A three-story, 44,054-square-foot marine trade building has opened at 157 East 22nd Street in Riviera Beach, marking the completion of a years-long expansion of the Safe Harbor Rybovich superyacht campus south of the Blue Heron Bridge. The facility, built on a 4.84-acre site, houses first-floor and mezzanine-level trade spaces for vessel servicing along with professional offices on its upper level, according to details reported by Florida YIMBY.
A Long-Planned Expansion Finally Opens Its Doors
Construction on the trade building began in May 2025 and reached substantial completion this past April, culminating in an opening ceremony held on September 17, according to Florida YIMBY. General contractor Hedrick Brothers Construction, which managed the project out of its West Palm Beach office, announced completion of the building alongside site-hardening work for the adjacent boatyard in a September 23 press release, per EIN Presswire.
Saltz Michelson Architects served as architect of record on the project, while KPR Interiors handled interior design and Kimley-Horn served as civil engineer, per the same account. Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering was overseen by Quantum Electrical Engineering, Inc. and Premier Consulting Engineers, with Watt Inc. serving as owner's representative, the report notes.
A German-Made Lift and Nearly Double the Hauling Capacity
Beyond the trade building itself, Hedrick Brothers completed sitework and infrastructure improvements that included relocating existing electrical and telecommunications utilities, right-of-way enhancements, and new landscaping, the report states. The company also hardened and expanded the adjacent boatyard, adding electrical and mechanical infrastructure to support large-scale yacht maintenance and repair.
Central to the expansion is a mobile boat lift imported from Germany that, according to the announcement, can lift yachts up to 250 feet long and transport them from the water onto land for servicing. The expanded operation nearly doubles the campus's hauling capacity and is expected to accommodate as many as 300 vessels annually, per the announcement cited by Florida YIMBY. Safe Harbor describes the expanded campus as the largest superyacht repair facility in Florida and one of the largest on the East Coast.
Contractor Ties Project to Regional Marine Economy
Dale Hedrick, founder and CEO of Hedrick Brothers Construction, said South Florida's marine industry is “an important economic driver supporting skilled jobs, local businesses, and continued investment in waterfront communities.” Hedrick added that his firm was proud to help expand the Safe Harbor Rybovich campus and that the delivered infrastructure and facilities will support the company's continued growth, according to Florida YIMBY's report.
Safe Harbor expects the additional capacity to draw more vessels to the region and to increase demand for marine contractors, skilled tradespeople, suppliers, and other local businesses. That expectation lines up with earlier projections Safe Harbor Marinas made to city officials: in June 2023, the company told Riviera Beach officials that expanding its 23-acre superyacht campus would inject more than $300 million annually into the local economy, according to Stet News.
The Path to Construction Wasn't Smooth
The expansion faced neighborhood opposition. An earlier 2023 rezoning attempt had failed to reach the required city council supermajority following a neighborhood petition.
The consolidation of haul-out and repair operations in Riviera Beach is also tied to real estate strategy elsewhere in Palm Beach County. Shifting those operations north from Safe Harbor's historic West Palm Beach boatyard on North Flagler Drive is expected to allow that property to be redeveloped into luxury high-rise residential housing, according to the Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County's newsletter.
Big Money Behind the Docks
The financial backing behind the campus has shifted hands in recent years. Safe Harbor acquired Rybovich and another boatyard for $369 million in 2020. Sun Communities bought Safe Harbor for $2 billion.
The marine industry's footprint in the county is substantial. The Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County estimates the sector produces $4.7 billion in annual economic impact and supports roughly 22,000 jobs countywide, with more than 37,000 registered recreational and commercial vessels on the water. Across the broader tri-county region of Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties, the marine industry generates an estimated $18.5 billion in annual economic impact and supports 141,000 jobs, according to figures compiled by the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County.
Part of a Broader Municipal Push on the Waterfront
The trade building's opening comes as Riviera Beach has separately ramped up enforcement of its working waterfront. In August, the city approved more than $400,000 for a police boat and two additional marine officers to enforce a new 30-day anchoring limit in Riviera Beach's stretch of the Intracoastal Waterway, as Hoodline previously reported. Underwater drones and related funding were part of an earlier marine-unit investment. Florida House Bill 481 provides broader authority for regulating anchoring in impacted areas.
Local boat shows help explain the level of commercial demand behind projects like the Rybovich expansion. The annual Palm Beach International Boat Show generates more than $1.05 billion in total statewide economic impact and around $725 million in total sales. The show draws more than 55,000 visitors annually and is owned by the Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County.
