Fernandina Beach's draft Harbor Master Plan lays out two competing visions for nine Amelia River waterfront parcels. The city's Waterfront Advisory Board is set to review the 45-page study Tuesday, Sept. 29.

The Phase 1 plan, prepared by engineering firm Moffatt & Nichol and dated Sept. 14, maps out options for extending public access, marina facilities and flood protection north from the existing marina toward Beacon Fisheries. The city budgeted $50,000 for the study, as the Fernandina Observer reported.

Only one of the nine parcels is city-owned. The rest are privately held or port-related.

Both concepts share core elements: expanded marina activity, additional boat slips, a waterfront promenade, public spaces, mixed-use development on some properties and a coordinated flood-protection system. The key difference is where the line falls between public-facing development and the working waterfront.

Concept A pushes public-oriented uses farther north. A nearly continuous promenade, commercial space and mixed-use buildings would extend through the Exact Investments, Hall Investments and Ocean Highway and Port Authority (OHPA) properties before giving way to marine services at Beacon Fisheries, according to a detailed summary by Mike Lednovich.

Concept B draws a sharper boundary. Public and commercial uses would cluster closer to downtown and the marina, with the Liebman property marking the transition. The Exact and Hall parcels would support marine-dependent activities, and the OHPA and Beacon properties would handle vessel servicing, repair and boat storage.

The consultants recommend the city advance design work on its own parcel at 101 N. Front St., at the foot of Alachua Street. The study envisions recreation, community facilities, flexible event space and a modest fishing pier there. Moving forward on that site would strengthen the city's position in grant competitions, the plan states.

Moffatt & Nichol's planning team met with owners of the Simmons, Goodsell, Kavanaugh and Liebman properties during May and June. Not all owners participated. The city made multiple attempts to reach the Exact Investments owner and received no response. No direct discussions were held with the Hall Investments or Beacon Fisheries owners.

The Simmons property, immediately north of the existing marina, is the furthest along. Its owner presented the "Amelia Wharf" concept: a mixed-use development with a pedestrian corridor, retail, restaurants and a welcome center for boaters on the Intracoastal Waterway. Consultants cautioned that privately developed slips there could affect the city's ability to expand the municipal marina.

Moffatt & Nichol flagged the Liebman building as the most significant surviving heritage structure on that stretch of waterfront and recommended preservation and adaptive reuse. Restoration could be expensive because the building may need to be elevated or its foundation rebuilt for flood protection.

The OHPA property, used for marine storage and truck staging tied to port operations, is being marketed for approximately $6.5 million, according to the study. It includes about 12,000 square feet of warehouse and cold-storage space, a former restaurant building and docks with deep-water access.

The entire planning area sits within the Amelia River Waterfront Community Redevelopment Area (CRA), established in 2005 and authorized through 2053. Tax-increment financing from the CRA can fund public infrastructure, waterfront access, resilience improvements and property acquisition.

The Phase 1 plan does not select a preferred alternative or provide construction cost estimates. A proposed Phase 2 would bring broader public outreach, additional technical analysis, a preferred plan and probable costs. Phase 2 was anticipated for the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to city direction.

Deputy City Manager Jeremiah Glisson said at the City Commission's July 22 meeting that the city is working to integrate the harbor master plan and other long-range planning efforts into future capital budgets. The commission unanimously approved a five-year Capital Improvement Plan totaling roughly $167.6 million.

The Waterfront Advisory Board meets Tuesday, Sept. 29. The city has not published a meeting time or location in the materials reviewed for this report.