Our Projects
Town of Palm Beach – Town Docks
The Town of Palm Beach, Florida, is a fully developed community renowned for its beauty, quality of life, and small-town character. Serving approximately 9,700 full-time residents and an additional 20,000 seasonal residents, the town offers a wide range of recreational amenities, including the only public marina on the island. The “Town Docks” have provided berthing for power and sail yachts up to 260 feet since their initial construction in the 1940s.
Edgewater provided marine engineering services for this 1,023-slip, $103 million marina facility located on the open coast of Lake Michigan, south of Chicago. The team collaborated closely with the design team on the overall layout, functionality, and performance of the facility.
Engineering services included the design of a pile- and chain-anchored floating dock system, marine fuel systems, pumpout facilities, water and electrical utilities, gangways, gangway abutment platforms, gate and security systems, and a boat launch. While at a prior firm, the president of Edgewater Resources served as principal in charge of the overall engineering team, overseeing 18 subconsultants and $7.2 million in engineering fees to successfully deliver this complex project. This effort included extensive wave modeling, coastal engineering analysis, physical model testing, and geotechnical and structural engineering.
Key materials and systems included 10 to 12 tons of stone, steel sheet pile bulkheads, and the full marina infrastructure noted above. Specialized studies included both numerical and physical wave modeling. The half-mile-long breakwater system was designed to protect the facility from waves up to 35 feet, generated by a 335-mile fetch across Lake Michigan, reducing wave conditions within the marina basin to less than one foot. Marine utility systems were designed to meet NEC requirements, and in-slip pumpout systems help minimize spill potential.
The project opened in May 2012 and resulted in significant waterfront enhancements, improved traffic calming, and better pedestrian circulation. Improvements included the elimination of four conflict points between the Lakefront Trail and vehicular traffic. The renovation of the existing concrete revetment into a softer, naturalized edge created a more inviting waterfront promenade connecting the green roof–covered parking structure to the water's edge. Additional features such as a regional playground, picnic areas, and reconfigured bike paths help integrate the project into the surrounding community.
The project received numerous awards, including the ISS Fabien Cousteau Blue Award for harbor sustainability, LEED Gold Certification, the President's Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects (Illinois Chapter), the AIA Chicago SustainABILITY Leadership Merit Award, and First Place in Engineering News-Record Midwest's "Best Projects" of 2012.
Town of Palm Beach – Town Docks
The Town of Palm Beach, Florida, is a fully developed community renowned for its beauty, quality of life, and small-town character. Serving approximately 9,700 full-time residents and an additional 20,000 seasonal residents, the town offers a wide range of recreational amenities, including the only public marina on the island. The “Town Docks” have provided berthing for power and sail yachts up to 260 feet since their initial construction in the 1940s.
How Contributed
Civil Engineering
Coastal Engineering
Surveying
Permitting
Following updates and expansions between 1993 and 1998, the current project expands the footprint of the Town Docks, providing deeper drafts and larger slips to meet growing demand for mega yachts. The project also includes shoreline stabilization and upgrades to upland civil infrastructure.
Edgewater Group provided environmental and regulatory permitting support, including benthic surveys, field reports, and pre-application meetings with FDEP and USACE. Comprehensive permit packages were prepared and successfully secured, including FDEP and Corps permits, a lease modification for overwater structures, and a public easement.
Edgewater Group also delivered marine structure, site civil, and landscape architecture services. This included designing pile-supported platforms for two over-water building replacements, extending the water main, upgrading sanitary sewer facilities and lift stations, improving waste handling and recycling, resurfacing parking lots, and providing ADA-accessible ramps to the new docks. Landscape plans were developed to enhance the dock access ramps and waterfront promenade.
