Once the funding comes through, Eagle Creek Marina in Kendall will be “the” in place for boaters. While other marinas may offer bits and pieces of the amenities that will be part and parcel of the Kendall site, Eagle Creek will offer all the amenities a boater could wish for – and more. Jim Freemesser, owner of Eagle Creek for the past 10 years, said once the funding is in place, his marina will offer all new state-of-the-art floating docks and each dock will feature water and electric and many of them will offer telephone and cable television hook ups. “When I bought this marina 10 years ago, there were no amenities to speak of,” Freemesser said. “Five years into owning the marina, I realized the only way to compete financially was to create an atmosphere that welcomed boaters to come and spend an entire weekend.” Eagle Creek, once its upgrades are complete, will be a destination for Lake Ontario boaters who are looking to come, dock and spend some time either relaxing or docking to weather a storm or high waves. Freemesser took advantage of his frequent cross country travels to scope out marinas to see what they offered boaters. “I went from Aruba to Nova Scotia and up into British Columbia and talked to more than 200 marina operators to see what they offered and what they heard boaters asking for,” he said. “We also conducted surveys and compiled a lot of information before we went ahead with the idea of expanding Eagle Creek.” Boaters stopping at Eagle Creek will have available private bathroom facilities, a swimming pool and splash water park for children to enjoy. There will also be an arcade area, a lounge area that will feature a 150-inch television with surround sound, laundry facilities and a ship store that will carry convenience foods. The second floor of the marina will feature a full service restaurant with designated docking facilities. “We’re even going to have it set up so if boaters want to have their meal catered on their decks, our wait staff will be able to accommodate that,” he said. Eagle Creek’s marina will also play host to a mezzanine/observation deck which will be used to host Coast Guard trainings, yacht and other marine events. “This is going to be a place where boaters can come and stop and relax for a while,” he said. Freemesser started seeking grant and low interest funding to construct his ideal marina more than four years ago. In 2002 the Town of Kendall received a $562,000 economic development grant through the Office for Small Cities Community Development Program to help with the expansion of Eagle Creek Marina and create 38 new jobs, making Eagle Creek the largest employer in the town. The funding to the town would assist with the expansion plans at Eagle Creek Marina, located on Lake Ontario, one of only two facilities on the western shore of the lake that can handle larger vessels for repairs. The expansion project, once it’s begun, will consist of the construction of a storage building for boats, a wastewater treatment facility, an increase in the number of boat slips and construction of a new marina facility with a pool, restaurant, boat store and shower and restroom facilities. In addition, the owners plan to expand the mechanical and fiberglass repair facility. The Small Cities funding will be used for construction of new docks, construction of the new marina building, a new sewer plant and electrical upgrades. Town of Kendall Supervisor John Becker said that because it took some time for Freemesser to get his private financing in place for the project that the grant funds were returned to the state. “There is a time limit of 18 months to spend the money but because it wasn’t all pulled together in time, we had to reapply for the funds,” he said. “We hope to hear back from state officials by the end of March or beginning of April as to the status of the re-grant.” Becker said one of the big plusses of the Small Cities funding is that the town is allowed to keep the funds paid back by Freemesser as part of his loan agreement and will use those funds as seed money for other individuals interested in opening businesses in the Kendall area. Once the state funds are received, Freemesser said he is ready to begin construction immediately. “Without the Small Cities loan with its one percent interest rate, we couldn’t have afforded to kick off this project,” Freemesser said. “It was the efforts of John Becker, Assemblyman Charles Nesbitt, Senator George Maziarz and Congressman Tom Reynolds that also helped make this project a reality.” Freemesser said he expects information about the new amenities will travel fast. “Boaters are a tight knit community and when word gets around that our facility is offering unique amenities, word will travel fast,” he said. Information can be found at www.eaglecreek-marina.com or by calling Freemesser at 723-5788. |
