Could Elmwood Township become the next major tourist destination in northern Michigan?

Township officials are gambling "yes." Eying a comprehensive vision that includes the complete modernization of Elmwood Township Marina, traffic and infrastructure improvements and a rebranding effort designed to capitalize on the community's location between Traverse City and Leelanau County, leaders are pursuing big changes – and turning down immediate profitable opportunities for bigger long-term gains.

Earlier this month, the Elmwood Township board unanimously rejected a proposed 30-year bottomlands lease agreement with West Bay Properties – parent company of CenterPointe Marina – that would have allowed the business to expand its dock and construct 14-17 additional boat slips on several new finger piers. Owner Steven Busch (of the Anheuser-Busch family) offered to pay the township a minimum guaranteed $15,000 annually for the lease, with projected actual payments closer to $30,000. The township would not have had to pay anything for the project.

But CenterPointe's expansion would've prevented Elmwood Township from proceeding with its own planned fourth dock at its adjoining marina. “Dock D” is part of an Elmwood Township Marina Master Plan approved in 2012 that calls for major phased renovations to the property over several years, including new landscaping, a fish-cleaning station, a new multi-level lounge, a concession stand and redeveloped parking and traffic configurations.

“We didn't want to hamstring ourselves,” Elmwood Township Supervisor Jack Kelly explains of turning down CenterPointe's proposal. “We're losing the (possible revenue from the deal), but we're leaving our options open. It's the most prudent thing to do.”

Kelly and the rest of the township board are awaiting the outcome of two studies this winter that will help shape the township's plans going forward. The first is a preliminary engineering analysis that will organize the Marina Master Plan into three to four phases of improvements with timelines and estimated dollar figures attached. The second is a traffic study that will evaluate the feasibility of rerouting Grandview Road through the township's Brewery Creek Center property (across from the marina) and installing a traffic light at the road's intersection with M22 at the marina entrance.

With a signal in place to handle the extra traffic load, Elmwood Township could look at constructing a multi-level parking deck on the Brewery Creek property to service the marina. Additional parking is key to the marina's expansion, since the township is legally prohibited from adding any more boat slips until it has parking spaces in place to support them.

“If we can't add our own parking across the street, we'd have to get CenterPointe at the table to discuss using their parking,” says Kelly – a scenario that would likely involve compromising part of the township's plans and/or conceding bottomlands usage to CenterPointe. “We wanted to at least wait and see what the traffic study tells us is feasible. If we just agreed to (CenterPointe's) lease now, it would preclude us from doing anything in the future.”

While awaiting the results of this winter's studies, the township board will also implement a $7,500 grant from Networks Northwest to study the potential rebranding of the one-mile Greilickville corridor stretching from the township's southern boundary to Cherry Bend Road. Consulting firm SmithGroupJJR recommended “transforming the commercial corridor into a waterfront destination with its own unique brand." The firm suggested using the name Port Leelanau. Township officials will conduct workshops in the coming months to get public input on the branding concept.

“Elmwood Township has what most corridors would die to have,” says Kelly. “There's a beautiful park and marina, a mile of waterfront and the only deep-water port in the area. We have the potential to become more than a passthrough. We could become a destination – one that complements what exists in Traverse City and Leelanau, but is totally unique.”