Grand Reopening for North Carolina’s Washburn Marina

The Town of Lake Lure, North Carolina, celebrated the completion of its new boardwalk and the renovation of the adjoining Washburn Marina on July 1. Before the project, the marina consisted of two docks that could accommodate 80 boats. The docks extended from the town center’s walkway, a wooden boardwalk that was in disrepair and needed to be replaced. In 2019, the town decided it was time to make improvements.

“We completely redesigned the marina to include a floating aluminum boardwalk instead of a wooden one. We built a boardwalk that goes from our marina around the curve to our beach and to the shopping area. The marina goes off of that boardwalk, and if you look at it from the sky, it looks like an eyelash,” said Dean Givens, director of the Town of Lake Lure’s Parks, Recreation and Lake Department.

With the renovations, the marina more than doubled in size, going from 80 slips to 208 slips. The total project cost was $1.1 million. “We were able to do this through a loan. The people who rent the slips pay for it, so we did this without touching tax dollars,” Givens added. A $100,000 grant from the Rutherford County Tourism Development Authority also helped pay for the project.

The new docks were designed and built by Wahoo Docks and installed by a local company, Marathon Builders. The new 900-foot boardwalk extends over the water, making it a popular destination for area residents and visitors. The eight docks that come off of the boardwalk range in length from 253 feet in the center to 138 feet at either end. The slips can accommodate boats up to 28 feet. While most of the slips are rented on an annual basis, one dock is reserved for free public docking and for temporary rentals. This enables visitors to go out and explore the town.

The marina, which opens in early spring and usually operates through late November, also offers fuel and electric service. Givens said that the new slips have filled quickly and are already generating enough revenue to make the loan payments and to produce some additional revenue.

Sometime in the next few years, the Town of Lake Lure hopes to launch a renovation of the marina tour building. That project would increase the size of the building and would add space for a restaurant on the top floor.