Boardwalk's New Section Is Finished
By Karen Gould

Another section of the St. Ignace waterfront boardwalk has been completed, with 1,150 feet of new walkway extending out to Wawatam Lighthouse along the old Railroad Dock.

The recent $227,000 project came in $1,389 over budget, said Deb Evashevski, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) at its September 14 meeting. Some of the additional cost was the result of making more openings in the fenced walkway for emergency access. The additional openings, however, made it easy to reach the undeveloped track elevator once was used to raise the tracks to the Chief Wawatam railroad ferry. So a new wood fence was constructed to keep pedestrians out of that area, which also contributed to the cost overrun.

Funding for the project came from the DNR Trust Fund and the Department of Environmental Quality Coastal Management grant program.

The proposed development of Wawatam Park, adjacent to the boardwalk, will take precedence over the final phase of the Huron Boardwalk project, which eventually will link Wawatam Park to American Legion Park. The new park will include a fishing platform approximately 150 feet long by 10 feet wide on the southern side of the dock, which will be handicap accessible. A planned children's playground has been scaled down to a children's educational area. A planned brick walkway will now be made of decorative concrete.

If grants are obtained, the project could begin as early as next spring, with completion estimated for fall 2009.

The park is estimated to cost $210,000, with $134,000 requested from the DNR Trust Fund and $38,000 requested from a Coastal Management grant. Another $38,000 will be provided locally, including $10,000 each from the DDAand Mackinac County, $5,000 each from the city and the Kiwanis Club. $3,000 from the Lions Club, and $5,000 in in-kind work from the Department of Public Works.

DDA members also learned that a $90,000 offer has been received for its house at 3 Glashaw Street. If the sale moves forward, revenue from the sale of the house will be used to fund repairs at the Museum of Ojibwa Culture.

Museum Director Shirley Sorrels said attendance was down at the museum, although revenue was up slightly. She is working on the budget and plans to present it to the board at the November DDA meeting.

A committee of retailers will consider the advantage of keeping stores open later during the summer. Authority member Pat Ramsay said visitors are looking for things to do in the evening, and not all stores are open. The board also discussed looking into extending museum hours to 8 p.m. next summer.

"Part of our job is to continue to make our downtown alluring so people will want to come down here all times of the day and evening," said Mrs. Evashevski, "and then hopefully the stores will follow suit."

The DDA next meets Friday, October 12, at 8 a.m. in City Council Chambers on the second floor of City Hall.