New State Marina now open for business
April 2009
News
The $3 million State Marina in Storm Lake is now finally open for business after some delays set it behind, originally scheduled to open last summer. The new marina opened on April 1. Bob Kelly of Shamrock Boat Sales holds the operator's contract. Area manager Jeff Ryan says they are still in the process of outfitting the store with life jackets, skis, tubes and other nautical items as well as anchors, props and prop repair.
The Storm Lake Chamber of Commerce is planning to hold a ribbon cutting ceremony for the marina on May 13.The State Marina includes the new waterfront building that will house a boat showroom and will sell both new and used boats with brands including Lund aluminum and fiberglass fishing boats, Larson pleasure boats and Hurricane deck boats as well as Sanpan and Sweetwater pontoon boats.
The store also features a convenience store as well as a bait shop with a six-foot live bait tank. Individuals will also be able to rent pontoon boats and the marina will offer repair services for all brands of boats and motors. Currently boat repair will be done at the Shamrock Boat Sales in Carnavon as the Storm Lake marina is in the process of setting up a shop. Ryan says they currenty have four full-time mechanics in Carnavon and are in the process of hiring a mechanic for Storm Lake. Slip rentals are also available, he says. The site has also been approved to serve as an Iowa fishing and hnting license sales station. Ryan says the marina may also include an indoor/outdoor restaurant in the future but how extensive it would be is still up in the air and says construction of a sit down restaurant won't happen this year.
He says even part of the building design will make it a little harder to put in a very extensive restaurant. Ryan says they fought to get a liquor license but were not able to. "That will take away from a full service restaurant," he says. However, he says they are excited to be opened and have already had a fair amount of traffic through the marina. The marina is open during business hours Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. Beginning May 15 the marina will be open everyday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information call Ryan at 213-9491 or visit www.shamrockboatsales.com.
