TOWER— Next spring is shaping up to be a busy construction season for Tower’s harbor project, thanks in part to a $679,000 grant award that will pay for a boardwalk and walking trails. At the same time, the Tower Economic Development Authority is moving quickly ahead on its plan to build an initial 20 condominium units on the harbor’s south side.

The grant award, announced Oct. 27 by the Legislative and Citizens Commission on Minnesota Resources, or LCCMR, was a surprise since the city’s initial proposal received a lackluster reception by the LCCMR’s funding committee. But after a presentation by city representatives and a strong political push from Sen. David Tomassoni, DFL-Chisholm, the committee ultimately approved about two-thirds of the city’s initial $1.1 million request. The committee declined funds for a new boat launch, noting that the DNR has earmarked funding for that purpose.

Most of the funds will go to pay for a walkway around the entire harbor, south of the Hwy. 169 bridge, along with an additional 1,700 feet of pedestrian trail that will connect the harbor area with the existing Mesabi Trail loop to Hoodoo Point and McKinley Park. The grant also provides funds for interpretive signage along the route, designed to tell the history of the city’s harbor.

In addition, the grant will pay for additional buoys to better mark the river channel at the mouth of the East Two River. While the existing channel is deep enough to accommodate almost any sized boat that might operate on Lake Vermilion, some boaters have run into problems when entering the river from extreme angles, where rocks in Lake Vermilion may still pose a risk to lower units.

The grant also includes funds for promoting a kayak route, from the harbor out to Pike Bay and up the West Two River as far as Hwy. 169.

Condo development

At their regular meeting on Monday, the city’s harbor committee reviewed an aggressive timeline for development of a condominium project around the harbor. The city is giving building contractors until Nov. 30 to provide qualifications to be considered to design and construct the project, with current plans calling for construction to begin as early as next spring.

“That’s the goal,” said Tower City Clerk-Treasurer Linda Keith.

City officials maintain there’s substantial interest from people who would like condominiums on the harbor. “I’ve had many people talk to me about it,” said former Mayor Steve Abrahamson, a partner in Vermilion Land Office. “There’s definitely an interest in it,” he said.

The key factors, according to Abrahamson, will be the price point for the individual units as well as docking opportunities.

A market study completed by Maxfield Research earlier this year, found demand for as many as 145 full-ownership condominiums in the vicinity of the harbor. The study also found demand for at least 7,000 square feet of retail space in the harbor zone.

Keith said she has three parties who have already given her firm unsolicited commitments to purchase condominiums as soon as they are available and the city is planning to begin working with local real estate firms to get the word out about the pending availability. Project consultant Gary Lamppa said there’s strong interest in financing the project from local banks.