The city of Troy is seeking qualified vendors to operate its rebuilt downtown marina.
The marina was severely damaged by Hurricane Irene back in 2011, and operated in a limited capacity until 2016 before closing to accommodate the Seawall Stabilization project. The new marina was completed in 2020.
Mayor Patrick Madden says hiring a vendor to run the facility is part of his administration’s multi-year effort to revitalize Troy’s 7-miles of waterfront on the historic Hudson River.
"We'd like somebody to manage the entire operation. And, you know, among boaters up and down the river, boaters on Lake George, there are people who are involved in marina operations," Madden said. "They may not be running a marina, but they may have access to the knowledge and resources to run their own marina. They may be looking for an opportunity to start out and grow something. This is a great opportunity for them. It's a brand new marina, it's got all the hookups, it's built on a very solid and polished seawall, great access to small businesses and restaurants and bars, very nearby. So, it's a great opportunity for somebody who is in the business and wants to expand or somebody looking to get into business, who has the, you know, has the background knowledge and the ability to run an operation."
Madden points out that the marina boasts free public access, fuel sales and daytime and overnight docking for travelers looking for amenities and supervision during their stay.
"When we rebuilt the seawall and extended Riverfront Park north up to the marina area, it included a walkway, so you can get off of your boat and you can get on that walkway and go right downtown," the Democrat added. "You don't have to cross the street. You don't have to even leave the view of the river. You walk right along the river. Couldn't be easier. That is actually better than what had existed initially."
The selected vendor will be responsible for managing all services associated with the Troy Downtown Marina, including but not limited to: daily operations, dockage, fueling, and on-site facilities, and payment transactions for services rendered.
Madden says the upgraded Riverfront will offer a big boost to nearby downtown Troy businesses. Pearson Constantino, Director of Marketing for Brown's Brewing Company on River Street, calls the marina reopening "an exciting moment."
"This was a huge undertaking since Hurricane Irene and you know, just a really great positive moment in time for a really exceptional city," he said. "I think the excitation overall will be that getting some boat traffic back and having an opportunity for people to dock will just bring a lot more pedestrian traffic to the entire city, and you know, the marina being right outside of Brown's, you know, we hope we can continue to be the start point and perhaps the wrap up point of somebody’s time throughout the city."
The city has set a March 31 deadline for vendors to submit proposals.
