A market study will be conducted in order to determine if there is sufficient demand for a Rend Lake marina in Ina.
Johnathon Hallberg, executive director for the Jefferson County Development Corporation (JCDC) presented a request-for-proposal at a meeting of the Jefferson County board on Jan. 25. The study is designed to determine if there is sufficient demand for a marina on Rend Lake, and to determine if that demand is expected to increase or decrease over the foreseeable future.
Rend Lake is a 13-mile-long, 3-mile-wide reservoir that was created when the Army Corps of Engineers dammed the Big Muddy river in 1962. The lake is the water source for more than 300,000 people, and is also a recreational area known for its boating, swimming and excellent fishing. The site consists of 220 acres of government land that is administered by the Corps of Engineers.
“Jefferson County sees this as an opportunity to create an economic presence on the lake that will increase interest in Rend Lake while enhancing recurring visitors’ experience," Jefferson County Chairman Robert White recently told the Southwest Illinois News.
The proposed marina would easily be accessible from Exit 83 off Interstate 57 in Ina, which White said is already a thriving thoroughfare.
“We know that the current interstate exit where this proposed development would be located is already a busy exit," White said. "Love’s Truck Stop and Rend Lake College are located here, along with other small businesses that have experienced growth since they began operations. Providing an additional access point to the lake with amenities will only serve the entire tourism aspect of Rend Lake.”
White said the county believes that there is sufficient tourist demand for the project
"However, the purpose of this market study is to determine that with certainty," he said. "We do know that there are over 3.6 million visitors annually to the lake.”
The village of Ina has apparently warmed to the potential for business opportunities as well. White pointed out “we are not aware of any opposition, but the feedback since this discussion began is generally positive. It’s important to note that the village of Ina had first right of refusal to pursue this and has agreed to let Jefferson County be the lead on this."
Between the village and county, officials see the proposed marina as good for business all around.
"The consensus was that this project will not create economic challenges to any existing businesses and that the only likely effect would be to attract more visitors, thereby increasing interest in their businesses," White said.
Even though the property of the proposed facilities is owned by the Army Corps of Engineers, White doesn't foresee issues there either.
“The Corps has a number of lease instruments available to it," he said. "In this case, the contemplated instrument is a Lease for Public Park and Recreational Purposes. Jefferson County will be the conduit for a potential developer to execute a long-term lease for the proposed property. That said, this will be a strictly private investment. Jefferson County has no desire to own or maintain this type of development, and does not wish to use taxpayer funds to compete against private sector business.”
The findings from the market feasibility study will be made public on March 11.
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