Black River pavilion awaits a few finishing touches
The original Blue Water Young Professionals was a big hit with boaters last year, organizers say, but they're still fundraising for a few more improvements.
Black River pavilion awaits a few finishing touches The original Blue Water Young Professionals was a big hit with boaters last year, organizers say, but they're still fundraising for a few more improvements. Check out this story on thetimesherald.com: http://bwne.ws/2o49vB6
Jackie Smith, Times Herald Published 11:25 a.m. ET Feb. 16, 2018 | Updated 11:38 a.m. ET Feb. 16, 2018
The Blue Water Young Professionals have requested funding in the amout of $10,000 to assist in the completion of the Black River Walk Pavilion in Port Huron. Funding is available in the city's MDOT mitigation funds to assist with this endeavor. which also meets the economic development funding categorya dopted by City Council.(Photo: Brian M. Wells/Times Herald)Buy Photo
The Blue Water Young Professionals' pavilion along the Black River Walk needs just a few finishing touches to extend its use — and they're getting a funding boost to help.
Things got rolling for the structure nearly two years ago to complement other improvements made along that area of the waterfront. The 30-by-60 pavilion was erected on the east side of the harbormaster's building on the north side of the river. Private donations paid for it.
Port Huron's parks and recreation department earlier had help group secure state grants to help pay for other riverside amenities.
Young Professionals bringing pavilion to Black River Walk
Now, the city is helping the young professionals group again. It will be using some of its Blue Water Bridge plaza mitigation money to install electrical service and all-weather curtains at the pavilion.
"Right now, we have all of the patios all poured the walls are all up. It's usable on nice-weather days," said architect Lee Stevens, who assist with the project. The pavilion has deck space, grills, fireplaces and some seating.
"We'd like to do the weather canvass, and we'd like to do some landscaping, those are the two major things we'd like to do," Stevens said. "The third thing is we'd like to buy some furniture for it, some picnic tables so it's more user ready. We don't really have any outdoor furniture."
Port Huron City Council agreed Feb. 12 to give $10,000 from the Michigan Department of Transportation to the BWYP.
The city get $100,000 a year for 10 years from the Michigan Department of Transportation to compensate for the economic loss from the stalled Blue Water Bridge plaza project. City Manager James Freed said that ends next year.
Convention center getting bulk of city's mitigation dollars
On Thursday, Jackie Hanton said efforts to get the pavilion up have extended beyond the group's members.
"It was huge," Hanton said. "It was probably more a community effort than it was a YP effort."
She pointed to people like Stevens, and community leaders including Mark Walker and Don Fletcher.
Stevens said they've raised more than $150,000 for the pavilion and river walk. He said they need another $30,000 to $40,000 to complete their plans.
"It's huge for the boaters, but it's also huge for just anybody that's visiting our area and the waterfront," Walker said. "As you know we have the (International) Antique and Classic Boat Show coming to Port Huron in September, and really, the pavilion is playing a huge role in that."
The pavilion was a popular spot during Boat Week last summer. Walker said it has been a "tremendous asset" to the River Street harbor operations
Stevens said they would like to finish the pavilion by Memorial Day. He said the planned additions would make it usable in the spring and fall.
He said any additional funds raised could go toward landscaping.
"Everybody loves it," Stevens said. "It's just a matter of trying to get the finishing touches on it."
Contact Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmith@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jackie20Smith.
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