THUNDER BAY — The city is looking for a contractor to take on the latest development work on the waterfront at Marina Park.
Bids for the $1.3 million project close on Tuesday, July 24.
Gerry Broere, director of the Asset Management Division of the Community Services department, says the work will be "a continuation of the park development more toward the naturalized area of the park, toward the Pool 6 site."
The project includes the partial extension of the Sleeping Giant Parkway, a short extension of the pedestrian trail along the water's edge, the completion of the boaters parking lot and the regrading and creation of a low-impact storm water treatment feature in the area between the boaters parking lot and the area designated as the Cultural Campus.
One outcome, Broere said, is that more of the shoreline will be "cleaned up" and will become more presentable and accessible for the public.
He explained that the boaters parking lot is the final phase of the parking lot work south of Pearl Street that was started in 2016, while the remainder of the work aligns with the Phase 2 Waterfront Master Plan that city council approved in 2015.
"Specifically the work is geared towards the isolation of the Cultural Campus lands so future work on those lands can proceed unencumbered by park activities," Broere said.
One of the projects supported by council for the Cultural Campus is the relocation of the Thunder Bay Art Gallery.
Broere noted that ultimately the road that leads to the Pool 6 site where the Alexander Henry is docked will be realigned to run parallel with the railway tracks "which provides more land towards the waterfront."
The current project will eliminate about one-third of the existing road.
Broere said the city hopes most of the various elements of the project will be completed before this year's construction season ends, but there may be some minor cleanups required next year.
"That will leave the site ready for future development," he said, and people "will start to see how the Cultural Campus fits into the overall waterfront development."
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