IGY Marinas Complete $25 Million Renovation in St. Petersburg, Florida

Posted by admin on Oct 17, 2018

The $25 million renovation at Maximo Marina in St. Petersburg, Florida has been completed after redevelopment and renovations by IGY Marinas. On behalf of the owner, Bixby Bridge Capital, IGY Marinas oversaw the project including all aspects of design, redevelopment and operations since 2015.

Maximo Marina is the largest covered boat slip marina in Florida, containing covered wet slips for vessels up to 100 feet in length. Maximo Marina now features a variety of world-class amenities including floating concrete docks, a state of the art fuel dock, boat lifts, complimentary WiFi, renovated support facilities, and the opening of the new Getaway Maximo Restaurant, the largest restaurant opening in south St. Petersburg in over a decade.

“This was a complex project from a design, permitting and execution standpoint. The marina was over 50 years old and IGY took great care to ensure that this marina was redesigned to be responsive to the market and the evolving sizes of vessels both for today and for the next 50 years. IGY worked with us to ensure that all the critical customer touchpoints were addressed and that the uniqueness of the marina was maintained, all while making sound cost-benefit recommendations. IGY was able to institute a phasing plan that allowed a portion of the marina to stay open throughout construction which was very important to our customers. We are very pleased that IGY and ORION were able to deliver this project on time and under budget,” said Steven Fass, a principal at Bixby.

With the complete renovation, Maximo Marina can welcome over 200 vessels in wet slips, where 142 are covered and 58 have lifts. The marina can also accommodate an additional 88 vessels with inside storage racks, and 200 in outside dry storage racks.

IGY Marinas continues to be well-known in the industry as a leading marina operator, redeveloping and operating marinas around the world.

Yacht Haven 360 Building to Transform to a Premier USVI Attraction

Posted by admin on Sep 26, 2018

IGY Marinas has announced that the landmark 360 building at Yacht Haven Grande has been leased to a private group including Kiran Akal, former creative consultant for Walt Disney and Warner Music writer and artist, as well as Dave Goodman, former vice president of Walt Disney Company, and Anheuser Busch Theme Park executive.

The group plans to transform the 360 building into a premier facility that is unique along the Caribbean cruise line route. The themed attraction will include elements from the rich history and culture of the US Virgin Islands, as well as some of the sought after natural resources of the area.

The project also has the support of the U.S.V.I. Department of Tourism, the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association and IGY Marinas, founded by Andrew Farkas. The new attraction will not only contribute to the local economy, but will provide jobs in the hospitality, retail and technical sectors, and further diversify the area’s tourism offering.

The group looks forward to collaborating with essential government agencies as they make this project a highly visible symbol in the future of the region, supporting IGY’s fourteen-year commitment to economic development of the USVI.

Farkas’ IGY Marinas Expands East Coast Portfolio

Posted by admin on Sep 5, 2018

IGY Marinas, a global marina network owned by Mr. Andrew Farkas, recently announced plans to expand to another marina in the northeast region of the United States. IGY acquired Fore Points Marina in Portland, Maine and will be opening it in 2019. When it is completed, it will have over 8,000 linear feet of dockage, with space for over 140 vessels and up to 10 mega yachts.

Tom Mukamal, CEO of IGY, commented on the expansion: “The addition of Fore Points Marina represents continued growth for the IGY network and we’re looking forward to the 2019 season with the opportunity to offer this new destination to current and future guests.”

IGY Marinas locations are known for their superior service and amenities, and the Fore Points location will be no different. It is expected to offer high-speed fueling, waste management, and a captain & crew lounge, among other amenities. The marina is also surrounded by entertainment options for boaters when they dock, including restaurants and landmarks. Downtown Portland is close by, with bars and shops for tourists to visit.

IGY Marinas is based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but its portfolio includes locations in over a dozen beautiful destinations around the world such as Colombia, Turks and Caicos, and Panama. For many years now, Mr. Farkas has dedicated time and resources to various philanthropic causes, and IGY Marinas has followed his lead with its “Inspire Giving Through You” campaign. The program has taken marina employees off of the docks and placed them in local communities to support charities and nonprofit organizations.

Mr. Farkas and the IGY Marinas team have created an unparalleled network of luxury marinas around the world, and the addition of Fore Points Marina will provide even more growth for the company.

Farkas’ IGY Marina Funds Improvements of Local Nonprofit

Posted by admin on Aug 29, 2018

IGY Marinas recently completed its annual “Giving Day”, and one of the organizations it donated its time to was The Sanctuary on 8^th Street in Jacksonville, FL. IGY owns the Marina at Ortega Landing, and when the management team was looking for a cause to support, a slip holder at the marina recommended the Sanctuary, which is a nonprofit education program. Mr. Andrew Farkas leads the IGY management team as Founder & Chairman. IGY Marinas is affiliated with Island Capital Group LLC, a leading real estate services firm, of which Mr. Farkas is also Chairman and CEO.

The Sanctuary on 8^th Street is a nonprofit organization that provides afterschool, summer school and homeschool programs to local students in the Jacksonville area. It is located in an aging building that was in need of repairs, so IGY Marinas’ staff volunteered to help for a day. Five staff members and nine volunteers from the marina’s boating community worked on the exterior of the building and the landscaping around it. They power-washed the building and sidewalk, repainted the front of the building, installed stained-glass in the windows, and placed fresh mulch around the trees. The project totaled nearly 100 man-hours in volunteer labor, and the marina also donated money to the organization. Nearly $3,000 went towards paint, mulch, and the windows, and they also gave a check for $500 to support the summer school program.

Mr. Farkas and the IGY Marinas leadership team have demonstrated their commitment to philanthropic causes ever since the company was founded in 2005. The IGY Community Outreach Project has helped dozens of towns such as Jacksonville by sending IGY Marinas staff members into local communities to give back for a day. IGY also created the NYC Eastern Caribbean Relief Fund to support victims of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, with a goal of raising $5 million to give to affected families. By continuing to donate to those in need, Mr. Farkas is ensuring that IGY Marinas is making a positive impact wherever it is present.

Andrew Farkas’s Organization Donates $120,000 to SRMC

Posted by admin on Jul 13, 2018

The NYC Eastern Caribbean Relief Fund Inc., co-founded by IGY Marinas, has donated $120,000 to the Schneider Regional Medical Center Foundation (SRMC). This donation will go towards medical equipment that was either lost or damaged during Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

IGY Marinas CEO and founder Andrew L. Farkas has made it his goal to help the Caribbean community recover from the natural disasters that occurred in 2017 through the NYC Eastern Caribbean Relief Fund Inc. Donations such as the one made to SRMC does just that by allocating the donation towards medical equipment.

Just as the name suggests, SRMC sees that patients receiving care at Roy Lester Schneider Hospital in St. Thomas have all of the equipment necessary for their treatment. Additionally, SRMC does the same for Myrah Keating Smith Community Health Center in St. John. In fact, both facilities remained in operation during Hurricanes Irma and Maria and are the only medical facilities on each island. This makes it detrimental that their services meet patient expectations.

Since its founding in September 2017, NYC Eastern Caribbean Relief Fund Inc. has made it its goal to raise $5 million for those affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. In addition to providing aide to SRMS, NYC Eastern Caribbean Relief Fund Inc. aims to help the yachting community that has also been affected by the natural disasters. Islands in the Caribbean heavily rely on local communities for goods and services, which has been difficult given the circumstances of the recent hurricanes. Companies such as NYC Eastern Caribbean Relief Fund Inc. help restore the infrastructure between locals and those in the yachting community, all the while providing food, shelter and healthcare for those affected.

By overseeing donations made to organizations like the Schneider Regional Medical Center Foundation, Andrew Farkas will ensure that Caribbean inhabitants will continue to receive care that is of the utmost quality.