NAI/Merin Hunter Codman, the property leasing and management company of 1 East Broward, an iconic 19-story, 350,000-square-foot office building in Fort Lauderdale, welcomed West Marine, the nation’s leading retailer for the sailing, boating, fishing and watersports markets, to its new 50,000-square-foot corporate headquarters at 1 East Broward.

1 East Broward, one of Fort Lauderdale’s leading Class A office buildings, is centrally located on the northeast corner of Broward Boulevard and Andrews Avenue, just a short walk from Fort Lauderdale’s many amenities including the Brightline Train station, the fast-growing Flagler Village residential neighborhood, and Las Olas Boulevard.

West Marine’s relocation of their corporate headquarters from Santa Cruz, California to Fort Lauderdale will create approximately 225 corporate jobs over time and tallied an $800,000 capital investment into the property and community according to the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance. Thursday, October 27^th marked the ribbon cutting ceremony at their new 1 East Broward headquarter location. Ribbon cutting attendees included West Marine Chief Executive Officer Eric Kufel and Chief Commercial Officer Stacey Renfro, as well as Broward County Mayor Michael Udine, Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance President and CEO Bob Swindell, Fort Lauderdale Chamber President and CEO Dan Lindblade, and top members of Downtown Fort Lauderdale. Mr. Kufel along with the City of Fort Lauderdale’s Vice Mayor Sorensen, and City Commissioner, District 2 Steven Glassman cut the ribbon at the ceremony.

The city of Fort Lauderdale, which has over 300 miles of inland waterways and is home to about 50,000 yachts, is known as the Yachting Capital of the World. It’s no wonder this South Florida city attracted West Marine.

West Marine CEO, Eric Kufel, recently stated, “Our relocation to Fort Lauderdale means we can better serve the sailing and boating communities. We want to be where the boaters are, not only to support the existing community, but welcome newcomers to the industry.”

NAI/Merin Hunter Codman Chief Executive Officer Jordan Paul stated, “We are thrilled that West Marine has chosen 1 East Broward for its corporate headquarters. West Marine is an iconic brand that meshes perfectly with the outdoor lifestyle that makes Fort Lauderdale a unique city to live, work and play. We are honored that West Marine has selected 1 East Broward as its new corporate home and look forward to working with them for many years as they continue to grow their market leading business.”