Ontario Construction News staff writer
Windsor will spend $5 million to build a floating dock system at Lakeview Park Marina. Council approved a $2 million increase to the original budget for the project that should be open at the start of the next boating season.
The city was faced with the decision to significantly increase the cost or shrink the number of boat slips by 42 per cent. Councillors approved the dock system that will respond to rising and lowering water levels.
City staff recommended replacing the 39-year-old fixed dock system with a floating system that is better suited to withstand dramatically fluctuating water levels.
However, the lowest tender was $2 million over budget – a reality that staff said is the result of marinas across the province seeking solutions for high-water problems and a relatively small number of companies that build floating docks.
In spring 2019, record high water levels resulted in significant damage to the docks at Lakeview Park Marina. For both staff and seasonal boaters, the Electrical Safety Authority deemed the electrical infrastructure unsafe and administration deemed the docks unsafe. As a result, all seasonal docks were closed for the 2019 season.
Requests from seasonal boaters for increased security cameras, continuous new fencing, card-accessed gates and Wi-Fi upgrades were incorporated into the new design.
The new design addresses a growing trend towards larger boats and will allow approximately 222 boats between 24 and 60 feet long. It also provides improvements to the electrical infrastructure to allow for greater flexibility for electrical servicing. Two tenders were issued for the project: one for the demolition of the current dock system and the installation of pilings and a second for the fabrication and installation of a new floating dock system.
Currently, docks accommodate 208 boats and are usually fully rented for the season. The new design includes 222 boat slips, many to accommodate larger boats up to 60 feet in length. When completed, the 222 boat slips would generate $360,000 in annual revenue for the city.
Council rejected the option to stay within the $3-million budget by reducing the number of boat slips by 93, leaving boaters without accommodation.
Municipalities with waterfront marinas are facing similar problems as Windsor, and so are private marinas, said Jan Wilson, Windsor’s corporate leader of parks, recreation, culture and facilities. She explained that there are few companies that do this type of work and the demand for their services is rising along with lake levels.
“With that many facilities looking for this kind of work, it’s going to drive up the price,” she said.
Other factors include the timeline demands of winter work (in order to work around the boating season.