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IRON MOUNTAIN -- Dickinson County plans to have a new restroom and shower facility completed at Lake Antoine Park for the start of the 2024 camping season.
County board members discussed the estimated $400,000 project during a parks meeting Friday, with Commissioner Barbara Kramer calling it a "dream come true." Committee Chair Joe Stevens agreed "people will be appreciative."
The building will be north of an existing bathhouse that a contractor will remove this fall or early next spring. Additional campsites can go within the footprint.
A county crew will do much of the new bathhouse work, saving $200,000 or more from a project that could otherwise exceed $600,000, Controller Brian Bousley said. Grants are being pursued, but the project will go forward regardless of whether an award comes through.
Kramer, who is helping prepare a Michigan Spark Grants application, said the need for a new facility has been discussed over the past decade. The county requested $350,000 in this year's first round of Spark Grants but was unsuccessful.
Plans drafted by GEI Consultants of Iron River call for four showers, including two that comply with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. A family ADA-compliant lavatory is included, along with men's and women's bathrooms for a total of nine sinks, eight toilets and two urinals.
Site preparation will begin soon with the removal of about seven trees, park manager Eric Robinson said.
Bousley said the timetable for opening next year should be easily met, barring a lengthy delay in getting materials. To save on ongoing project costs -- including Ford Airport, courthouse and correctional center improvements -- the county has up to three workers available, he said.