Renovation Is Underway at Island Marina

A cloud of cement dust blows across the Mackinac Island Marina as a worker cuts through a retaining wall and improvement work continues Friday, September 21. The renovation project includes dock replacement, new riprap, infrastructure upgrades, dredging, and landscaping. A barge is transporting old decking and walkways off the Island and will deliver new materials to the site. "The weather has been good for us, and we're working the site pretty much as planned," said Tom Bajko, project manager for Ryba Marine Construction of Cheboygan, which was awarded the contract. The $5 million renovation at the 76- slip marina is being funded by boater registration fees allocated from the Michigan Waterways Commission. The marina, which is expected to reopen by May 2008, is operated by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR). A 51-page set of blueprints is available for public viewing at Community Hall on Market Street."It is an enormous project with many details," said Keith Cheli, the district planner for the DNR from the Gaylord Operation Service Center.