City to Ellis Boat Harbor renters: Use it or lose it

Boathouse owners in Cedar Rapids got the state go-ahead to return to Ellis Harbor last year. But some owners who pay to rent harbor space haven't turned their rebuilding plans into action, and city officials are looking for ways to speed up the action.

Former governor Chet Culver signed a bill last April at Ellis Harbor to allow the iconic boathouses back into the city-owned facility on the Cedar River. The flood of 2008 destroyed more than half the floating homes - smashing many into a railroad bridge downstream - and the state Department of Natural Resources had resisted allowing their return, until state lawmakers intervened.

But while every one of the 136 spaces for boathouses is currently rented, a number of those who pay the city $400 or more a year have taken no steps to put in new structures. And if they're not interested, the Cedar Rapids River Recreation Commission that oversees the harbor wants to give other people a chance.

Dale Robinson, a carpenter working on one boathouse project Thursday, said he is expecting to see a lot more construction activity there this summer.

“Yeah, I think it looks good ... it looks better than it did in the past,” he said.

But the River Recreation Commission adopted a “use it or lose it” rule some months back. And members say they're getting closer to enforcing it for those who are renting but not occupying the boathouse spaces.

The city hopes to have a final list of who's in and who's out by June 1. The “use it or lose it” rule gives renters up to a year to finish their projects and put their boathouses in the water.

Still, while harbor backers want to see more progress, they're not entirely disappointed with what they have seen. During a harbor tour, commission member Carl Cortez pointed to signs of progress.

“Right here, there's four brand new ones (boat houses). They were never here before and the people that own them were never here before,” he said. “It's all brand new people, and you can't beat that.”

Cortez said commission members approved seven building plans for boat houses at a meeting Thursday. That's the most in a month for a long time. And he noted that the commission has space in a boat yard area near the harbor, where a number of boat houses under construction are getting close to going in the water.

But there are still a lot of empty spaces in Ellis Harbor. As for those who are renting the spaces but who lack construction plans, the commission wants them to either step up, or step aside.

Cortez said it's also possible that some area boaters don't know that Ellis Harbor is fully restored after the Cedar River flooding nearly three years ago.

The commission is considering advertising to try to bring the boaters back.