Three permits and you’re….set to call for bids.

That was the good news the City of Tower received, April 29, with the arrival of the final permit required before work on the harbor redevelopment project can begin.

The permit, from the U.S. Army Corps, was the final piece of the puzzle needed before work on the $7 million dollar harbor project could proceed.

“We know the project is moving forward, for sure,” said Tower Mayor Steve Abrahamson. “This is a great way to start the summer.”

The environmental review and permitting phase of the project has taken much longer than anyone anticipated. The city held the groundbreaking for the project the summer of 2007, but delays in getting the Environmental Assessment Worksheet approved, and the processing of the state and federal permits needed for both the roadwork and the work on the harbor, meant the start of construction kept getting pushed forward, much to the frustration of members of the Tower City Council.

The first phase of the project includes the rerouting of Highway 135, the dredging of the old harbor and the construction of a new Highway 169 bridge over the East Two River. The St. Louis County Board will now call for bids on the project, which hopefully will be awarded sometime in June. Work on the highway reroute will be done this summer. Once completed, it will allow a relatively simple detour through Tower while the Highway 169 bridge is replaced the following year.

In conjunction with the harbor project, the city is now also working with the DNR to construct a new public lake access adjacent to Highway 169 on the East Two River. This project is planned for 2012.

Once the harbor construction is underway the city will be soliciting proposals from developers interested in construction a hotel and retail space in the newly-developed harborfront area.