Image of Fisherman’s Landing and Campground at Muskegon. [MLive]
Nine months after Muskegon approved a controversial waterfront land swap, the city and Mart Dock are now seeking nearly $30 million in federal funding for a port project. Officials say the project could move industrial shipping away from downtown, expand Great Lakes freight opportunities and open more of Muskegon Lake’s waterfront to the public, while overall strengthening West Michigan’s economy.
A federal grant application obtained by MLive/Muskegon Chronicle via a Freedom of Information Act request revealed the most detailed vision of the long-term waterfront plan.The hope is to turn Fisherman’s Landing Campground into a modern freight terminal, while opening more of Muskegon Lake’s downtown waterfront to public use.
In time, city and business leaders plan to build a stronger port at Fisherman’s Landing, expand shipping opportunities, create economic growth, increase public access downtown and overall make better use of the Muskegon Lake’s waterfront. Muskegon and Mart Dock are asking for more than $29 million in grant funding through the Port Infrastructure Development Program. The total project is expected to cost $37.15 million.
Muskegon has “underutilized” and “untapped” maritime potential, said Chuck Canestraight, president of Port City Marine Companies, which owns Mart Dock.
The project – deemed locally as Muskegon’s “land swap” – was approved last December and entails the addition of 4,000 more feet of public access to Muskegon Lake. It will also turn a long-vacant parcel on Muskegon Lake into a green space with retail and community activity, modeled after places like Navy Pier in Chicago. The entire project, combining all industry sectors involved, is expected to create more than 300 jobs, generate $41 million in annual sales and $14 million in wages. It’s expected to take over 25 years, officials have said, with the community not seeing physical changes for at least two to five years.
“We want to operate an important marine terminal to keep Muskegon and West Michigan relevant,” Canestraight said. “We want to develop the lakefront and use Muskegon Lake in a way that is very communal with the citizens.
Aging infrastructure, limited room for expansion and the inability to accommodate larger freighters and future freight opportunities were among the reasons Muskegon made the case for a new port terminal. Agriculture and infrastructure are the primary shipping opportunities. “West Michigan’s a high growth, heavy food, heavy agriculture producing area,” Canestraight said. “I don’t think anyone expects that to shrink off. That seems to be the future.”
The potential development of the Third Street Wharf, the retail and community space along the water, would allow for additional cruise ship activity on Muskegon Lake.
Not only are cruise line companies interested in launching Great Lakes Cruise ships, but are building boats specifically for the Great Lakes and to dock in Muskegon.
Having operated on Muskegon Lake for almost a century, Canestraight’s company has a vested interest to continue doing so, he said. Port City Marine Companies continues to have a maritime operating interest on the Great Lakes.
“We want to expand our maritime operations,” Canestraight said. “We want to expand our terminal operations.” He said it was intentional that a profit-sharing mechanism was built into the land swap agreement, collecting a portion of funds made for grants to be distributed by the city.
“Long term, there’ll be a corporation set up to share in their resources,” Canestraight said. “If we build the terminal, if the business is successful – which we would expect it to be – and generally only pursue business that have the chances to be successful, we would share that back through that profit-sharing corporation, and that might provide some evidence 10 or 15 years down the road of a good, thoughtful decision back in 2025.”
The rest of the park will continue to operate with a boat launch, fishing areas and parking. The plan is for port operations currently near downtown to move farther east to the park site, where the campground is currently. Muskegon and Mart Dock are in the process of buying the neighboring 52-acre Verplank property, two-thirds of which will be for port operations.
There are future plans to create a nature preserve there and boardwalks for visitors to walk along the water in the city’s portion. The city will also take ownership of a portion of Third Street Wharf, a long-vacant parcel on Muskegon Lake next to where Mart Dock currently operates.
The port company will still own most of the property, with plans for a future retail and community activity on the water.
Canestraight has handled industrial operations for Sand Products Corp. for more than 25 years. That company operates three vessels that move Portland cement. He also manages the industrial commerce that occurs at West Michigan Dock and Market including materials, storage contracts or vessels being moored there. He does that in concert with the local manager, who is Max McKee.
Read the full story at this MLive link.
