Posted on May 11, 2021
MARQUETTE — The city of Marquette has come a long way in the restoration of Lakeshore Boulevard.
Phase one, which involved raising the road and moving it 300 feet inland, adding a multiuse path and accessible parking areas, and initial shoreline and beach stabilization work, was completed last October. The total cost of phase one was estimated at $3 million to $4 million.
Phase two of the project, which will involve additional shoreline stabilization work, dune and beach restoration and more, was discussed in a work session held by the Marquette City Commission on Tuesday night.
The city previously held a work session in January to discuss phase two, and four months later, plans for this phase of the project are coming to fruition, according to Dennis Stachewicz, director of community development for the city.
“As promised, we are back before you with what we consider our final preliminary draft for phase two of Lakeshore Boulevard,” he said in a presentation to the commission. “That is the lakeshore amenities, which will be the rocks and infrastructure that’s going to protect the shoreline, also combined with many natural features that we are addressing.”
Baird, a coastal engineering and restoration firm, is guiding the city through the planning phase. Baird principal Matthew Clark was on hand to present the final draft to the commission.
“The project need is really about… you have an area 18 to 20 acres that’s really degraded,” Clark said. “You have a shoreline that’s really not safe and not usable, and it really doesn’t provide a ton of good shoreline protection from erosion and flooding. The purpose of this project is that we want to improve coastal resiliency, create a living shoreline, we want to protect public infrastructure and create a public green space with waterfront access. That’s project need and project purpose.”
Renderings shown during the presentation show that stabilization and restoration work will include dune repair and revegetation, a 3,200-foot living revetment which will allow for an aquatic habitat and shoreline erosion/flooding protection, a protected pocket beach to attract aquatic creatures into habitats and beach control structures to prevent movement of materials.
The northern portion of the project area will feature a breach in the living revetment, allowing water to move inland and create natural wetlands.
“This area 150 years ago was really a lot of wetlands and a lot of what we call dune swale, and we’re trying to re-create that,” Clark said. “Just like the living revetment, there are thousands of miles of coastline on Lake Superior, and there are almost a thousand miles of shoreline that is composed of stone, so this is really borrowing from nature and using it for not only restoration, but for infrastructure protection.”
Natural walking trails will also be constructed parallel to the paved multiuse path currently in place.
“It’s really a good way to visit the parkland, to interact with the scenery and it provides a really big improvement for the community,” Clark said.
A portion of the shoreline will be protected by a working cobblestone beach, which are proven to dissipate wave energy and keep shoreline damage minimal. Quarried stone between four to eight inches in length will be used as a more cost-friendly option. Within five to 10 years, the stones will naturally transform from a sharp, jagged shape into a smooth and round form.
Uplands will provide great sight lines for locals and visitors alike to view Lake Superior from many areas.
“You always want to be able to see the lake,” Clark said. “Whether you’re driving by, whether you’re on the bike path, or down on the trail near the living revetment, this is the type of environment that we want to create. Very natural dunes with vegetation that’s fairly stable, it’s also highly flexible in terms of resiliency. That’s one thing that speaks very well to the project.”
With design phases complete, the city is currently in the process of securing regulatory permit applications. Bidding for a contractor is slated to begin in July, and should all the necessary permits be obtained, construction is expected to commence late this year or early 2022.
The estimated cost of phase two is set between $8 million and $10.3 million. The project will be funded through a combination of grant and city funding, with three out of the five grants already awarded. Combined, the three grants provide over $1.5 million in funding for the project.
Should the city receive all five grants, it will have a $4.8 million to $7.1 million obligation to the project cost. Should the final two grants not be approved, the city’s cost obligation increases to $6.4 million to $8.5 million.
Stachewicz said the project cost could fluctuate depending on permitting and grant funding.
“That in itself may look like a wide range, but it really depends on how the permits are going to play out with these permitting agencies,” he said. “They could require certain things for us to do that could up the cost on that. As of right now, we’re looking at $8 million on this. It’s funded by a combination of grant and city funds. We have applied for five grants, and three of those have been awarded.”
One of the two pending grants is a Federal Emergency Management Agency Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant. The BRIC grant “supports states, local communities, tribes and territories as they undertake hazard mitigation projects, reducing the risks they face from disasters and natural hazards,” according to the FEMA website.
“The two grants that are left outstanding, the big one would be the FEMA grant that we’ve applied for,” Stachewicz said. “That one would be good to get because that one would help us significantly. If we get that FEMA grant, we could be looking at being over $3 million to $4 million worth of grant money provided for this.”
The full work session can be viewed at www.youtube.com/ watch?v=4NX6atiMMQM.
The city commission has not yet approved phase two of the project. It’s expected to be brought to the commission in the near future.
Ryan Spitza can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 248. His email address is rspitza@miningjournal.net.
