BotEco Center group waiting to hear ore dock structure report
MARQUETTE — A Marquette group with a vision for the city’s ore dock is waiting to hear back from the city before plans can move forward.
The Marquette Beautification Committee heard an update on the Ore Dock BotEco Center Thursday. The plan is to turn the ore dock into a space that can be used year-round for the community.
The city has recently received a preliminary report on the dock’s structure.
“While we’re waiting for the total outcome of that we’ve been thinking of ways we can wait actively, so that includes giving more presentations, growing our board, getting more familiar with the city plans, and the DEQ and Army Corps of Engineers requirements,” Friends of the BotEco Center president Gisele Duehring said.
Duehring believes the Friends of the BotEco Center’s vision for the ore dock is the most community minded, making the structure a destination for residents and tourists alike.
“The city can benefit from that as far as overall economics for the community and we feel like it would be beneficial from a health standpoint. When people can go to indoor year-round gardens that’s especially beneficial during the wintertime, and then it would offer community spaces along with historical education preservation and ecological education research,” she said.
Duehring said State Representative John Kivela (D-Marquette) was supportive of the BotEco Center and has plans to meet with State Senator Tom Casperson (R-Escanaba) about the project as well.
Once the the city has the ore dock’s structure report in the format it likes, there will most likely be a presentation for residents to look at the report.
More information on the BotEco Center can be found by clicking here.