Rossford City Officials look to revitalize marina due to safety concerns

ROSSFORD, Ohio (WTVG) - Rossford leaders say the waterfront is one of the city’s best assets and soon the sights and sounds of seagulls will be replaced with a full marina of boats and water enthusiasts.

“It’s more than just a marina, this is a waterfront,” said Rossford City Councilman Bob Densic. “This is a magical place where land meets sea, and it brings something out of people.”

Councilman Densic says the docks saw booming business during the pandemic and the City of Rossford wants to build upon that success moving forward.

“When we’re looking at master planning efforts within the city this is certainly a strong asset that we want to emphasize,” says Densic.

Rossford City Council is finalizing a $1.5 million proposal this week to bring drastic renovations to the banks of the Maumee River. City staff say they hope to receive the funds from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to make the boat zone a safer space.

“It’s not safe in regards to kids running behind boats being ramped,” says Densic. “What this means is it’s a continued evolution, we have a 1950′s, 1960′s designed marina trying to support 2020′s boating. In the 1960′s an 18-foot boat was a very big boat, today the smaller boats in here are 24 feet without boards and 300 horsepower. It’s a different design aspect that we have to make sure we plan accordingly.”

Densic says with only a narrow two-lane boat ramp traffic gets congested and stalled. The improvements would redirect boat loading and unloading zones while separating fishing spaces from traffic on the water. Rossford leaders also say the improvements will create a major boost for local businesses, like service shop Duricek Automotive and Marine Services.

“We’ve already seen the marina rise in the amount of people that come to town for it,” says Duricek Owner Nathan Duricek. “I think the more amenities you’re able to offer at the marina, it’s only going to drive that up.”

“It’s not just Rossford, although we certainly hope it benefits Rossford businesses,” said Densic. “I’ll tell you once you’re on a boat cruising up and down this river life is normal and you can go wherever you want to go, and if that means Maumee, Perrysburg, Toledo, Perrysburg Township, up into Michigan, that’s where you go.”

City staff expect to hear whether they will receive the money by this fall.

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