Latest news with #AlyssaFreeman
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Boat restrictions possible near Peanut Island as dredging begins in Lake Worth Lagoon
Dredging begins this summer in a sand-choked channel near popular Peanut Island with a focus on improving marine safety while not damaging one of the country's most prized diving areas under the Blue Heron Bridge. The estimated $4.5 million project is believed to be the first to widen the bustling passage that skims the western edge of the Town of Palm Beach Shores since the Lake Worth Inlet was first dug in 1917, said Palm Beach Shores Mayor Alan Fiers. Over decades, sand and sediment drifting through the inlet piled up north of Peanut Island creating a massive sandbar that becomes nearly its own island at low tide — a place where boats beach on the weekend and tiki party huts float full time. The area is technically called the Lake Worth Inlet Flood Shoal, with its bulging eastern edge encroaching on the Sailfish Marina Resort, Buccaneer Marina Resort and the HAVN Residences and Yacht Club, all in Palm Beach Shores at the southern end of Singer Island. 'We've been advocating for this for a long time,' said Alyssa Freeman, executive director of the Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County. 'It's a very tight channel and it's only going to get tighter. Depending on the currents, it can be a dangerous situation.' A public meeting to discuss the project is scheduled for July 8 at 2 p.m. at the Town of Palm Beach Shores' town hall, located at 247 Edwards Lane. Dredging could begin as soon as July 10, Fiers said. More: Town of Palm Beach Shores protects 'Old Florida' vibe as development rages around it Palm Beach County and the Marine Industry Association began working on permits to dredge the area before the pandemic. The Town of Palm Beach Shores took the project over a few years ago with the permits transferring to it. The original idea was to widen the channel on the eastern side of the shoal and dredge another channel through the middle of the shoal, but that part of the project has since been eliminated, partly because of concerns about losing seagrass in that area, Fiers said. 'Since it's our project, we did what we think is right,' he said. 'And, because of the dive area at the Blue Heron Bridge, we have very, very strict turbidity monitoring.' The Blue Heron Bridge is widely considered one of the best areas to dive from the shore in the country, and even globally. In 2013, it was ranked No. 1 in a Sport Diver Magazine article titled 'The Planet's 50 Greatest Sites.' When the dredging gets closer to the bridge at the northern edge of the shoal, work can only be done on an outgoing tide so that sand drifts through the inlet into the ocean instead of washing back on the wildlife under the bridge. Dredge work otherwise will run between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. seven days a week. The project is being paid for with money from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Florida Inland Navigation District. More: The amazing marine life under the Blue Heron Bridge 'As long as they are operating with a concern for the natural resources, there's a general consensus that this is needed,' said Everglades Law Center Policy Director Lisa Interlandi. 'There is an incredibly diverse habitat there so it's important they do everything possible to manage the turbidity to protect the marine life.' About 70,000 cubic yards of sand will be dredged from the shoal. Some of the sand will be used to fill a lifeless dredge hole in another area of the lagoon to help grow seagrass. The rest will be stored in Peanut Island's sand management area where it is held until needed for other things such as the county's Bonefish Cove restoration project. Bonefish Cove, which is south of the Lake Worth Bridge, includes building three islands in the Intracoastal Waterway to create habitat for mangroves, seagrass, oysters and shorebirds. There will be some waterway restrictions during dredging, but the channel is expected to remain open through the duration of the project, which could take about six weeks. 'I don't think anybody will do anything but cheer for this,' Fiers said about the project, noting, however, that a smaller, steeper sand bar will prevent some boats from beaching there on the weekend. 'They'll lose some party space.' Kimberly Miller is a journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network of Florida. She covers real estate, weather, and the environment. Subscribe to The Dirt for a weekly real estate roundup. If you have news tips, please send them to kmiller@ Help support our local journalism, subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach Shores to begin dredging July 2025 in Lake Worth Lagoon
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Palm Beach International Boat Show reports record attendance after a big change this year
The Palm Beach International Boat Show expanded by one day this year, and the move seems to have paid off. The five-day turnout for the festival on West Palm Beach's downtown waterfront had record numbers, according to the Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County, which hosts the event. "We had a record attendance of over 60,000 people with an extra day of the show,' said Alyssa Freeman, the organization's executive director, in a statement. 'In years past, we've averaged just over 55,000 guests." The event, which debuted in 1982, won permission from the city this year to add a fifth day, bringing it in line with boat shows in Miami and Fort Lauderdale. It ran from Wednesday, March 19 to Sunday, March 23. This year's show, which was produced by Informa Markets, also set an event record for the most boats, with more than 1,000 on display. Organizers say a successful boat show generates grant money that the organization uses for charitable purposes, and it also provides a substantial economic boost to the area. The week of the festival, hotel occupancy rates in downtown West Palm Beach and near the airport were 95%, 6 percentage points higher than the previous year, according to Discover The Palm Beaches, the county's tourism marketing arm. The Marine Industries Association said it plans to continue with its five-day format next year, with the event running March 25-29, 2026. Andrew Marra is a reporter at The Palm Beach Post. Reach him at amarra@ This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: The Palm Beach International Boat Show sets an attendance record
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Palm Beach International Boat Show is expanding to a fifth day in West Palm Beach
WEST PALM BEACH — The Palm Beach International Boat Show received an official OK from city leaders Tuesday to expand to a five-day event for the first time. The massive boating event along downtown West Palm Beach's waterfront is adding an extra day for the March event amid what organizers called increasing demand and interest. 'It's the first time that we're going to be expanding to five days in our 40-plus-year history,' said Alyssa Freeman, executive director of the Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County, which runs the event. 'It's definitely going to be great for all of our exhibitors.' City commissioners on Tuesday approved amending the association's agreement with the city to allow it to extend the event from four to five days. It runs this year from Wednesday, March 19 to Sunday, March 23. The agreement also extends by a day the length of time that some roads are closed. Northbound Flagler Drive will remain closed downtown for eight days after the event to allow workers to remove temporary docks, according to a city memo. In exchange, the event's organizers this year will pay the city a license fee of $117,755, up from about $103,000, according to the agreement. Freeman said the five-day schedule brings the boat show into alignment with annual boat shows in Fort Lauderdale and Miami. West Palm Beach's event, which draws between 50,000 and 55,000 visitors each year, is smaller in attendance but trumps them in money spent. Last year, she said, the show generated $725 million in sales. 'We do more sales than Fort Lauderdale and Miami,' she said. 'This is where the serious buyers are.' A large portion of show-goers travel from out of state to attend, and the extra day comes at a time when Palm Beach is seen as receiving heightened attention in certain elite social circles as a result of President Donald Trump's reelection. 'The allure of the fact that president is living here again, I think that attracts people from all over the country and the world,' Freeman said. 'It just has that effect.' WEST PALM NEWS: Downtown West Palm Beach's iconic Phillips Point complex will lose its pink facade The extra day also gives attendees and exhibitors more flexibility in the case that heavy rainfall affects one or more days. And she said it will be an extra boon for downtown businesses. 'The extra day for the hotels and the restaurants in the area is huge,' she said. Andrew Marra is a reporter at The Palm Beach Post. Reach him at amarra@ This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach International Boat Show runs March 19-23 in West Palm Beach
