Newport Shores developer gets a little more time

Ansay Development will have a little more time to complete its Newport Shores project and to rebuild the fish cleaning station, thanks to an amendment to the city’s agreement with the firm that was approved earlier this month.

That means the fish cleaning station near Port Washington’s lakefront will likely be in operation until the middle of next summer.

The new fish cleaning station must be built and operational by July 31, the agreement states, and the entire Newport Shores project must be substantially complete by March 31, 2022.

Those dates were previously April 30 and Dec. 31, 2021.

The current fish cleaning station, which Ansay plans to raze, is to be in operation as much as possible “keeping in mind safety and the construction schedule,” City Attorney Eric Eberhardt said.

“To try to keep the fish cleaning station without regard to considerations of public safety is not good government,” he noted, adding that at some point, the need to keep it open must “yield to construction.” 
“The intention is to keep the old one open until the new one is operational,” Ian McCain, Ansay’s design/construction manager, told the council.

Fishermen will still have a place to clean their fish, aldermen noted, since the fish cleaning station off South Wisconsin Street will be operational.

Ald. Dan Benning asked Ansay to give the city several days notice before it needs to close the existing station for construction so it can notify fishermen of the change.

Ald. Mike Gasper also asked that the firm try to avoid closing the fish cleaning station on Saturdays and Sundays, which are the busiest days at the marina.

The reason for the delay is twofold, officials said.

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused some delays, Eberhardt said, and Ansay has also run into issues dewatering the project site.

 “It sounds like a complicating factor to me,” he said.

Ansay will raze the existing fish cleaning station and build a new one as it moves ahead with its plan to construct a $20 million structure that will house a restaurant, rooftop pub, retail space, offices and 29 condominiums. 

Aldermen previously agreed that Ansay would rebuild the fish cleaning station on the east side of the north slip.

Aldermen also agreed to amend the city’s contract with Gremmer and Associates to have the firm design improvements to Lake Street.

Public Works Director Rob Vanden Noven noted that the east half of Lake Street south of Jackson Street will need to be reconstructed in conjunction with the Newport Shores development, while improvements to Lake Street north of Jackson Street will help the city mitigate flooding issues.

He noted Lake Street is in poor condition, especially the southern portion of the road, the water main needs repair, the storm sewer outfall at the marina is failing and the city plans to extend a multi-use path from the lakefront to the Interurban Trail — all of which can be handled with the street project.

Vanden Noven noted that the street work will likely be done in 2021 or 2022.

The estimated cost of the street reconstruction from Jackson Street south is $200,000, of which Ansay is expected to cover 25%. Another $100,000 is needed for water main replacement there.

The cost of rebuilding Lake Street north of Jackson Street is estimated at $80,000 to $100,000.

Noting that the city is expected to conduct a downtown study next year, Gasper asked that the city coordinate its efforts to accommodate any lakefront changes with the Gremmer work.