Precast Solutions - Winter 2009 - (Page 4) A neglected Idaho resort marina is strikingly re-created for future By Sue McCraven upscale development with beautiful and durable precast concrete retaining walls and docks. Beyond Hope “Api cture is worth a thousand words” is a proverb that aptly applies to the rebuilding of Idaho’s Beyond Hope Marina as the project’s “before” and “after” photos reveal a startling transformation. According to people familiar with the area, the resort’s dilapidated boat basin was both humorously and seriously considered to be “beyond hope” and in need of extensive rebuilding. The existing wooden docks, rock-rubble retaining walls and jetties were badly deteriorated. Looking to the future, the resort’s owners and investors were determined to build a new marina that would be elegant-looking, durable and low-maintenance. In a remarkable example of a “before-and-after” scenario, the physical transformation of the Beyond Hope Marina clearly demonstrates the outstanding aesthetic and structural advantages of precast concrete designs. In a mountain setting on the shores of a large freshwater lake, photos reveal a precast concrete metamorphosis from unsightly, decaying docks and breakwaters to a beautiful new marine facility. Beyond Hope – Before and After Photos courtesy: Wilbert Precast, Inc. marina at Beyond Hope. Local investors are fully cognizant of the tourism potential in the wellplanned, prudently designed and environmentally friendly development. The state of Idaho’s economy for this region depends in large part on the quality of the region’s ski resorts and numerous mountain and lake recreation and vacation venues on and around Lake Pend Oreille. Because the 60 acres at the Beyond Hope Resort is prime real estate, the site’s investors are planning a high-end residential development suitable for the region’s potential as a preferred visitor and tourist destination. Approximately eight lakefront townhouses and 45 single-family home sites on inland parcels are part of the master plan for the resort. Idaho’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) would not permit any disruption to the lake’s bottom or adverse impacts on the valuable fresh- Lake Pend Oreille and the environment More than 65 miles long and Idaho’s largest lake, Lake Pend Oreille (pronounced “Pon Duray”) is located near Sandpoint in a stunningly beautiful natural setting among the Cabinet, Coeur d’ Alène and Selkirk mountains. The marina is situated on the northeast side of the big lake not far from the small town of Hope – and thus the apropos name “Beyond Hope.” The Lake Pend Oreille area is a desirable vacation and recreational region in a pristine setting. The value of the region’s great natural beauty is fundamental to future plans for the resort and Precast Solutions | Winter 2009 www.precastsolutions.org http://www.precastsolutions.org
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