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MELBOURNE, Fla. - Plans for the long-awaited Margaritaville Resort in Melbourne are back on track, with construction set to resume soon after months of delays.
A fence still blocks the dormant construction site, but Melbourne Mayor Paul Alfrey confirmed that the developer is preparing to move forward with the project. The resort will feature 150 hotel rooms, five restaurants, an event venue, and a public boardwalk along U.S. 1.
The $75 million project was put on hold due to high construction costs. However, the mayor recently received an email from the developer requesting a meeting to restart the project.
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"The climate’s much better to build, so we’re looking to have a meeting at city hall next month in November to re-up their construction permits and begin building again early next year," Alfrey said.
The resort is expected to not only attract tourists but also help the Indian River Lagoon. As part of the project, a new stormwater basin will be built to prevent rain runoff from contaminating the river.
"There’s no Margaritaville going to be built on a dirty lagoon," Alfrey added.
Once construction resumes, the resort is expected to be completed and open to the public within a year and a half.
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