In 2022, Hurricane Ian's storm surge swallowed Rose Marina on Bald Eagle Drive and destroyed Jack's Lookout, the boating bar at the water's edge. Daniel High, Rose Marina's general manager, told WINK News that "calling it a restaurant is a little bit of a stretch. It was a dive bar, but a very loved dive bar, and we're trying to rebuild on that on that same site." A charter captain's son told the station that his favorite memory was the hot dogs.
At 12:55 a.m. on September 11, at the tail end of the September 10 City Council meeting, the Marco Island City Council approved the last of three variances Rose Marina needed. The approvals clear the way for a 200-seat restaurant on that site, plus more parking and reconfigured docks. One familiar part of the island's winter goes away while that work happens. Across Marco this month, the waterfront projects getting approved are mostly old uses coming back, and the Key West boat's missing season is the first visible cost of rebuilding the docks to make room for them.
The Boat That Won't Be at Bald Eagle Drive This Winter
The Key West Express normally runs from Marco Island only in season, from December 26 through March. The company told WINK News it is temporarily suspending Marco service because of expected renovations that affect dock space at Rose Marina. Its year-round route from Fort Myers Beach keeps running, and the Marco Island office is still open and staffed for anyone booking a trip.
The Marco Eagle reported that the company announced the pause in August. Its social post said it looks forward to "resuming normal operations at Rose Marina as soon as possible." High expects the boat back for the 2027-2028 season.
The size of that boat explains why a restaurant project bumps it for a whole season. The Key West Express runs 155 to 170 feet depending on the ship and carries up to 500 passengers. Unlike the touring ships that stop here partway through a trip, it fills a parking lot with cars every morning. The work ahead goes well beyond a dining room. High described it to WINK this way:
"We have a lot to do. Major parking improvements, major stormwater enhancements for not just our site but the neighbors and the Bald Eagle stretch of road, and yeah, a lot of seawall work to do, so it's going to be involved."
Parking, seawall and dock space are exactly what a 500-passenger ferry needs, and exactly what will be torn up. No construction start date, restaurant name or operator has been announced, so for now the restaurant is approved but not yet under way.
What Still Leaves From Rose Marina This Season
Construction won't shut the marina, according to High, though it could affect some of the businesses that use it. Rose Marina has been family-owned and part of Marco Island since 1969, and much of its regular traffic has nothing to do with the Key West run.
- The Marco Island Princess. The 96-foot boat carries up to 100 passengers and posts a weekly public cruise schedule with Rose Marina as its departure point.
- American Cruise Lines stops. The line's Florida Gulf Coast & Keys round trip lists a November 3, 2026 start, with Marco Island as the Day 3 stop. These ships carry up to 130 passengers and don't start their trips on Marco, so there's no extra car parking, only tour buses picking up and dropping off.
- The everyday marina. Rental boats, jet skis, charter fishing and touring companies, fuel, pump-out service, boat storage and the ship store all operate from Rose Marina.
None of these operators has posted a construction notice in coverage so far. Both cruise schedules are live pages that can change, so check them before booking a sunset cruise for visiting family.
Why Two Years of Review Came Down to the Ships
The restaurant itself was rarely the sticking point. It is a permitted use under Rose Marina's C-5 zoning. Getting there still took two years, nine hours of planning board meetings and seven and a half hours at City Council. Most of that time went to the tourist ships, which the Marco Eagle reports have grown larger and more frequent.
"They can build a restaurant; I don't care about that," resident Mario Curiale told the council. "When they bring the huge ship, before we know it, we're going to have trolley carts like Key West on Marco Island."
The approved plan includes guardrails that will shape how the rebuilt marina feels on a busy day:
| Rule | What it allows |
|---|---|
| 2003 council standard | Boats of up to 100 feet or more than 100 passengers, four at a time: two in Factory Bay, two in the Magnolia waterway |
| Tour buses | Three at a time, 150 people total |
| Overnight stays | No debarkation vessel overnight, except in a severe weather event |
| Dock length | A Dock is no more than 362 feet, which caps vessel size |
Zach Lombardo, the land-use attorney representing Rose Marina, said four large ships unloading at once isn't realistic: "Having 1,200 people" coming off boats at once "is not possible because of the parking, and even with buses it's not possible." The council's final votes were 4-2, following a 5-2 planning board recommendation in July.
Near Goodland, the Key West Run Has a History of Its Own
The same pattern of rebuilding lost waterfront uses shows up at the island's southeastern tip. On September 4, the Marco Island Planning Board voted 4-1 to approve a site development plan for Walker's Cay Luxury Resort & Marina at 3200 San Marco Road, on the west side of the Stan Gober Memorial Bridge. The decision is final and doesn't go to City Council, because the plan needed no variances.
That address has served boaters before. Moran's Barge Marina once operated there with a restaurant, boat slips and fuel, and according to historical documents it ran weekly trips to Key West on a 100-foot boat. Before that, the site was Ship Ahoy, a bar and restaurant with rooms for rent that was demolished in 1999, according to the Marco Island Historical Society.
The approved plan covers a 45-room condo-hotel, a 45-slip marina, a restaurant, a salon and a spa on almost two acres. That means two levels of parking with five floors above. Owner Maritime Acquisitions LLC, whose title manager is Marco Island resident James "Jim" Walker, describes indoor and outdoor dining, a pet-friendly hotel, a charter tourist boat and a ship store.
Planning board members and some residents worried it could gradually become permanent condos, as some former Marco hotels have over the years. Bob Mulhere of Bowman Consulting, representing the developers, said on the record, "My client is committed to operating as a hotel." No opening date has been announced.
| Site | What used to be there | What's approved | Status as of late September 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rose Marina, 951 Bald Eagle Drive | Jack's Lookout, lost to Hurricane Ian in 2022 | 200-seat restaurant over Factory Bay, parking, dock reconfiguration | Approved Sept. 10; no start date |
| 3200 San Marco Road | Moran's Barge Marina, and before that Ship Ahoy | Walker's Cay: 45 rooms, 45 slips, restaurant, spa | Approved Sept. 4; no opening date |
The Beachfront Question Council Takes Up Next
The one waterfront decision still open sits on the beach. The Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort and Spa at 560 S. Collier Blvd., built in 1985 by New York-based Olshan Properties, wants a rezoning that would more than double its room count. The planning board recommended approval 3-2 on July 31. City staff recommend denial, saying the plan doesn't comply with the comprehensive plan, the land development code or the strategic plan.
After nearly three hours of discussion on September 22, the council continued the hearing. Hilton representatives and city staff agreed to work on a compromise to bring back in October. Council Chairman Darrin Palumbo put the case for finding a solution in terms of aging: "If we don't, the Hilton gets old, it gets outdated, it reduces their rates." The argument echoes Rose Marina's. Rebuilding a long-standing waterfront business is the goal, and the debate is over how much bigger the rebuilt version gets to be.
Keeping Guests Busy on the Island Until the Boat Returns
With no Key West departures from Bald Eagle Drive this winter, the island's own calendar does more of the work. The Goodland Civic Association's 17th annual Holiday Bazaar runs November 14 and 15, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at MarGood Harbor Park, with arts, crafts and market goods. The Marco Island Farmers Market opens its 2026-27 season on November 18 at 901 Park Ave. and runs through April 14, 2027. For a day on the water without a long drive, the Marco Island Princess still sails from Rose Marina. If the trip has to be Key West, the Fort Myers Beach departure runs all year, and the company's Marco Island office is still open to book it.
If you live near Factory Bay, Goodland or the beachfront and want to talk through how these approved projects might affect your corner of the island over the next few seasons, Jennifer Rosenwald is glad to share what she's following. Let's Connect.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
