Changes are coming to the Sheboygan Marina; city announces multi-year revitalization

SHEBOYGAN — The City of Sheboygan has announced plans to begin a multi-year project including potential Lakefront reimagining and an estimated $12 million Marina revitalization.

The goal of the project is to gather community input for the area and create a future space that enhances quality of life in a financially intelligent way. Mayor Ryan Sorenson said the lake and waterfront is the top reason many people love and visit Sheboygan.

“We want to make sure that we're making investments that are strategic in harnessing that magic of the lake to enhance the experiences and enhance the quality of life here,” he said. “I think this is a great pivotal moment for the city to really take stock.”

Currently, the city is meeting with consultants SmithGroup to finalize the scope of the project. While the contract hasn’t been signed, the city has been forwarding information to the company to continue the process and make transitions run smoothly.

In the Capital Improvement Program approved by the Common Council Nov. 6, $200,000 was allocated to planning for the Marina revitalization.

“The consultants have worked on a lot of other areas throughout the nation,” said David Biebel, director of public works, “and have a lot of interesting concepts that they've seen successful in other areas to reactivate and get a larger percentage of our community involved.”

As part of the revitalization plan, the city will not renew its contract with F3 Marina for 2024. F3 Marina has been overseeing the management of the Marina for 10 years, handling dock reservations, the fuel dock system and additional amenities, Biebel said.

The city’s contract with F3 Marina expires at the end of 2023, and the only option to enter a new contract would be a five-year agreement.

After internal discussions, the city isn’t sure they want to operate the Marina in the same way, said Casey Bradley, city administrator. With such uncertainty for the coming years, it would be unfair to lock F3 Marina or the community in a contract spanning five years, he said.

Biebel said the city is still in the transition phase on determining which amenities will continue to be provided. The city is planning on also looking at the job descriptions of the positions F3 Marina hired for and working to allow the public to apply to fill those jobs.

The city already owned the Marina, so the change primarily just takes out the third party in the management role. The $100,000 cost of F3 Marina’s services will also be saved.

Moving into the future

While city leadership has some ideas on what to do with the Lakefront and Marina, Bradley said they want to hear the community’s thoughts on the space.

“There's a lot of opportunity down there and we think the community would appreciate the opportunity to give input and tell Council, tell the mayor, how they'd like to use that and give a guide for city staff on how to go about making it reality,” Bradley said.

Sorenson said one of the reasons community input is important is so people can use the Marina as a community asset in ways they enjoy.

Questions the community can consider include: Is the large parking lot currently there ideal? How big should the harbor be? Should there be increased space for the paddleboard and kayaking communities? Are more open park spaces wanted? Should there be more in the area supporting winter activities?

The hope is once the consultation contract is signed, a website will go live with project updates and spaces for community feedback, Biebel said. Sorenson estimated this would be running by early spring 2024.

Because plans for the space are not finalized, a financial estimate for how much the project will cost the city is not available, Bradley said.

Why now?

Three decades old, the Marina “needs significant reinvestment if it's going to continue in its current capacity,” Biebel said. The revitalization is an opportunity to best utilize funds and move into a community-centered future, he said.

Sorenson added there has been increases in waterfront activity and outdoor recreation in the community, providing a good opportunity to create something future generations can enjoy.

Since 2013, the city has spent $1 million repairing ice damages to the Marina, Biebel said. While the revenue the Marina brings in covers the yearly budget expense, it does not cover those repair costs.

Additionally, $3 million of debt has built up over the years, Bradley said.

One of the goals of the Marina revitalization is to find the best plan to create a structure that will stand the test of time while also minimizing unnecessary increases to debt and expenses.

The replacement of the about 250 slips, or “parking” spaces for boats, will cost $11 million to $13 million.

Through the construction, Sorenson said he’s confident boats will be able to continue using the Marina with a transition as smooth as possible.

What is the estimated timeline of the project?

In February, the city estimates the consulting work will begin with concepts being drawn and community feedback being collected.

By May, the consultant will give a preliminary concept for the Common Council to review.

An ambitious goal for finalizing plans would come in June or July of 2024 so planning can be included in the 2025 budget, Bradley said.

He said the interim status is estimated to last about two years.

This is a “unique opportunity” to take a design that reflected the wants and needs of the community 30 years ago and transform it into a space important to the community moving into the future, Bradley said. He said he hopes the community becomes engaged and involved in the project.

Have a story tip or public interest concern? Contact Sam Bailey at [email protected] or 573-256-9937. To stay up to date on her stories and other news, follow her on X (Twitter) @SamarahBailey.

This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Sheboygan announces multi-year Marina and Lakefront revitalization