Panama City commissioners approved a construction bid on 25 August 2026 to H.G. Harders & Son for the first 50 wet slips at the Downtown Marina in the western basin, with the project to be funded through a proposed rent arrangement with St. Joe.
After receiving 14 bids for the project in June 2026, the city, through its project consultant, Turrell, Hall & Associates (THA), reviewed the three lowest offers from Art Marine, United Restoration Services and H.G. Harders & Son.
THA’s assessment found that H.G. Harders & Son was the only bidder to meet the five-year marine construction experience requirement, while its previous debris removal work in the marina basin after Hurricane Michael also gave the company familiarity with the site and its bottom conditions. The company submitted a $3.6 million USD bid, which was the lowest conforming offer and about three percent below the estimated project cost.
The proposed project covers the wet slips in the existing western basin of the marina, closest to Hotel Indigo, along with 21,343sqft (1,983sqm) of fixed wooden dock, aluminium gangways and fixed access platforms. It also includes fire-suppression standpipes, utility pedestals, electrical and water lines, cleats and line holders, dock signs, a sewer pump-out station and its sewer connection.
To fund the marina reconstruction, the city initially planned to use $5 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. According to a report by WMBB News 13, The St. Joe Company, which operates Hotel Indigo and Harrison’s Kitchen and Bar and pays the city about $100,000 a year in participation rent, has proposed prepaying up to $5 million to fund the first 50 slips.
Under the proposal, those annual payments would resume once the prepaid amount has been used, while St. Joe could also manage the slips for up to five years. The city and St. Joe have 60 days to work out the terms of the management agreement.
