The clubhouse at the Lighthouse Point Yacht Club came down the week of September 16, 2026. That ends a six-decade run as the city's venue for charity events, mariners, and tennis players. The aerial photos make it look like a sudden loss. Members, though, haven't been able to go inside since August 2022, when asbestos abatement closed the building. For four years the club has run without its clubhouse, using the marina, the courts, the pool, and an outdoor dining area. Those are the parts that stay open through construction. The demolition is mainly the start of a construction schedule, and the published sources give two different lengths for it.
A building that closed long before it came down
The club dates to 1961. Developer Terry Paterson bought the 10-acre property in 2017. A groundbreaking was announced for 2021, then pushed back again and again by permitting, financing, and a redesign of the clubhouse.
The clubhouse closed in the middle of those delays. In August 2022 the New Pelican reported that asbestos abatement had started at the clubhouse and closed it to members. The work turned out to be bigger than expected. Paterson told the paper, "I pleaded to let me demo it. .. It was unsafe and the A/C is failing." The paper's September 2026 demolition story says the closure came after the "discovery of asphalt." Its 2022 and 2023 coverage describes asbestos, which is the consistent account.
The club kept running even in 2022. An outdoor area served drinks, and food trucks were set up on site. That temporary setup lasted longer than anyone planned. The New Pelican reports that membership kept growing even without a clubhouse.
Before demolition could happen, Paterson settled outstanding code violations with the city. Mayor Kyle Van Buskirk called the moment a step toward a long-held goal. "I am glad the city and the developer are now moving forward with this dream of Lighthouse Point Yacht Club members," he said.
What's still open on NE 27th Court
The building that came down hadn't been in use for four years. Most of what members use day to day is still running.
| Part of the club | Status as of September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Marina | Not slated for change; 78 deep-water slips |
| Pool area | In use by members |
| Outdoor dining | In use by members |
| Tennis | Courts still in use, but some were demolished in early September |
| Private event space | Limited during redevelopment |
| Clubhouse | Demolished; demolition expected to take about three weeks |
The club's development page says that during construction it will keep offering five Har-Tru clay tennis courts, a fitness center, a children's activity area, outdoor dining, a junior Olympic-sized pool, and the marina. It also says the club's travel and social calendar stays full. That page has no date. The New Pelican's September report says some tennis courts were torn down the week before the clubhouse. Before you book a court time, check the current count with the club.
Social programming is still going. The club's site promotes a Wednesday Pasta Night along with other activities during demolition. Its usual calendar includes holiday gatherings, Dock Hops, family events, and a Halloween golf parade. Private events are harder. The club's events page says event space is limited for now and asks people to inquire about future dates. If you've been thinking about a reception or anniversary dinner on the water there, plan for the new building, not this season.
The club also lists community partners, including South Florida Honor Flight, Arc Broward, 4Kids, Broward Pantry, United Way, and Habitat for Humanity. None of the sources say where the clubhouse's charity events have been held since 2022. Your best source on that is the organizer of any event you usually attend.
What's being built
The old Old Florida-style clubhouse will be replaced by a modern two-story building. Plans include fine dining, a piano lounge, an outdoor tapas bar, banquet seating for 280, a gym, a spa, and a rooftop terrace. Paterson Project Management also plans 21 luxury townhomes from 3,600 to 4,750 square feet, a new tennis center and café, and a pool complex.
Some of the work extends past the property. The developer's agreement requires about 1,300 feet of new sidewalk on NE 27 Terrace, plus traffic-calming devices, partly in response to traffic-safety concerns raised during approvals. If you walk or bike that street, those changes may affect you more than the clubhouse. None of the sources include a published truck route or closure plan for NE 27th Court during construction.
Two clocks, one site
The two available timelines don't agree.
- Mid-September 2026. The clubhouse comes down. The New Pelican expects demolition to take about three weeks, which puts the finish around early October.
- By mid-October 2026. Construction of the first townhome building must begin within 30 days of the demolition.
- About 28 months out. That's the club's own estimate for finishing the project and opening the new clubhouse. It appears on an undated page with no stated start date.
- Up to 40 months. That's what the developer's agreement allows for completing all construction on the site, according to the New Pelican's September 2026 report.
Twelve months separate the two estimates, and they come from sources with different jobs. The 28 months is the club's goal for a grand opening. The 40 months is the outer limit the city agreed to. Given how long this project has already taken, the newer and more formal figure is the safer one for planning. The real test comes this fall, when the townhome start deadline arrives.
The same rebuild a mile away
The yacht club isn't the only long-standing Lighthouse Point gathering place being rebuilt around the part people use most. Brixmor Property Group, which owns the Venetian Isles Shopping Center at US 1 and Sample Road, has submitted plans to redo a center that opened in 1958. The plan moves Publix from its current 40,000 square feet into a central 57,000-square-foot space and adds a 2,100-square-foot liquor store. About 70,000 square feet of older retail space would be torn down and the parking lot reconfigured.
T.J. Maxx, Staples, Petco, and Dollar Tree are the center's main retailers now. The city's development review committee has reviewed the site plan, and reconstruction is scheduled to start in March 2027.
The two projects follow the same plan. Venetian Isles is centered on a bigger Publix. The yacht club keeps its 78 slips unchanged and rebuilds around them. Both properties date from the same few years, and both owners are keeping the most-used piece while replacing the buildings around it. In Lighthouse Point over the next two to three years, the familiar uses will mostly stay put while the buildings around them are replaced.
If you're weighing what this construction stretch means for a home near NE 27th Court or the US 1 and Sample Road corridor, Stefanie Bauer follows both projects closely and is glad to talk through how the timelines may affect your plans. Schedule a Consultation whenever it's convenient for you.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
