Flooding is seen on Lakeshore Boulevard near Hawley Street in Marquette. The Marquette City Commission will hold a special meeting at 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday in commission chambers at city hall, 300 W. Baraga Ave., where a decision is anticipated to be made about funding the first of two phases of the Lakeshore Boulevard Relocation and Coastal Restoration Project, which involves moving and elevating the road. (Image courtesy of Michigan State University School of Planning, Design and Construction, Pat Crawford, Wayne Beyea and Brad Neumann)

MARQUETTE — Big changes for one of Marquette’s most popular scenic drives along the lakeshore could soon be underway.

The Marquette City Commission will hold a special meeting at 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday in Commission Chambers at city hall, 300 W. Baraga Ave., where a decision is anticipated regarding funding the first of two phases of the Lakeshore Boulevard Relocation and Coastal Restoration Project. The project in total will cost about $12.3 million, city officials have said.

Phase one of the project would include the relocation of Lakeshore Boulevard, the installation and upgrade of municipal utilities necessary for the development of the adjoining Cliffs-Dow property and temporary erosion and damage control for areas close to the shoreline, city notes state.

Construction is being recommended for 2020 with phase two to follow in 2021-2022.

Earlier this year, the Superior Watershed Partnership was awarded a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Coastal Resilience Fund in the amount of $2.5 million for the restoration of Lake Superior shoreline and relocation of Lakeshore Boulevard between East Fair Avenue and Hawley Street.

Since the first phase of the project is expected to cost around $4.4 million, the grant is contingent upon $3 million in matching funds from the city of Marquette, city notes state.

City Manager Mike Angeli is recommending money be taken from other planned road projects on the 2020 Capital Improvement Plan list.

“We’re not asking for additional money, we’re not considering raising taxes,” he said in a previous Journal article. “We’re trying to do it all within the framework of our budget. The time is now. The road isn’t going to last much longer. If we want to move the road, it’s important we start planning.”

Angeli has said the permitting process would take a while to complete and the road, which is favored by many area residents, is deteriorating at a rapid pace due to sporadic weather and erosion.

The city commission approved an initial design for the project in March 2013 — however, funding wasn’t ever retained. The project was brought back to the table after the SWP was awarded the grant.

A city commission work session was held in February to discuss the grant and two proposed project phases and an additional public information session was also held for residents last month.

According to city notes, staff has budgeted around $4.4 million for phase one, of which $2.3 million will be provided by the $2.5 million grant, with $174,800 of the grant monies to be used for habitat restoration and monitoring, public education and grant administration by the SWP.

Around $2 million of the city’s required $3 million match will be included in the 2020 Capital Improvement budget with the remaining $955,200 of the city’s match requirement being fulfilled in a subsequent phase, according to city notes.

The grant requires SWP field biologists/scientists to conduct before/after monitoring, provide public education, coordinate habitat restoration contractors, grant administration, and so on.

There is also $64,000 for the Great Lakes Conservation Corps to assist with habitat restoration, native plantings, etc.

The GLCC employs young adults ages 18 to 25 and “are far more efficient and cost effective than consultants/contractors,” city notes state.