Mid-Week Edition: June 24, 2026

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Island Brief

Amelia Island • Nassau County • First Coast

Happy Wednesday, Nassau County. The downtown waterfront did most of the talking this week. The Waterfront Advisory Board met Monday, and between Brett's coming down, a once-in-a-generation marina rebuild, and a banner year at the docks, the river's edge is about to look very different. We also have hopeful news about one of the island's most beloved old oaks. Here is what is worth knowing.

📰	What You Need to Know

Bids to demolish the former Brett's Waterway Cafe and rebuild a key stretch of the city marina open July 2, with construction tentatively starting August 10 and Brett's itself coming down in September, Deputy City Manager Glenn Akramoff told the Waterfront Advisory Board on Monday. The work includes a new bulkhead, reconfigured docks, and upgraded infrastructure meant to support the waterfront's future, and Akramoff warned residents to brace for "sticker shock" on what he called the most expensive project the city has ever taken on. Twenty-eight contractor representatives turned out for the pre-bid meeting, a sign of strong interest. Most docks will stay open during construction, materials will arrive by barge to spare downtown the truck traffic, and the new pier is being designed to one day hold a marina building if the money can be found.

Read More → Fernandina Observer

Two independent arborists who examined Kate's Tree, the towering live oak in the Ash Street median near Eighth Street, concluded the historic oak can be preserved after a massive limb collapsed June 14 and damaged a nearby home. The reports, obtained by the Fernandina Observer through a public records request, traced the failure to long-standing internal decay and an old pruning wound that never fully healed, not disease or pests. Both arborists agreed the tree is worth keeping, but only with prompt action: reducing the canopy by roughly a quarter to a third, clearing deadwood, protecting the root zone, and installing cables or bracing to prevent another break. For a tree this woven into the neighborhood's identity, the takeaway is hopeful, with a to-do list attached.

Read More → Fernandina Observer

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🌟	Community Spotlight

If you have ever wondered what a good hat and a good cause can do together, Women of Nassau has an answer. The local women's group recently raised $4,000 at its Mad Hatter Tea Party and handed the proceeds to two Nassau County nonprofits, one more entry in a year of quiet, steady giving. WON runs on friendship and follow-through, members who show up for each other and then show up for their neighbors. Fundraisers like this rarely make the front page, but they are a big part of how local causes keep the lights on. If you are looking for a welcoming way to plug into the community this summer, this is a good front door.

Read More → Fernandina Observer

💼	Business Brief

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The Fernandina Harbor Marina is having a banner year. Revenue is up nearly $395,000 through May, about $2.82 million versus $2.42 million a year ago, with transient traffic and dock occupancy near capacity, Marina Manager Chris Ferguson told the Waterfront Advisory Board. With long waiting lists, board members asked whether the planned waterfront work might add slips; Ferguson said he would love to expand and is confident new space would fill fast. (More)

➤	Fernandina Beach Main Street named The Happy Tomato Cafe & BBQ, the courtyard barbecue spot at 7 S. Third Street downtown, its 2026 First Quarter Curb Appeal Award winner, a nod to the small touches that keep the historic district looking cared for. (More)

📌	Briefly Noted

🗓️	Quick Picks This Week

SAT 27

Fernandina Beach Farmers Market N. 7th Street, downtown • 9 AM to 1 PM • Year-round, rain or shine

SAT 27

Fernandina Beach Arts Market 506 Centre Street • 9 AM to 1 PM • Local artists and makers, 2nd and 4th Saturdays

SUN 28

Sunset Concert Series: Gilberto 77 Riverfront at 123 S. Front Street • 6 PM • Live music down by the water as the sun goes down

With Brett's coming down and the marina headed for its biggest makeover yet, the downtown riverfront is about to change. What do you most want to see at the water's edge when the work is done, and what would you hate to lose? Hit reply and let us know. We read every response.

The city marina that is front and center in this week's news has been rebuilt before. Which 2016 hurricane tore through the Fernandina Harbor Marina, wrecking much of its southern basin and kicking off years of repairs?

Answer: Hurricane Matthew. The October 2016 storm destroyed the marina's southern attenuator and docks, and rebuilding the waterfront stretched on for years.

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