The Bureau of Land Management announced Tuesday that the Arizona Department of Parks and Trails will consider a proposal to commercially lease about 17 acres of public land to expand the Havasu Riviera Marina.
BLM spokeswoman Dolores Garcia said the commercial leases are part of the agency's recreational plan for the area. The marina is located on BLM-owned land south of Lake Havasu City and is used for boat storage and launching.
Today's News Herald has also learned there have been issues between the BLM and Havasu Riviera regarding ongoing planning on the ground, including boat leases, piers, etc. When asked if the new lease was an attempt to bring those issues into compliance, Garcia said, “Yes, by and large it would be.”
According to a BLM press release, “The Arizona State Parks Board (ASPB) is proposing to lease the land for continued long-term use of the existing marina,” and “if a lease is issued, ASPB will be required to pay fair market rent, established by a federally approved appraisal.”
Additionally, “the lease agreement will allow for additional facilities, a concession stand, a gas station and a grocery store to be established at the marina.”
According to Garcia, The BLM is working with the Arizona Department of Parks and Trails to convert the Recreation and Public Purposes Act patent to a commercial recreation lease on the current site.
“Under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act, they can't use that land for commercial purposes,” Garcia said. “The commercial recreation lease allows the state to develop that land commercially.”
Desert Land Group is also a partner with Arizona State Parks and helped develop the site.
“The Arizona Department of Parks and Trails is working with the Bureau of Land Management to execute a commercial lease agreement that will support current and future commercial activity at Havasu Riviera Marina.” Michael Gordon of Desert Land Group said: “While all involved agencies work together, there will be no impact to current operations or public use of Havasu Riviera Marina.”
The BLM is inviting public comment on the proposal through a 45-day public comment period that ends September 3. Comments may be emailed to sburke@blm.gov or brought in person to Stacey Burke, BLM Arizona State Office, 1 N. Central Avenue, Suite 800, Phoenix, Arizona 85004.
In 2016, the Arizona State Parks Service announced a public-private partnership with Havasu Riviera Marina LLC to develop the new park.
Construction began but has faced several delays, including after Doug Ducey fired former state parks director Sue Black in 2018.
Mayor Cal Sheehy said in 2019 that development of the area would bring a $1 billion economic boost to the Havasu region and would be the first new Arizona state park in more than 20 years.
The marina is scheduled to open in spring 2022 and is operated under permit from the Arizona State Parks system and, although privately owned, is open to the public.
