Wilmette Harbor Lease Still Up in the Air

Who will manage Wilmette Harbor? That’s yet to be decided after the harbor's owner, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District deferred voting on the incumbent Wilmette Harbor Association's lease bid for the second consecutive time, Chicago Tribune reported.

Wilmette Harbor Association  among the three bidders and many had expected MWRD Commissioners to approve Wilmette Harbor Association’s bid on March 7. 

The board ruled the other two bidders–Wilmette Harbor Management and CenterPointe Yacht Services–to be financially "non-responsive" and it’s unclear what the latest delay will achieve since the bidders’ financial documents were evaluated separately, David St. Pierre, the district’s executive director said in a recent meeting, Chicago Tribune reported.

In the past, Wilmette Harbor Management had raised questions about the district’s bidding process.

The MWRD, which constructed the harbor in 1910 and owns the property, announced its intention to go out to public bid in September 2012 for a 39-year management lease, with a minimum initial bid of $67,000 per year. In addition to management rights, the winning bidder would also assume all harbor maintenance responsibilities, which according to a recent report would include paying for $11.7 million in need repairs.

According to the study, 

Wilmette Park District had considered managing Wilmette Harbor but decided not to submit a bid to lease the harbor last September because of the high associated costs and the public’s seemingly overwhelming opposition.

Related Coverage

• Three Bidders Remain in Running to Lease Wilmette Harbor
• Wilmette Harbor Rental Bid Vote Expected Thursday
• Wilmette Park District Won’t Pursue Harbor Lease
• Wilmette Harbor Association: 'We Want to Remain the Sole Operator of the Harbor'

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated there were three bidders remaining.