MUSKEGON, MI – Muskegon’s plans for a property swap that could improve downtown access to Muskegon Lake but also eliminate the Fisherman’s Landing campground have received a $1.5 million state funding boost.
The idea that has been in the works for several years is to develop public recreational space on property at the end of Third Street adjacent to commercial port operations at West Michigan Dock and Market.
West Michigan Dock and Market Corp., known also as The Mart Dock, would trade that 7-acre parcel for one the city owns farther east on the lake that contains the campground and a boat launch. The Mart Dock would turn that property into a new shipping hub in keeping with long-range plans to move lake commercial activity to its east end.
The land swap idea has been tossed about since The Mart Dock’s owners approached the city with it several years ago, Muskegon Economic Development Specialist Jake Eckholm told MLive. The $1.5 million allocation included in the state’s 2022 budget would pay for land conversion, cleanup and improvements, Eckholm said.
“We want this new area to provide more passive recreation opportunities,” Eckholm said.
Mart Dock President Max McKee could not be reached by MLive for comment.
Exactly what would go on the property, which also is adjacent to the Shoreline Inn and Lake House restaurant, has yet to be determined, Eckholm said. The working title of the project is Third Street Wharf, he said.
But some ideas have been floated, including an amphitheater, fishing piers, small retail outlets, cruise ship docks, soccer fields and even camping to replace sites at Fisherman’s Landing, Eckholm said.
Other ideas have been for transient “shopping” docks, office complex and a maritime museum, according to an announcement of the funding by state Rep. Terry Sabo, D-Muskegon.
“One thing’s for certain: Greater Muskegon won big today,” Sabo, who sits on the House appropriations committee, said in a prepared statement last week.
Deep-water access at Fisherman’s Landing has been eyed by maritime companies and local economic developers as more appropriate for commercial activities. In 2012, Sand Products, Mart Dock’s parent company, approached the city with a plan to relocate the campground to its former Pigeon Hill property on the west end of the lake.
Opposition from neighborhood residents and the lack of a specific port development plan killed the Sand Products proposal. Now, the Pigeon Hill property is the planned site of The Docks, a large residential development and marina.
Any reuse of the Fisherman’s Landing property would need the approval of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources because public funding has been used on improvements there. There also would need to be a public recreational facility of comparable size if the campground is eliminated, Eckholm told MLive.
The 105-site campground is located on more than 18 acres and is operated by a private management group under contract with the city.
That group has protested past efforts to move Fisherman’s Landing, saying the campground brings hundreds of out-of-towners to Muskegon, especially during large fishing tournaments.
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New downtown Muskegon Lake access gets $1.5M state boost at peril of Fisherman’s Landing campground - MLive.com
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