North Tonawanda Marina Renovation Options Unveiled
Consultants say public prefers costlier plan
http://www.buffalonews.com/city/communities/niagara-county/article361868.ece
NORTH TONAWANDA -- The more extensive of two renovation proposals for a dilapidated, city-owned former marina also is the more expensive one, but overwhelmingly the one preferred by the public, consultants told city leaders Tuesday night.
Turning the existing clubhouse at the former Niagara River Yacht Club into a restaurant or pub and having vendors offering things like boat, personal watercraft and bike rentals are among the details in the favored option unveiled by a consulting team hired by the city.
The proposal was one of two outlined by consultants from Applied Technology & Management and Nussbaumer & Clarke during a public presentation in City Hall. The firms were hired in June at a cost of $100,000 to provide a market analysis and feasibility study for the former marina site at 1000 River Road.
Redeveloping the site as a commercial marina is not viable given current market conditions, said Justin D. Davis, engineer and project manager for Applied Technology & Management. But the site does need work because a majority of the marine infrastructure is not in usable condition, Davis said.
The consultants' recommended option comes with estimated costs of $1.7 million to $3 million, amounts the city is not in a position to spend, said Mayor Robert G. Ortt. The other option presented by the consultants calls for a more passive use of the site, with less extensive renovations to the existing clubhouse. This proposal would turn it into a banquet hall, with exercise trails built parts of the site. Costs for this proposal ranged from $1.4 million to $2 million, consultants told a crowd of about 14 members of the public, along with city officials during a presentation in Common Council Chambers.
Financially speaking, the less expensive second option -- which consultants called the more financially viable one -- would net the city an estimated $48,000 in income annually, while the more expensive option would net the city about $25,000 a year, consultants said.
Public comments were solicited through a website for the project. Of about 30 comments received, the vast majority were positive, Davis said. "People just want to see something done with the property," he said, summarizing the public comments.
The more extensive renovation proposal for the site also included a multi-tiered deck, a waterfront promenade around the entire basin and the flexibility to turn part of the basin back into boat slips should the market for commercial slips re-emerge. In their report, the consultants estimated annual operating revenue for the city of $38,000, with estimated annual expenses at $13,000.
For the less extensive proposal, which would also call for a gazebo and a park-like setting created on the peninsulas, annual operating revenue was estimated at $64,000, with costs estimated at $16,000.
One way the city could avoid taking on the costs associated with redeveloping the site would be to enter into a public-private partnership, said Kirby G. Marshall, waterfront development specialist with Applied Technology & Management. The possibility of that type of partnership "is something that needs to be looked at," said R. Charles Bell, a representative of Lumber City Development Corp., the city's economic development arm.
Ortt said he will discuss the consultants' report with members of the Common Council as they consider how the city will proceed. The city was recently awarded $300,000 from Niagara County's portion of a $3 million annual fund for projects associated with the creation of the Niagara River Greenway. Ortt said about 65 percent of that money will likely be used this year to address existing safety concerns at the site.
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