Dredging of harbor to begin next week

TOWER Barges and excavators will arrive here next Monday to start the harbor dredging project. In celebration of the next step in the Historic Harbor Renaissance project, the City of Tower will host a groundbreaking celebration on Wednesday, Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. The public can come and get an up-close look at the dredging equipment by the East Two River in the morning and learn more about the project over coffee at the Civic Center in the afternoon.

The barge will dredge the river portion of the project until Thanksgiving and then scoop out the harbor area until early January.

The harbor projects development of the future Cobblestone Hotel is also reaching its next step.

On Tuesday, the Tower City Council authorized the harbor committee to apply for a $250,000 grant from the Community Development Block Grant program to help install sanitary and storm sewer systems, and water and road reconstruction for the hotel which will sit on the shoreline of the new harbor.

In total, the project will cost $650,000 and the city will cover $50,000. The other $350,000 will be sought from an IRRRB Economic Development grant.

The city is currently negotiating the development agreement for the approximately $3,000,000, 35-unit hotel. According to the harbor committees grant application, the agreement should be signed in November.

In other news, the council:

Will set public hearing dates before setting an ordinance that would restrict council members from holding any other paid or unpaid department head positions for the city until a year after their terms have ended.

Motioned to pay up to $3,000 toward a second water heater at the Vermilion Country School. The total cost of installing a new 50-gallon power vent gas water heater would be $8,400. Steve Abrahamson and Joan Broten denied support for the motion, suggesting the city help cover half of the cost, given that the city renovation project for the school significantly underestimated the hot water needs of the facility.

Since the school opened last fall, the existing 50-gallon 4.5 KW Bradford White electric water heater has been unable to consistently provide adequate hot water to the dishwasher to meet health code. Kitchen staff have had to wash dishes by hand instead.

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Dredging of harbor to begin next week