The soon-to-be public marina in New Baltimore/marinas.com photo

In his
State of the County speech on Wednesday night, Macomb County Executive Mark
Hackel announced that the county shoreline will benefit from a public marina on
Lake St. Clair in the city of New Baltimore.

The project
will transform the privately-owned Schmid Marina into a recreational port near the downtown area that is
expected to feature a municipal park, paddle boat rentals, dry dock storage,
fuel pumps and boat ramps.

“Today the DNR (Department of Natural
Resources) Trust Fund Board has recommended a $2.8 million dollar grant to New
Baltimore to purchase the Schmid Marina,” Hackel said in his speech.
Hackel
“This
grant will enable New Baltimore to acquire the 17-acre site and transform it
into a waterfront destination.”

The city has
set aside $950,000 for the project, which could involve a future expansion if revenue
generated from the public marina meets expectations. The Schmid Marina had been up for sale and a survey conducted by City Hall found that New Baltimore residents wanted the city to acquire and preserve the Taylor Street site.

“The
opportunity to have Schmid Marina be used for public recreational access and
for it to be kept in perpetuity for public access to Lake St. Clair is a
game-changer for the southeastern Michigan community,” New Baltimore Mayor John
Dupray said.

“This
long-held private jewel will afford Michigan residents the opportunity to
access some of the most prominent bass fishing, boating, and natural habitat
for fish and wildlife in the state of Michigan. This is a tremendous win for
the community of New Baltimore.”

The harbor
development and $26 million in other waterfront projects across the state that
were endorsed by the Trust Fund Board now, as a formality, go to the
Legislature for approval of the appropriations.
Gerry Santoro, county program manager for land and water resources, told city officials earlier this year that the purchase provides a one-time opportunity to boost public recreation on the lake and business opportunities on the shore.
“(The city) is always going to keep its quaint downtown feel because of the way the city has developed historically,” Santoro said, according to The Macomb Daily. “… But a local marina boat access location is really key to making the north part of Anchor Bay accessible to the boating community as well as to people wanting to come into the downtown and utilize your restaurants, your stores, invest.”

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