Riverfront development project moving forward

City Council is taking steps to set into motion a riverfront development project that consultants said would give promising futures to long-time recreation facilities on or near the Great Miami River.

Council members this summer gave verbal support to a $10 million option for work at the city owned Treasure Island Marina Building, Treasure Island Park and Hobart Arena.

Of that bill, $2.8 million would be for the marina building and Treasure Island Park, with the balance at Hobart Arena.

Council later this year will be asked to approve borrowing the $10 million to pay for an array of projects.

In the meantime, council has been asked to move $1,967,500 from the general fund to the capital improvement fund to pay for project associated design and construction work that would be started or contracted yet this year.

The money would be used as follows, according to a memo to council from Patrick Titterington, city service and safety director:

  • $720,000: Estimated amount needed for consultant to design improvements to Hobart Arena including plans, specifications, bidding documents, a final estimate for bidding and construction administration;
  • $85,000: Estimated amount for consultant to design improvements to Treasure Island Park, including preparing plans, specifications, bidding documents, final estimate and construction administration;
  • $12,500: Estimated amount for App Architecture consultants to complete plans, specifications, bidding documents and design work for the Marina Building and construction administration;
  • $1 million: Construction estimate for Marina Building work;
  • $150,000: Treasure Island Marina parking lot reconstruction (to be paid by a state grant).

Consultants David Greusel of Convergence Design, Susan Sieger of Crossroads Consulting, Chris Young of Bigelow consultants and Rick Willis of App Architecture said in reports on analysis of the facilities that the 1950s arena and the 1940s marina building still have a lot to offer.

“This building has a lot of life left in it,” Greusel said of the arena.

Willis said finishing unused space in the marina building, including taking advantage of features such as windows “to embrace” the nearby water, would go a long way to increasing use of that facility. It now is home to the Tin Roof restaurant.

Although not part of the proposed $10 million package of improvements, council members indicated support of exploring a second sheet of ice for Hobart Arena.

Arena users said the ice is needed to accommodate activities such as skating club events and hockey that now share the arena with a growing number of other events such as concerts. Consultants suggested a second building for the ice to the north of the arena. Titterington said there’s a possibility of private funding to assist with an ice sheet project.

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