ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – Escanaba’s Municipal Marina is now under new management.
The city’s Recreation Department has taken over the harbormaster position, following a vacancy. Recreation Director Kim Peterson says the department oversaw the marina about 15 years ago, so she believes it will be a smooth transition.
“We’re going to be back and forth for a little bit,” she said. “During the summer, hopefully some of the staff will come back from last year. We will have staffing down there, either myself or the other Recreation employees, but somebody will be there a lot of the hours this summer. It’s going to be a learning curve, of course, but we’re confident that we can do it and it will be business as usual.”
While no major changes are planned, Peterson hopes to bring more events to the marina. In response to public interest, she would also like to work with the Harbor Advisory Board to look into the possibility of securing grant dollars to upgrade some of the docks.
In the meantime, Peterson and the Recreation Department will be focused on continuing the marina’s regular operations.
“The marina itself takes care of the transient boaters, the seasonal slips,” Peterson said. “A lot of people don’t realize that also includes the two boat launches—Aronson Island boat launch and North Shore boat launch—as well as the fish cleaning station, fishing tournaments, kids’ derbies. It encompasses all of that.”
Peterson says an informational meeting will be held within the next few months to get public input on the harbor. Anyone with questions about the marina can contact the Escanaba Recreation Department at (906) 786-4141. Follow the City of Escanaba Recreation Department on Facebook for updates on the Municipal Marina.
