.”
On the cruise ship front, Fort Lauderdale will host five of the cruise industry’s eight newest cruise ships for Winter 2008-09 to make it the world’s third-busiest cruise port. It is expected to serve 3.14 million cruise passengers this coming year, according to the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau. Some vacationers extend their schedule to encompass Fort Lauderdale’s plethora of available watersports, including sailing, swimming, kiteboarding, windsurfing, waterskiing, boating, deep-sea fishing, parasailing and scuba diving.
In addition, Naugle has worked closely with the Marine Industries Association of South Florida (MIASF) to promote the ongoing maintenance of the waterways and the fragile marine ecosystem. One result is the annual Waterway Cleanup that brings in tons of trash each year. “MIASF has done a spectacular job with the annual waterway cleanup,” says Naugle. “It shows that no one cares about our waterways more than recreational boaters, who often get a bad rap that is undeserved.”
Also on the clean front, the City of Fort Lauderdale is proud to have all three of their marinas — Las Olas, Cooley’s Landing and New River — designated as Clean Marinas,” he adds. “We are thrilled because the designation indicates that as the ‘Yachting Capital of the World’ we
are maintaining high standards of environmental responsibility,” he says. And that’s just part of the high standards he plans to keep up and enhance as Fort Lauderdale moves into its bright-horizoned future.
Being the mayor of the “Yachting Capital of the World” is no small task, but for Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle it’s just another day. Fort Lauderdale boats 165 miles of lush, tropical navigable waterways, an amazing 3,000 hours of annual sunshine and seven miles of pristine beaches, making it a natural haven for yachtsman the world over. Add in the fact that the Intracoastal Waterway is lined with marinas, waterfront restaurants and nightspots, and the fact that the city is home to the world’s largest boat show, and there’s no reason to dock anywhere else. However, there’s a lot of work behind the scenes to maintain Fort Lauderdale’s title as the boater’s oasis that it is while growing the city further.
“We have established ourselves as a place in the world where you can buy a boat, get it worked on and get it crewed,” says Naugle proudly. “For example, the annual Fort Lauderdale Boat Show, an eye-popping assembly of yachts and super-yachts, has become the largest event in Florida in terms of the direct business it generates. It’s bigger than the Super Bowl for us, pumps several billion into the economy, and draws prospective buyers from all over the world, giving the city a caliber of global exposure it couldn’t get any other way.”
Mayor Naugle’s lifelong love affair with Fort Lauderdale’s waterways began during his childhood. He grew up a block away from Fort Lauderdale’s historic New River — the scene of many marine and other waterfront businesses today, which he has dubbed “Florida’s Most Beautiful Mile.” During his formative years, his family’s business was one block from the New River as well. “Capitalizing on this central feature, the foundation of our city since the 1700s when the first European settlers embarked on the New River, is important,” says Naugle when talking about his efforts for a downtown renaissance anchored by the waterway. “The whole city grew up on the river —
Both the local and international boating community have a true friend in the mayor. Naugle himself is an avid yachtsman and likes nothing more than to start up the 36-foot Hatteras sportfisher docked behind his house and go out cruising with his wife Judge Carol-Lisa Phillips, and their daughter, Rachel. The time on the water helps him gain first-hand knowledge of the recreational mariner as well as the marine industry in South Florida. “If we get people out on the waterways when they visit our city, we have a customer for life because it’s just so awesome out there,” says Naugle. “When I have friends from out of town I take them on the Water Bus because it’s a great way to show them the city.”
“Marina services are essential to our quality of life — as these facilities vanish, so too do jobs,” continues Naugle, who works tirelessly to see that waterfront access is properly maintained for marine needs. “Marine businesses create and maintain nice, labor-intensive jobs and stimulate our local economy. These services can’t easily relocate since they’re dependent on direct access to the water, Marinas and boatyards need to be here on the water but condos don’t have to be built on the water; they can be built on land.”
One notable plan that combines the best of all worlds is the new $500 million Bahia Mar Beach Resort &Yachting Center that has been submitted to the City of Fort Lauderdale by LXR Luxury Resorts & Hotels proposing a mixed-use facility that’s anchored by a new Waldorf-Astoria hotel. In addition to the expected shops and residential units, the development would feature a 4-acre waterfront park and a layout that would create a permanent home for the annual Fort Lauderdale Boat Show, thereby securing its essential presence for decades to come. The project takes into accoun
“The Bahia Mar property has a fascinating history,” notes Naugle, mentioning it was a Coast Guard base. When it was closed, the city purchased the property. Construction of the marina really changed Fort Lauderdale. It established the city as a marine center; it’s responsible for the boat show today; and the marine industry being number one in the city. This will be the first major reconstruction. Assurance on the boat show has great value to the city.”
On the cruise ship front, Fort Lauderdale will host five of the cruise industry’s eight newest cruise ships for Winter 2008-09 to make it the world’s third-busiest cruise port. It is expected to serve 3.14 million cruise passengers this coming year, according to the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau. Some vacationers extend their schedule to encompass Fort Lauderdale’s plethora of available watersports, including sailing, swimming, kiteboarding, windsurfing, waterskiing, boating, deep-sea fishing, parasailing and scuba diving.
In addition, Naugle has worked closely with the Marine Industries Association of South Florida (MIASF) to promote the ongoing maintenance of the waterways and the fragile marine ecosystem. One result is the annual Waterway Cleanup that brings in tons of trash each year. “MIASF has done a spectacular job with the annual waterway cleanup,” says Naugle. “It shows that no one cares about our waterways more than recreational boaters, who often get a bad rap that is undeserved.”
Also on the clean front, the City of Fort Lauderdale is proud to have all three of their marinas — Las Olas, Cooley’s Landing and New River — designated as Clean Marinas,” he adds. “We are thrilled because the designation indicates that as the ‘Yachting Capital of the World’ we