Thunder Alley losing its boat builders?

AVENTURA, Fla. – Magnum Marine may soon be joining Cigarette Boats and Ocean Spirit in moving out of facilities on Northeast 188th Street in Aventura, Fla., known as Thunder Alley, reported Miami Today in an article this week.

The boat builder is citing high land prices and strict environmental and zoning issues as the reason why it is looking to move, according to the newspaper.

“It is just a question of when,” Magnum Marine owner Katrin Theodoli told the newspaper. “Land on the water in our region is becoming too expensive for manufacturing.”

Theodoli suggested that locations such as Aventura are becoming increasingly residential and that residents and developers want to see manufacturers move away.

Because boat builders no longer need to be on the water, a lack of available waterfront for manufacturers isn’t a problem, Carlos Leonard told the newspaper. Leonard, the assistant executive vice president for business development of the Beacon Council, said manufacturers now take boats out on the bay for testing.