The St. Andrews Marina upland rebuild carries a working cost estimate of about $14.7 million before the contractor's fee. The Downtown Marina's first phase rests on up to $5 million in prepaid rent. Neither one has a shovel in the ground that the public record can confirm. Meanwhile, a 4.2-acre lot on Maple Avenue that the Millville Community Redevelopment Agency bought in 2008 got its ribbon cutting in mid-July. The city puts the project's cost at $1.5 million.
So in October 2026, the newest finished piece of Panama City's bayfront is in Millville. The two headline marina projects sit at different points in the paperwork, and the dates attached to them are forecasts. If you're planning a fall Saturday on the water, start with the one that's built.
Millville got there first
The Millville site didn't happen overnight. The CRA bought the property in 2008 and added a fishing pier in 2013. Plans for a full build-out moved forward in 2023, and the CRA paid for the work out of its FY2024, FY2025 and FY2026 budgets. It took steady redevelopment money spread over three budget years, without a single large financing deal.
The finished park at 301 Maple Avenue has:
- walking paths and a playground
- an amphitheater
- covered picnic areas and shaded gathering spots
- pergola swings, paid for by a $7,500 grant from the Central Panhandle Association of Realtors
- a bike repair station and bike rack
- new trees, with the trees and irrigation funded by a USDA grant
- a drinking fountain and a pet waste station
The city's facility listing also shows a boat-launch ramp and fishing access. The city says the park is a place to fish, kayak and gather with family.
Two things aren't done. When the city announced completion on July 15, restroom construction was "nearing completion." WMBB reported a day earlier that the restrooms were expected to be finished within about a month. No later update confirms they opened, so plan accordingly if you're bringing kids. Phase III, a Bike Safety Village, is on hold until funding comes through.
The amphitheater has no published fall calendar yet. The city has said its Parks, Culture & Recreation department plans future concerts and events there, but no dates have been posted.
A second Millville park is next. Joe Moody Harris Park has been closed for eight years, since Hurricane Michael. Work began on August 4. Keith Meyerl, the city's director of parks, culture and recreation, told the News Herald that Phase 1 should reopen the park in about nine months. That phase includes new playground equipment, a basketball court, pavilions, outdoor fitness equipment, and parking lot and trail improvements. Nine months from early August points to late spring 2027, but that's an estimate, not a firm date.
Downtown: a vote, a contractor, and a deadline later this month
The Downtown Marina is the project most people are waiting on, and August was its biggest month so far. On August 25, the City Commission voted 4–0 to accept a rent-prepayment agreement from a St. Joe Company affiliate, listed in the minutes as Joe PCOZ, LLC. The same vote gave staff 60 days to come back with a management agreement for the slips. At the same meeting, the city awarded the construction bid for the first 50 wet slips to Art Marine, LLC, the lowest bidder.
WJHG reported the next day how the money works. The city had planned to pay for construction with part of its $150 million Truist Bank "Hurricane Loan." The St. Joe affiliate, which operates Hotel Indigo and Harrison's, instead offered to prepay up to $5 million in future rent, interest-free. Under the proposed agreement, St. Joe would manage the slips for up to five years. The first 50 slips will sit in the basin closest to Hotel Indigo and Harrison's, with electric, water and sewer hookups.
These are the dates to watch:
- August 25, 2026: the prepayment agreement is accepted and the 60-day window opens.
- Around October 24, 2026: the 60-day window ends. A slip-management agreement should come back to the commission by then.
- "By December" 2026: this is when WJHG reported slip construction is expected to begin.
As of the September 22 commission meeting, the city's records showed no approved management agreement. The October agenda will show whether the December start holds. Until then, December is a forecast.
The bay is still easy to reach downtown in the meantime. The Bay Arts Alliance's Backstage Pass series runs on the Marina Lawn at 7 Harrison Avenue, between Harrison's Kitchen & Bar and Hotel Indigo. The concerts are free, start at 7 p.m. every Thursday, and run through October 22. Three shows are left:
| Date | Band |
|---|---|
| Thursday, October 8 | J and the Causeways |
| Thursday, October 15 | Goodbye to Sunshine |
| Thursday, October 22 | Cat Ridgeway and the Tourists |
The organizers suggest bringing picnic blankets and folding chairs. The lawn sits right next to the basin where the first new slips are planned, so you'll be looking at the construction site while the band plays.
St. Andrews: the most money, the loosest timeline
The St. Andrews Marina upland reconstruction is the biggest project of the three, and it has the least certain schedule. In June, the commission approved a cost-plus contract. The working agreement names St. Andrews Marina Partners, LLC as lessee and RJ Gorman Contracting, LLC as contractor. Its control estimate is $14,673,805.24, not counting the contractor's 20% fee, and the contract has no guaranteed maximum price. That's nearly ten times the cost of the Millville park, before the fee.
The city also put the work out for bid under PC26-049, and bids were opened September 2. The posted tabulation is marked "Uncertified." The records available through September 22 show no award.
The bid scope describes a utilitarian project. It includes bulkhead sheet piles with a cap and railing, new pavement, sidewalks and paver bands, drainage, curbs and markings, water, sewer and electrical lines, lighting and EV charging, site fixtures, and parking-area resurfacing. During bidding, the city issued clarifications that removed the proposed pavilion and kiosks from the scope. The bid packages don't include any restaurant buildings. This phase rebuilds the ground under the marina, not the places you'd visit there.
City documents disagree on timing. A February memo described a 20-month phased schedule based on a February 1, 2026 start, and said the schedule would need to be adjusted once the actual notice to proceed was issued. The June working contract lists October 1, 2029 for substantial completion. Those dates are years apart, and no schedule approved after the bids has been found. Treat any completion date you hear around town as unconfirmed for now.
The St. Andrews streets around the marina are still fully open. The Market at St. Andrews runs Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Oaks by the Bay Park, 2715 W. 10th St. This year's Oktoberfest added St. Andrews to its Volksmarch route for the first time. The crawl list included Hunt's Oyster Bar, St. Andy's Sports Pub, Newby's Brew House, The Grocery, Little Village, Burgunbarrel and Los Antojitos. That list doubles as a good afternoon itinerary along Beck Avenue.
Where that leaves an October weekend
Here's what's actually on the calendar this month and next. Millville Waterfront Park is a free public spot for fishing, launching a kayak or using the playground. On Thursdays through October 22, there's the Marina Lawn downtown, and on Saturday mornings, Oaks by the Bay in St. Andrews. Fright Nights runs at the Panama City Center for the Arts, 19 E. 4th St., October 15–17 and 22–25, from 6 to 9 p.m. The downtown Songwriter Festival is November 6–7.
For the two marinas, the next milestone is the downtown slip-management agreement, which is due back to the commission around October 24.
If you own a home near Harrison Avenue, Beck Avenue or Maple Avenue, these projects are part of what your property is worth, even before any of them are finished. Paul Gibney and The Gibney Group keep up with the commission votes as well as the sales comps. If you'd like a clear read on how this stretch of bayfront factors into your home's value, request a free home valuation. We'll walk through it with you.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
