Winthrop Harbor leaders say they recently became aware of lease-renewal issues between the operator of the North Point Marina and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and warn of dire local economic fallout if they are not resolved.
In a Thursday news release, the village said it had been notified through unofficial channels of the potential issues about 10 days ago, and has been working with state lawmakers ever since.
Village Administrator David Alarcon said Winthrop Harbor officials have had minimal communication from the IDNR and are not aware of the nature of the lease situation. He framed the current issue as a continuation of ongoing concerns the village has over communication between the small Lake Michigan community and the state agency that owns both the marina and Illinois Beach State Park lands.
While the marina is within the village’s boundaries, it does not operate, oversee or direct any of its functions, according to the release.
“All operational decisions, including maintenance, capital improvements, concessions, leasing, programming, and staffing, fall exclusively under IDNR authority or its designated operators,” the release said.
According to a statement from an IDNR spokesperson, Suntex, the marina’s operator, had requested termination of its contract with North Point Marina, citing poor financial performance. All rental agreements under that contract have been terminated, and the IDNR is working with Suntex on a plan to winterize marina assets, the statement said.
“Suntex’s financial inability to operate North Point Marina is obviously not the outcome the department had hoped for. We understand the value the marina brings to the region and the reasons why customers, residents, local businesses and others are concerned,” the statement said.
The IDNR promised to keep stakeholders informed about options to maintain the marina’s operations, and said staff will remain in contact with state lawmakers, vendors and other interested parties on its status.
State Rep. Joyce Mason, D-Gurnee, gave a different explanation for the situation. She said that Suntex’s contract had been expiring, but a request for proposal for a new operator was lost during the transition of some IDNR staffers.
According to Mason, the IDNR and state legislators were looking into what was the best path forward to keep the marina open, such as offering a temporary contract until the normal request-for-proposal process, which can take around nine months, is completed.
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“We’ve all agreed that closing the marina for a year is not the right solution,” she said.
Mason said she had also been taken by surprise by the news of the lease issues. But regardless, she said she wants to “shut down the rumors that it’s definitely closing, because it’s not.”
“I’m super-confident that we are going to find a solution,” she said.
Winthrop Harbor’s release said village officials had contacted Mason and State Sen. Mary Edly-Allen, D-Libertyville, and that “neither had previously been made aware of any potential concerns regarding marina operations.”
Alarcon warned that if the marina were to close, the impact would be “devastating” to the local economy. The release described it as a “critical economic engine” and an “essential part” of the village’s identity.
A disruption could mean the loss of about 150 jobs, with rippling effects felt through its charter fishing industry, boat service and repair businesses, hospitality partners and restaurants, not to mention creating a strain on local taxpayers.
Although the consequences could be serious for the small village, the immediate situation is not nearly as dire, Alarcon said. The marina is currently at a “standstill” because of the winter weather, and he said the village is “confident” the issue can be cleared up before the weather warms up.
“The village is ready and willing to work with the IDNR to resolve this issue,” he said. “We’re ready and willing to provide any support we possibly can in assisting in this because it’s so important to us.”
In the last two years, Winthrop Harbor officials have repeatedly raised concerns over a perceived lack of support from the state for water safety along Lake Michigan, particularly at Illinois Beach State Park, where there’s been a spate of drownings since the completion of an extensive beachfront renovation.
Winthrop Harbor seems to have a strained relationship with the IDNR over these past issues, and Alarcon said the current situation is yet another example of what he described as lackluster communication between the two entities.