Rock Island City Council hears proposal for Sunset Marina upgrades

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (KWQC) - Rock Island City Council heard a proposal for $4.1 million in upgrades to Sunset Marina.

The Rock Island Public Works Director Mike Bartels presented the proposal during a Monday night study session at a council meeting.

The project’s expected cost includes a 10% contingency. According to Bartels a FEMA grant of about $1.4 million and $976,000 in ARPA funds will be part of the funding, while other funds will be needed to complete the project.

The FEMA grant has all costs paid for by the city and then reimbursed by FEMA.

Bartels said the feasibility study found some possible rate increases for slip costs that are in line with what the local market is. This increase could bring in up to $170,000 in additional revenue, he said.

The upgrades proposed include;

• Dock 400 replacement; with 78 new slips
• Decommission dock 200, marina maintenance dock, and docks 600-900; as they are beyond their useful life, and staff have safety concerns.
• Dredging, dock 400 and areas out to river channel, including areas around docks 100, 300, and liftwell area.
• Marina office roof replacement
• Electrical upgrades to docks 100 and 300 and upgrades to disconnects on the land side.

Background on Sunset Marina:

The marina capacity would be decreased to 222 slips from 395. According to Bartels, 225 slip rentals are typical during peak season.

The city bought the marina in 1948 and, in 1980, paid $434,000 to purchase the buildings, docks and other marina infrastructure and incorporated it into regular city operations as an enterprise fund.

In 2010, previous city staff said the marina needed major infrastructure improvements and that the marina budget could only fund day-to-day operations and existing deb service. At the time, they recommended selling or leasing the marina.

Discussions about the marina resurfaced in 2019 during the flood. The 400 dock was also damaged and removed from the marina at this time.

In February, the council approved a contract with Edgewater Resources to conduct a feasibility study.

Next steps:

• Approve engineering services contract and begin project design
• Identify additional funding sources and work with the Finance Department to create an amortization schedule
• Establish a new rate model to match the local market and fund future maintenance and capital needs
• Negotiate a contract for third-party management as the current contract expires in September
• If approved, construction would likely begin in early 2024.

At this time, the council has not set a date for when they may vote on this.

Copyright 2023 KWQC. All rights reserved.