The City of Newport Beach had a modern problem it shares with other waterfront cities: prime waterfront serving a function well below its potential. That emphatically changed on December 5, 2015, when the Newport Beach opened Marina Park, five months ahead of schedule.
Marina Park is on what is called the peninsula, the strand that forms the land barrier protecting Newport Bay. Bisected by Balboa Boulevard, the peninsula has businesses and an ocean beach across the boulevard from the park. Park visitors can walk to the ocean beach with waves and currents typical of coastal California or take their families to the placid harbor-side beach across the bay from picturesque Lido Island.
There’s something for everyone at Marina Park. The facility is home to a year-round sailing program and a 23-slip visitor marina. Its multipurpose upland facility features a towering glass-walled lighthouse and a café. The community has embraced it as a venue for weddings. A spacious “mother’s beach” is just right for a toddler’s first time in the water. The 10.5-acre park has everything for a fun day on grass, sand or water. A 6,100-square-foot Girl Scout Leadership Center is under construction funded entirely by the Girl Scouts of Orange County.
Development History
The land for Marina Park was acquired in 1919 as a public campsite. In 1965, the city leased plots to owners of mobile homes and created a trailer park. “It was a well-kept secret,” said a city manager, “with an incredible view of Newport Bay.” While it seems odd to associate upscale Newport Beach with a campsite and a trailer park, the contrast illustrates the explosive transformation of California.
In 1985, the Parks, Beaches and Recreation Commission recommended the site be developed as a public park. The trailers blocked sight lines to Newport Bay and city leaders wanted to open a “window to the bay.” They decided to let the leases expire and clear the land.
Park and Marina Design
City leaders were naturally concerned with sharing the waterfront with all segments of the community and hoped to introduce new people to boating. They succeeded. Marina Park is a model for other cities to emulate. “The project took thirty years, but we eventually opened that window to the bay,” said Laura Detweiler, recreational and senior services director for Newport Beach.
Detweiler was a member of the project team that developed Marina Park. A 25- year veteran of parks and recreation, she arrived during the conceptual design phase of the $35 million project.
“We had many meetings with the community to determine which amenities to include,” Detweiler said. “The outdoor fitness course was the first application of its kind in Newport Beach. We have a nautical-themed playground, two back-to-back basketball half-courts and a whole array of recreational classes. Families come to the park to picnic, climb the children’s lighthouse and play.”
Shannon Levin, management analyst in the Harbor Resources Division of the Public Works Department, managed the marina side of the project and now manages marina operations. “We had a working group of harbor users,” Levin said, “and we’ve been hearing for years that the harbor needed to be more visitor friendly, more welcoming.”
“We saw an opportunity to create a one-stop hub for cruisers with the possibility of reciprocal privileges,” Levin continued. “There is a lot to do here. It’s like a resort with the ocean, businesses, hotels and restaurants all in walking distance. We had moorings in the bay but they were not user friendly. So we designed Marina Park with a short-stay marina for visits of one to thirty days.”
FOR A COMPLETE COPY OF THE ARTICLE DOWNLOAD THE PDF.
A $6.5 million expansion of Derwent Sailing Squadron’s marina has positioned the Club to meet a pent-up demand for berths in the area. The Club hired world renowned marina builder, Bellingham Marine to design the Club’s new marina.
Sandy Bay, Hobart, Australia – 25 February 2016 – With an eye for the possibilities and a willingness to explore all the options, Derwent Sailing Squadron, located in Hobart, Australia has recently completed an expansion of their marina that has the Club positioned for long term success. The new facility will allow Hobart to host a variety of new sailing events and accommodate larger yachts wanting to stay in the area.
Bellingham Marine worked closely with Derwent Sailing Squadron for over a year to develop the optimal berth configuration and wave protection for the marina. “The goal was to provide the Squadron with a pontoon system that would allow the club to maximize its full potential,” remarked Marc Carney, Area Manager for Bellingham Marine Australia.
“The pontoons and related infrastructure needed to be of high quality, yet affordable, be long lasting and easy to maintain, be able to handle the on-going trend of bigger boats entering the market, and serve the Club’s desire to operate as a venue for race events.”
The result of the Squadron’s perseverance and dedication to maximizing the site’s capacity is an improved facility that is rightly suited to meet the market’s on-going demand for larger berths and make a sizable impact on the local economy.
145 berths were added to Derwent’s existing 135 berths bringing the marina to a total capacity of 280 yachts. The new mooring area includes:
- Berths for vessels 10 – 30 meters with an option to convert 15 meter berths to 18 meter berths in the future with minimal modification,
- 650 meters of new concrete floating walkways,
- metered power and water,
- and concrete pontoons with FRP rods from Bellingham Marine.
According to Bellingham Marine, Derwent Sailing Squadron is the first marina in Australia to fully utilize the company’s proprietary FRP thru-rod system. “We have done several retrofit projects but this is the first new construction project in Australia,” said Carney. “We noticed a reduction in installation time with the new rods and are confident the rods will increase the system’s life span and reduce required maintenance.”
As the world’s leading marina design-build construction company, Bellingham Marine specializes in floating dock, floating platform and floating wave attenuation systems for marinas worldwide. The company also produces dry storage systems for the upland storage of boats.
Bellingham Marine was presented with an innovation award at the 2016 Progressive® Insurance Miami International Boat Show® for the Company’s portable dock system. The new, one-of-a-kind system gives dock buyers a new floating dock option.
Miami, FL, USA – 18 February 2016 – Attendees of the 2016 Progressive® Insurance Miami International Boast Show® had the opportunity to experience firsthand that latest product development from leading marina builder, Bellingham Marine – a portable, floating timber dock system.
The new dock received high praise at the show and was awarded an Innovation Award by the National Marine Manufacture’s Association (NMMA) and Boat Writer’s International (BWI).
Bellingham’s portable dock system includes a number of innovative features that make the docks easy to install, anchor, run utilities through, remove, transport and store.
“Having the new temporary Bellingham docks for our inaugural show at Miami Marine Stadium Park & Basin, added to the enhanced consumer and exhibitor experience we delivered while bringing a clean, easy to install and remove system to our new in-water space,” noted Larry Berryman, assistant show manager and sales director for the NMMA. “One of the best features of these docks is that they’re 100 percent EPA compliant and completely encapsulated—they not only look good and function perfectly, but they help us ensure we’re meeting all environmental requirements—something that’s critical to NMMA.”
Bellingham Marine worked closely with the NMMA in the development the new dock system. “This portable system is the perfect choice for individuals looking for a temporary /portable system, infrastructure for overwater venues, or a dock system that can be easily removed from the water during the off-season,” said Bellingham Marine general manager, Mark Johnson.
- The docks are designed with a high live load capacity and are rated for commercial use.
- The system is designed around five primary components that allow the dock modules to be connected and arranged in an infinite number of configurations much like a set of Legos.
- Movable and flexible anchorage points allow the docks to be anchored by pile or a chain system in a variety of locations.
- Purposeful use and placement of cleats, lifting hardware, and other components make the docks easy to install, remove, and stack for storage.
“It is an honor to be presented with this prestigious award,” said Bellingham Marine President and CEO, Everett Babbitt. “A great deal of effort by some extraordinary individuals on both the Bellingham and the NMMA side went into the development of this innovative product. Thanks to all involved – great people build great products.”
The Miami International Boat Show Innovation Award was developed in partnership by the NMMA and BWI to recognize exceptionally innovative new consumer marine products. The judging committee is comprised of BWI members who perform product testing throughout the year and who have specific expertise in marine products and equipment. 77 products were entered; 17 winners were selected in 16 categories.
As the world’s leading marina design-build construction company, Bellingham Marine specializes in floating dock, floating platform and floating wave attenuation systems for marinas worldwide. The company also produces dry storage systems for the upland storage of boats.
Thanks to a waterfront recreational center that includes a multipurpose marina, park, playground, outdoor sports and fitness facilities and community center, individuals in Newport Beach, are able to experience the area in a whole new way.
Newport Beach, CA, USA – January 25, 2016 – The City’s concept for its new community and sailing center on Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach was to create a public space that would provide a ‘window (and access) to the bay’.
The $35 million project, called Marina Park, was first conceived over 30 years ago. However, it wasn’t until 2013 that the City’s vision for the site was set into motion. The City broke ground on Marina Park in February of 2014 and celebrated the grand opening this last December.
The result of the City’s efforts is a one-of-a-kind waterfront recreational community center designed to cater to a wide variety of users. To accomplish this, the City had to create a space that was diverse in its offerings. A broad mix of upland and waterside spaces ensures there is something for everyone.
The marina at Marina Park reveals a focus on function, varied use and the City’s desire for quality. Bellingham Marine, world renowned marina builder, was hired to design and build the marina.
The marina is comprised of two distinct areas – one for transient and day use boaters and another for boating classes and storage of sailing dinghies. “We were able to tailor the design and construction of the docks to meet the unique use requirements and desired amenities in each specific area,” shared Eric Noegel, Manager of Project Development for Bellingham Marine.
The marina’s u-shaped basin includes 23 slips for visiting boats up to 55’ with dinghy storage on the docks and space for in-water moorage of small boats along the walkways. A 200’ long t-head provides side-tie moorage for up boats over 60’. Also on site is a 3-ton jib crane for launching and retrieving small trailered boats.
The west side of the marina is dedicated to instructional classes and launching of sailing dinghies and other small watercraft. This area is characterized by low freeboard docks, extra wide walkways and floating platforms to handle large groups and classes.
The design and vision for Marina Park reflects the City’s desire to create something unique that would be enjoyed by all and could become an iconic landmark for the city. Individuals can learn more about the facilities at Marina Park or make reservations at the marina via the City’s website – www.newportbeachca.gov/marinapark
As the world’s leading marina design-build construction company, Bellingham Marine specializes in floating dock, floating platform and floating wave attenuation systems for marinas worldwide. The company also produces dry storage systems for the upland storage of boats.
The world’s marina infrastructure is ageing and new sites for marinas are difficult to acquire and permit. At the same time, the market for marina slips has evolved toward larger boats, a high-quality living environment inside the marina, signature architectural style and more services and amenities. Operators of older marinas will inevitably face an inflection point, the moment when the marina is outdated or the docks are in disrepair and the potential revenue opportunity from a renovation or expansion is more compelling than staying the course.
New marinas are being built, but the trend in established markets is toward renovation and expansion of existing marinas. On behalf of Marina World, Robert Wilkes convened a virtual round table of USA-based experts to give their top-of-mind ideas to help others contemplating a renovation.
Robert Wilkes (RW): You’ve all renovated an existing marina, or provided professional services to projects. What advice do you have to those about to do the same?
Jim Bronstien, owner of consulting firm Marine Business Advisors and developer and operator of major marinas and shipyards around the world:
We’ve just taken over an operating agreement for a large marina that’s out of date. First, I’d say you have to learn the market in your area. Are you a destination and do you have special attractions? Do you have ease of access? Are you limited by bridges or depth? What are the trends in your specific area, what is the competition, what is recent demand like? If you’re thinking about attracting large yachts, do you understand the costs of building slips for them? In the end, it’s a bit of math, a bit of science and a bit of gut instinct.
RW: What advice do you have about design and engineering? Continue Reading…