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News | From mom-and-pop to private equity: the transformation of Florida's marinas

Reported by Costar
Oct 28, 2026· 2 min read
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Key Takeaways
  • • Investors are increasingly treating Florida's waterfront as a scarce, income-producing real estate asset rather than only scenic amenity, according to CoStar's coverage of the Fort Lauderdale boat show.
  • • The article identifies James Tate (President/Principal/CEO/Co-Owner, Tate Enterprises), Phil Purcell (CEO, Marine Industries Association of South Florida), and Michelle Ash (Principal, Simply Marinas) as industry contacts on the marina market's shift from owner-operated businesses to institutional ownership.
  • • Wealth flowing into the growing South Florida region is cited as a driver of marina transactions and private equity interest.
  • • Full figures, deal values, and transaction details are behind CoStar's subscriber paywall and are not available in the publicly accessible text.
Summary
CoStar reports that investors are increasingly viewing Florida's waterfront not merely as idyllic scenery but as a scarce, income-producing type of real estate. The article, published October 28, 2026, frames the trend against the backdrop of the Fort Lauderdale boat show, which it describes as spotlighting wealth flowing into the growing region.

The story traces the transformation of Florida's marinas from mom-and-pop operations to assets attracting private equity capital. Industry voices quoted in the piece include James Tate, president, principal, CEO and co-owner of Tate Enterprises; Phil Purcell, CEO of the Marine Industries Association of South Florida; and Michelle Ash, principal at Simply Marinas.

The full article, including specific transaction data and analysis of the ownership shift, is available only to CoStar subscribers. The publicly accessible text does not disclose deal values, transaction counts, or pricing metrics, and those details should be verified through the complete CoStar report.

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Sources

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AlphaMaven summarised this story from the reporting below. Each link opens the original article.

Costar News | From mom-and-pop to private equity: the transformation of Florida's marinas