North Shore Marina at Lake Pueblo set to close April 1 after repairs deemed too costly
CPW officials said in a March 12 news release that the 700-slip marina will close April 1 after the expiration of the current lease with The O'Neil Group — the Colorado Springs company that has operated the marina on an interim basis since November 2022.
'Pueblo Reservoir Unified Marina, LLC and CPW have collectively decided not to pursue further operations under a long-term concession agreement for the operation of North Shore Marina,' CPW officials said in the release.
'After an in-depth evaluation of the marina, it has been determined that it is cost prohibitive to keep it open due to the extensive repairs needed.'
CPW will begin demolishing the marina structure on July 1, but the North Boat Ramp will remain open and continue to provide boater access to Pueblo Reservoir, according to the release.
Boat owners renting slips have been sent notifications informing them they will need to move their boats from the marina by April 1. Those unable to remove their boats by the deadline or boaters with other questions can contact park staff at lake.pueblo.park@state.co.us. 'The extensive work required to rebuild is more expensive than either CPW or the O'Neil Group can take on,' Lake Pueblo State Park Manager Joe Stadterman said in the release. 'Unfortunately the enormous cost to rebuild the marina and damaged docks to ensure the property meets the appropriate standards for public safety makes demolition of the structure the only viable option.'
In September 2022, an independent electrician hired to review the marina's wiring system discovered its electrical service was 'dangerously out of compliance with National Electrical Code, which governs electrical wiring standards nationwide."
The lack of ground-fault interrupter protection on some of the marina's electrical circuits presented an "imminent threat of electrocution to boat owners, their guests and park visitors in the water near the marina," the state wildlife agency said at the time.
CPW took possession of the marina Nov. 1, 2022, after the former operator — Colorado Marine and Boat Works — signed a settlement agreement essentially turning over the business to CPW.
Prior to surrendering its contract, Colorado Marine and Boat Works had operated the North Shore Marina at Lake Pueblo for 20 years.
'CPW invested more than $135,000 in its failing infrastructure, including repairs to wiring to protect patrons around the marina. A key public safety improvement was a repair to the electric wiring that allowed the operation of a bubbler system that prevents ice from forming in the marina and allows boats to remain docked all winter,' CPW officials said in the release. 'The O'Neil Group also performed emergency repairs to marina sewage pumps and its anchor system.'
CPW turned over operations to The O'Neil Group Co. on an interim basis, initially a nine-month contract, with the hope that a long-term contract could be negotiated and signed.
'The O'Neil Group is grateful for the short-term concession contract to operate the state-owned infrastructure at North Shore Marina while we explored whether building a new marina was an option,' Kevin O'Neil, owner of The O'Neil Group, said in the release. 'After two years of planning and a million dollars spent on plans for a new marina, it is heartbreaking to see North Shore Marina close.
'I have enjoyed coming to the lake for over 50 years and North Shore Marina has been our landing platform," O'Neil said. "When decades-old assets are being renovated, environmental concerns can be exposed. Environmental risks — things like sunken boats, motors, steel cables, concrete blocks and the unknown of other hazards 100 feet below the surface — made the project unaffordable. We would like to thank Colorado Parks and Wildlife for attempting to save the marina."
More local news: Pueblo's homeless can now be ticketed for public camping regardless of available shelter
Chieftain Editor Zach Hillstrom can be reached at zhillstrom@gannett.com or on X, at @ZachHillstrom. Support local news; subscribe to the Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Why the North Shore Marina in Pueblo, Colorado, is closing
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