The pandemic delayed Pier 66 construction in Fort Lauderdale. Here’s when it will reopen

Construction on the highly anticipated redevelopment of Pier Sixty-Six is expected to come to a close this year after the COVID-19 pandemic delayed construction.

For the past five years, the Orlando-based Tavistock Development Company has been trying to recapture the essence of the Fort Lauderdale landmark with an updated, luxe feel. The property, located on Southeast 17th Street, was damaged in 2017 during Hurricane Irma.

The developers bought the property in 2016 and broke ground in 2020, Tavistock marketing and communications vice president Jessi Blakley told the Miami Herald. She said the delay in developing the 32-acre waterfront site was in large part due to the pandemic.

“We had our groundbreaking, big ceremony, the day that the world shut down,” Blakley said. The developers made the decision to delay construction given the uncertainty of the pandemic.

Construction didn’t begin until October 2021 on phase one of the 17-story hotel, which had its signature rotating rooftop damaged by Irma’s winds.

Blakley said the developers now hope to reopen Pier Sixty-Six before the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show begins on Oct. 30.

In the 1950s, the site was a fuel dock for Phillips 66 Petroleum and eventually became a world-renowned marina, making Fort Lauderdale a yachting capital. The Pier Sixty-Six hotel and its iconic tower were built in the 1960s, helping reshape the city’s skyline.

But in later years, Blakley, who grew up near Pier Sixty-Six, said the marina’s luster wore off: “It was not a place where you had your celebrations anymore. It just had gotten tired over the years.”

Now, Tavistock hopes an updated look will attract residents and tourists back to the area. The updated hotel, which will retain its rotating lounge, will have 325 rooms, 70 suites, and a multi-layer deck that will have both a family pool and an adult pool. There will be 12 food and beverage venues throughout.

Two condominium towers, Azul and Indigo, are also being built at the site. Another pair of “resort residences” will have 31 rooms spread across two buildings. Phase one will also include upgrades to the marina, including a promenade with restaurants, shops and offices at the base of condo buildings.

Phase two of the project could include more residences and mixed-use development while prioritizing concerns around traffic, preserving greenspace, and maintaining views of the city’s skyline and the beach, Blakley said.

The construction hasn’t been without its complaints. Some residents living near Pier Sixty-Six voiced frustration that the developers have asked to extend construction hours to test the fire safety alarm system.

Blakley said developers have been communicative with residents throughout the process and will do so even when testing the alarms.

“Obviously, it is important that we continue to make progress,” she said. “So anything that would impede that or shortening hours, limiting our ability to do some things, would certainly not be helpful.”