'From a parking lot to paradise'

Coming Monday: Dive deeper into Battery Park's plan SANDUSKY — Several projects have radically transformed notable sites across Sandusky this past decade, helping to usher in a citywide renaissance. But the newest undertaking might be the biggest one yet in terms of scope, cost and potential impact. During a recent sit-down interview with the Register, the city government's leadership team and its project planners, Marous Development Group, unveiled documents previewing a massive evolution for Battery Park at Meigs and East Water streets. Pegged at $200 million, believed to be the single-largest investment in Sandusky's history, blueprints center on activating this vastly underused space. More specifically, plans along this 33-acre waterfront space call for: • Constructing nearly 250 living spaces, broken down into condos and apartments • Creating a five-story hotel with about 130 rooms • Building a parking garage, housing upward of 1,000 vehicles • Expanding the existing green space areas from 6 acres to 9 acres • Improving boardwalks, break walls, piers and other public spaces to make these areas safer and for future programming there "The plan is, by doing all of this, we will make the waterfront and the city come alive," said Chip Marous, Marous' managing member. Marous boasts a successful track record in the city, overseeing projects which include ongoing construction work at the Feick Building; reinvigorating three buildings into Vita Sandusky and Sandusky City Hall; and establishing a brick-and-mortar postsecondary institution for Bowling Green State University's and Cedar Fair's resort and attraction management program. These three areas all feature a residential component as proposed for Battery Park. Through a deal enacted in 2020, Marous possesses the land's leasing rights, but Sandusky still owns this site. The contract allows Marous to develop this site. "What we are focused on is ensuring this beautiful city — that has an unbelievable inventory of historic buildings, a great downtown and a great waterfront — realizes and maximizes on its potential," Marous said. Dick Brady, the city's ex officio mayor, predicted this site would go "from a parking lot to paradise." "This won't be a self-contained city," Brady said. "We are pursuing this project so that everyone can visit this site, whether you are a resident or tenant or you're going there for shopping or for food or if you want to live there. Those who live in Sandusky along with our visitors will find their way down there, and everyone will benefit from that."