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USFW grants $160K for Rota marina construction
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Posted on Mar 16 2000
With a $160,000 grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Sports Fish Restoration-Boating Access Program, the Rota Marina will be completed before the end of the year.
According to Division of Fish and Wildlife Director Richard Seman, Rota marina will have a minimum of 16 slips which can later on be expanded once the funds are available.
An architectural and engineering firm has already been chosen to do the job in Rota marina. Currently, DFW is also working on the repair of Tinian marina which has 16 slips.
The island-municipality of Rota has been waiting for the completion of the marina which can help attract tourists on the island and assist in the promotion of sports fishing.
This developed as Department of Lands and Natural Resources Secretary Jack A. Tenorio has assured boat owners that the concerns they raised during a recent public hearing in connection with the use of the Outer Cove Marina will be addressed by his office. DLNR met with boat owners in a move to hammer out an acceptable departure passenger fee.
Mr. Tenorio said the department is looking at how to resolve the issues surrounding the controversial marina, which opened in November 1998.
Boat owners have complained about the proposed $4 departure passenger fee which they said was still unacceptable amid the downturn in the island’s tourism economy.
Saying that the Outer Cove Marina is not safe, the boat owners questioned how the construction cost has ballooned to $3.6 million from the original amount of $1.2 million.
The marina was built by the Marine Revitalization Corp., a non-profit corporation which is now having difficulty in meeting operation costs and long-term debt obligations.
