Cleveland to build new marina at heart of Gay Games IX venues

From the Cleveland Plain Dealer blog:

Boaters looking to make a short stop at Cleveland's North Coast Harbor may soon have a place to call home.

The city, powered by a $1.5 million federal grant and about $500,000 in matching municipal funds, will finally begin work this summer on a 53-slip marina in the harbor, at the southwest corner of the East Ninth Street Pier.

Proposals to give boaters easier access to the doorstep of downtown -- especially the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Great Lakes Science Center and Browns Stadium -- have been talked about for years in the redevelopment plans of more than one city administration.

"We think this is an exciting project that will bring some life to our lakefront," said Port Control Director Ricky Smith. "This is really part of a larger lakefront plan that Mayor Jackson has embarked upon.

"What makes the lakefront attractive is the water and efforts in the past to bring people to the lakefront didn't really address the water this way."

Downtown visitors will see some construction this summer on a restroom, shower and laundry facility that will be built alongside the marina, but neither is likely to open until spring 2012, city officials said.

There are several private, long-term marinas along the waterfront in Northeast Ohio, but this site would offer spots for boats 26 feet long or less and for a maximum of 10 days, though most would probably be for shorter stays, Smith said.

The marina would be open to any boater, even boat owners who have permanent slips from other nearby marinas. The daily cost for boaters to dock at the marina has not been set, a city spokeswoman said.

"This is intended for in-and-out, but we'd also like to put in a longer-term marina in the future and we have plans for a restaurant on the site where the old skate park used to be," Smith said.

The federal money, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grant, will be funneled through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources' Division of Watercraft. The federal agency said the aim was to benefit tourism downtown, estimated to generate more than $1.1 million annually for the Cleveland area, the service said.

"Downtown Cleveland is home to many attractions, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, waterfront museums, entertainment and professional sports venues," said Julie Morin, grant coordinator with the service.

"The transient marina and amenities will attract boaters to the Cleveland area and thus provide an economic boost for the local community."

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"We also hope to be able to bring in some vendors to make it more festive on the pier, more like New York's Central Park or other places," he said.