St. Andrews Bay Yacht Club breaking ground on new building in 4 to 6 weeks

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - Since the 1930s, the St. Andrews Bay Yacht Club has been a part of the Panama City and Cove communities.

The clubhouse was destroyed in a fire in November 2023, and after two and a half years of planning and negotiations to rebuild it, a significant step forward was made.

“We received the approval from the city to move forward with our new clubhouse,” said Michael Wynn, Immediate Past Commodore at St. Andrew’s Yacht Club.

At Tuesday’s commission meeting, Panama City Commissioners approved a 30-year development agreement for the 2.7-acre yacht club property, describing what is going to be built there and how it will be used.

“The agreement establishes parameters for vehicle, boat, and trailer parking, operation of the sailing center, and potential expansion of the docks and the boat ramp,” said Jonathan Hayes, City Manager for Panama City.

Wynn says the club is a historical non-conformant waterfront development because it is a commercial property located in a residential neighborhood. He says club leadership has been in negotiations with the city, making sure the club doesn’t have a negative impact on the community.

“We want to make sure that as a club, we’re not increasing the burden on any of our neighbors, that we’re not increasing an impact on them, and that we’re being respectful on a community that means so much to us,” said Wynn.

The approved development agreement also allows for the issuance of the development order, which allows crews to break ground. Wynn says this will begin in 4 to 6 weeks and will be completed 12 months after that.

“Thank you, thank you for believing in the yacht club, and thank you for believing in the future that we’re building here,” said Wynn.

The club will have a new pool and clubhouse, which will be a two-story state-of-the-art building. It will be moved to a higher ground to the west, overlooking the St. Andrews Bay.

The St. Andrew’s Bay Yacht Club has about 300 members. Wynn says he and the club’s members are excited for what the future holds.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WJHG on Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter).

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Email news@wjhg.com. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

Keep up with all the biggest headlines on the WJHG News app, and check out what’s happening outside using the WJHG Weather app.