“It was promised 30 years ago,” said Art Harden, Warren County’s representative to the marina design process. “It’s going to be a benefit for all the places around here.”
The marina is to be built just north of Ohio 73, as it crosses the lake, and south of the main swimming beach.
Construction of the first phase, including a building and 150 docks, is to begin next year, Harden said. The cottages, with private docks, would be built in a later phase.
The plan also calls for fishing platforms and launching areas for kayaks and other small boats, a concession stand, laundry and other services.
So far, the state has set aside $4 million from a waterway safety fund for the project, officials said.
The marina operator is expected to invest about $3 million in exchange for a 20-to-25-year contract, four-to-five times the typical marina lease, Phil Miller, resource planning administrator for the Ohio Division of Watercraft, said in an email.
By offering a longer lease, the state hopes to encourage the operator to invest “back into the marina — thus targeting economic and operational sustainability,” Miller said.
JJR, a Wisconsin-based consultant is designing the marina, projected to open in 2014.
The marina is projected to bring in more than $1 million a year, just from the boaters using the new docks, according to a market analysis. “It’s going to bring in millions of dollars to the community,” said Harden, longtime commodore of the Caesar Creek Sailing Association.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2261 or lbudd@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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