With little discussion, the Metroparks Toledo Board of Park Commissioners entered into a 20-year agreement Wednesday with Toledo Pickle LLC to manage and operate a family recreation center inside one of the historic Vistula District’s largest buildings.
The board also entered into a 50-year agreement with J&M Cruise Lines to provide river and lake cruises and water taxis from a soon-to-be restored dock at its present location near Jefferson Street and Promenade Park
Both actions were approved by 4-0 votes, with one of the board’s two vice presidents, Lera Doneghy, absent.
The family recreation center, a major part of the five-mile Glass City Riverwalk, will be inside a building at 1030 Water St. in North Toledo that the city of Toledo has agreed to vacate.
Toledo Pickle will oversee food and beverage services as well as a range of recreational programs, including pickleball.
It is seen more as a future neighborhood activity center than just a place for indoor pickleball courts. The building is to include food and beverage service, meeting areas, and room for special events.
According to the company’s website , it envisions indoor and outdoor pickleball courts for recreational and league play, along with rock-wall climbing, shuffleboard, corn hole games and “a vibrant restaurant and bar operated by one of the region’s best-known restauranteurs.
“We’ll even have boat docks and live entertainment,” the Toledo Pickle website states.
According to a notice in Toledo Legal News, Toledo Pickle, LLC, estimates the project cost at $7.2 million. It said in its published notice that it is seeking a statement of qualifications from contractors, professional architecture and engineering teams.
Brian Epstein, Toledo Pickle partner, told The Blade during an open house in February that indoor pickleball courts will be one of the features, but not the only one.
He said he envisions it as a place for birthday parties, small concerts, corn hole games, table tennis, board games, a climbing wall, an upscale restaurant, and other features.
Court time will be available for rental, but there are expected to be many free activities.
The facility is expected to open this October or November.
The agreement calls for Toledo Pickle to retain a percentage of gross receipts as a concession fee. The remaining revenue will be retained by Metroparks to support the facility's maintenance and operation, as well as the operation of the adjacent Glass City Riverwalk, according to a brief the park district staff submitted to the board.
No formal partnership or joint venture has been created between Toledo Pickle and Metroparks by the agreement.
The dock currently used by J&M is getting a $400,000 upgrade. The private business has agreed to repay Metroparks in installments over 20 years, according to the agreement.
The dock will also be made available to the Coast Guard and the Toledo Fire Department during large-scale special events and other public safety needs, according to a board brief.
The agreement also provides an option to renew for an additional 50 years once the original agreement expires.
J&M will be granted exclusive use of the dock area for its business operations, and will be charged a $100 annual fee once the $400,000 loan is paid off.
“ This arrangement offers a sustainable and mutually beneficial partnership, providing Metroparks with a revenue stream to offset the cost of dock restoration while granting J&M Cruise Lines exclusive use of the dock area for its operations, to maintain a robust offering of Maumee River and Lake Erie cruises as well as water taxi transportation options on the Glass City Riverwalk,” according to the staff’s written brief to the board.
Most Popular
Comments / 0