Developers and community members broke ground Thursday on the Rio Marine Village project, a 16-acre waterfront development along the St. Lucie River in Rio. The site has been empty since 2004, when Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne destroyed a hotel, restaurant and marina that stood there.
The project won approval in 2025. Plans call for eight multifamily buildings, one townhome building, a restaurant, a marina clubhouse and public access to the beach and waterfront.
Developer Charles Modica said the project is about more than new housing. He said it would give residents a way to reach the water, which he described as a chance to revitalize an area first developed in 1893.
JoLynne Jensen, with the Rio Civic Club, said the community has waited years for the property to be redeveloped. She said the site will be open to the public rather than gated, with people able to walk down Dixie Highway to see the river and ride bikes through the development.
Construction is expected to take about two years. Jensen said the developers have finished construction documents and obtained the necessary permits.
