Southport Marina

The Southport Marina is a public small boat harbor owned by the North Carolina State Ports Authority in Southport, North Carolina. It is operated under a long-term lease by Southport Marina, Inc.

The marina made statewide news when it was announced that the State Ports Authority would put it up for sale, causing an uproar among the town's residents, who were concerned that development was spoiling the town's "fishing village charm." North Carolina Governor Mike Easley, himself a resident of Southport, quickly reversed the decision and declared that the State Ports Authority would continue to own the marina.

The town's government pursued a purchase of the marina to preserve it from a future sale to private developers, but the state retained ownership of the marina and approved a lease for the facility to a new ownership group, Southport Marina, Inc., which has invested in significant repairs and upgrades to the facility.

External links

* [http://www.ncports.com/Southport_Marina.htm N.C. State Ports Authority]
* [http://www.southport-marina.com Southport Marina, Inc.]
* [http://www.metronc.com/article/?id=1594 Southport Marina: Innovative Design — By Land and Sea] Metro Magazine (Raleigh, N.C.)
* [http://www.newsobserver.com/102/story/387130.html State OK's Marina Lease] Raleigh News & Observer
* [http://www.stateportpilot.com/stories/marina-121405.htm City Offers $6 million For Marina] The State Port Pilot