New commercial marina opens in San Pedro

Over the years, the town of San Pedro on Ambergris Caye has grown from a sleepy fishing village to a bustling tourism hub, and this weekend it became proud owner of the nation’s newest marine docking facility. At ceremonies held on Friday morning, residents of the island joined Prime Minister Said Musa and Minister of Works Vildo Marin in inaugurating the San Pedro Commercial Marina. The concrete installation, located at the southwest end of the island, was built at a cost of three point five million dollars, with funding provided by the Government of Belize. Town Councillor Mel Spain told News 5 that the marina project, which is phase one of the San Pedro Pier Development, included reclamation of twenty-one acres of swampland, dredging of a mile long channel leading into the wharf, and the installation of lighting to allow for twenty-four-hour usage. Initial work on the project started in July 2001. Contractor was Johnston International.