Get a glimpse at Gray's Lake Park's anticipated marina overhaul

Virginia Barreda, Des Moines Register
·2 min read
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A $2.1 million overhaul is on the horizon for the Gray's Lake Park boat ramp in Des Moines.

The existing paddle-craft marina at the southwest corner of Gray’s Lake Park is a popular launching site for people who want to take rental canoes, kayaks and paddleboards for a spin on the lake. But city officials say the dock wasn't built with the "environmental resilience" necessary for long-term, water-adjacent development, according to an August City Council communication memo.

The dock was further damaged and distressed by winter weather in 2022. And though the city has made multiple short-term repairs, officials say the dock's serviceability is in decline.

Renderings of a proposed $2.1 million overhaul for the Gray's Lake Park boat ramp in Des Moines.
Renderings of a proposed $2.1 million overhaul for the Gray's Lake Park boat ramp in Des Moines.

The city's Gray’s Lake Paddlecraft Marina Development Project would replace the current infrastructure with features that include an upland bypass trail, elevation adjustments to the Kruidenier Trail, entry drive and parking pavement repairs, an upland viewing deck and floodable storage for additional paddle-craft, and Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant pathways. It also would have paddle-craft dockage, a gangway and shoreline improvements.

The project also sets up the Terrace Building to host a "high-quality food concessionaire" on the west side of the building, city officials wrote in an Urban Design Review Board report.

The updates are part of a larger master plan that looks to improve several areas of Gray's Lake.

Renderings of a $2.1 million overhaul on the horizon for the Gray's Lake Park boat ramp in Des Moines.
Renderings of a $2.1 million overhaul on the horizon for the Gray's Lake Park boat ramp in Des Moines.

In December, the Des Moines City Council accepted $300,000 in grant funding toward the project from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources' Resource Enhancement and Protection program.

A construction order is set to go before City Council in February.

The project could be "substantially" completed by Oct. 31, 2025, according to the city.

Here are the three major upgrades to the park's dock area on the horizon:

The paddle-craft marina

The marina, which will encompass the area from the water up to the trail downslope from the Terrace Building, will include:

  • A metal marina dock with about 16 slips/spots and a universal kayak launch anchored with an elastic mooring system.

  • An 80-foot metal gangway.

  • Two concrete stairwells and two metal fabricated stairwells.

  • Switchback ramps with retaining walls and handrails.

  • A pier connecting switchback ramps to the gangway.

  • A roughly 1,800-square-foot upland viewing deck with retaining walls and handrails.

Renderings of a $2.1 million overhaul for the Gray's Lake Park boat ramp in Des Moines.
Renderings of a $2.1 million overhaul for the Gray's Lake Park boat ramp in Des Moines.

Upland and lowland trail adjustments

The trail and site work will include:

  • The construction of roughly 650 linear feet of 10-foot-wide concrete paved upland bypass trail.

  • Removal of the existing marina.

  • Approximately 700 linear feet of 12-foot-wide hot mix asphalt trail reconstruction with grade adjustments.

  • Waterproofing of the Terrace Building.

Parking renovation

Work will likely be done to replace damaged or degraded concrete panels in the parking lot next to the marina, according to the report. The lot could also be restriped.

Virginia Barreda is the Des Moines city government reporter for the Register. She can be reached at vbarreda@dmreg.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Popular Des Moines park marina could get a $2.1 million makeover