ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – It has been a busy year for the Escanaba Recreation Department and Municipal Marina, and new developments are in store in the new year.
In 2025, a major project for the Recreation Department was the construction of a long-awaited splash park at the site of the former Webster Wading Pool.
“We had many delays with COVID and then delay in parts and trying to find a contractor,” explained Recreation Director Kim Peterson. “We had to bid the project a couple times. We are hopeful that the splash park will be done for spring 2026.”
The department has also been updating the floors inside the 26,000-square-foot Catherine Bonifas Civic Center. Peterson says more upgrades are planned for next year.
“Moving forward, we’re going to concentrate on windows, LED lights,” she said. “A lot of the stuff we have in this facility—1967 is when it was built—it’s all original. We’re going to definitely look at some opportunities to update a lot of the building maintenance and facility issues.”
At the Municipal Marina, the last few years have been spent updating the landscaping. Peterson, who also serves as the harbormaster, says the goal is to make it more appealing for local slipholders and transient boaters.
“We’ve trimmed trees and removed trees, and we’ve put in some mulch,” she said. “We have updated a lot of the signage. We repaired some of the sidewalks that were dilapidated or dangerous. Some of the stuff was in poor condition, so we’ve been budgeting a few things every year, and we’re going to continue to do that as well.”
Also this year, the Harbor Advisory Board has been crafting a five-year plan. It includes a list of updates that need to be made, including an upgrade to the fuel station and the replacement of one of the docks. Peterson aims to secure grant funding for some of those projects in the new year.
Next spring, the City plans to replace the roof of the harbormaster building. Last week, the Escanaba City Council approved a $25,000 contract from A & M Roofing for the work.
“It was something that wasn’t budgeted,” Peterson said. “We just happened to notice we were having some problems in the men’s shower room, so we’re going to get that done for 2026.”
The marina reported a strong summer. In the years to come, Peterson and the Harbor Advisory Board aim to make it a more welcoming destination for visitors.
For the Recreation Department, a new year is another opportunity to enhance the lives of Escanaba residents. Particularly, the department is focused on the youth who attend the Civic Center’s after-school program, which receives great support from the public.
“The community has been wonderful,” said Peterson. “Most recently, we partnered with Events With Kathleen. She’s been giving us some funding for the after-school program. We’re going to continue to expand upon that. Currently, we have 127 students that are registered. They can come every day after school and then on Saturdays. We hand out hygiene items, school supplies, and we feed them every day. All that funding, it really adds up, so we’re grateful to the community for donating to our program.”
To learn more about the Catherine Bonifas Civic Center after-school program, call the Escanaba Recreation Department at (906) 786-4141.
