On this page we highlight recent developments, as well as the lengthy history of the project proposed by the “Summers End Group LLC” – variously known as “The St John Marina” or “The Summers End Marina” or “The Yacht Club at Summers End.”

Summers End Marina: Current Status & Project History

What is the Summers End Marina? The Summers End Marina is a proposed 115-slip fixed-dock mega yacht marina, shoreline boardwalk, and associated land-based amenities located in Coral Harbor, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. First proposed in 2014, over a decade ago, the project has faced extensive regulatory scrutiny due to its anticipated severe impacts on the natural environment, including vital seagrass beds, corals, and historic underwater resources. To offset these impacts, the developer’s compensatory mitigation plan includes filling several acres of Coral Harbor with 1,800 cubic yards of sand to create artificial “mangrove islands.”

Current Status: Federal Litigation Underway

The project is currently the subject of active federal litigation following the controversial approval of federal permits in early 2026.

• April 2026 – Public Hearing Denied: Despite a petition with close to 3,000 signatures and a formal request from U.S. Virgin Islands Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett, the USACE denied requests for a public hearing regarding the project’s significant modifications.

• April 23, 2026 – USACE Approves Permits: After a decade of review and multiple resubmissions, the USACE Jacksonville District approved the Section 10 individual permit for the main marina, alongside Nationwide Permit 27 authorizing the artificial mangrove island mitigation and Nationwide Permits 1 and 18 relating to the 18th century shipwreck.

• August 10, 2026 – Federal Lawsuit Filed: Save Coral Bay, in partnership with the Coral Bay Community Council, filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the permits recently approved by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).

Core Environmental & Legal Concerns

The proposed development presents several critical challenges to the Coral Bay ecosystem and local community:

• Seagrass and Benthic Habitat Loss: The shading from 115 slips and associated boating activity threatens the seagrass beds, coral reefs, and sea turtle habitat from increased turbidity, release of sediments, and artificial “island” construction.

• Unverified Mitigation Strategy: The proposed compensatory mitigation (NWP 27) relies on creating artificial islands, a plan that relies on inaccurate bathymetry and lacks required territorial authority.  The “upland forest to wetland conversion” is infeasible due to site elevations and existing habitat on the Fortsberg peninsula.

• Expired Territorial Permits: The territorial Water Quality Certificate is 12 years old and the Coastal Zone Management (CZM) authorizations for the project have expired or been declared null and void by the Virgin Islands Coastal Commission.

Regulatory History & Complete Timeline (2014 – Present)

The effort by the Summers End Group to obtain permits for the Coral Bay marina has spanned more than a decade, involving thousands of pages of correspondence, extensive agency objections, and numerous redesigns.

Explore the complete, interactive history of the project’s regulatory journey below. Click on any entry to view detailed summaries and primary source documents.