Campbell supports yacht plant

0 Comments | La Crosse Tribune, Oct 22, 1998

SkipperLiner Marine Group Inc. is welcome to move its luxury yacht assembly plant to French Island, town of Campbell officials said Wednesday.

The town board voted unanimously Wednesday to recommend a zoning change that will allow SkipperLiner to turn the Beacon Bay Marina into an assembly plant and showplace for visiting customers.

"This would be a great improvement for the south town of Campbell," town Chairman Daniel Kapanke said.

The La Crosse County Board's Zoning and Land Information Committee will conduct a public hearing at 7 p.m. Monday to consider the zoning change from commercial to industrial.

Some residents of the area attended Wednesday's board meeting, asking SkipperLiner president and owner Noel Jordan how the plant would affect them.

"We want to make it nice," Jordan said. "We know we can't do things that will upset people."

Jordan said SkipperLiner needs a place for prospective customers to see where their luxury motor yacht or commercial cruise boat will be built. He said the metal fabrication of the boat hulls will continue to be done elsewhere on the North Side of La Crosse.

SkipperLiner board member Al Poser said there will be "a nice gate out front with landscaping .... We hope it will improve property values" of nearby land.

Jordan said he hopes to start construction next spring and by spring 2000 have a completed project, which also would include a new yacht club, new restaurant and bar, and other marina improvements.

Jordan said work crews have already begun cleaning up the site, including removal of underground petroleum storage tanks. SkipperLiner has an option to purchase the property, and Jordan held out the possibility that the sale might not go through if engineers find insurmountable environmental problems on the site.

"We're going to clean it and find what the environmental stuff is. Worst case--we don't end up with the property," Jordan said.

Responding to residents questions, Jordan said about 70 employees will be working at the site, mostly during the day. A painting crew of typically fewer than 10 workers works in the evenings, he said.

SkipperLiner assembles boats at 3222 Commerce St. in the Interstate Industrial Park. Jordan had previously looked at relocating to the Mobil Oil site near downtown La Crosse, but that deal fell through. He said he also had looked at sites in Winona, Minn., but wants to remain in the La Crosse area.

Jordan said SkipperLiner's sales, corporate headquarters, marina and Island Girl cruise liner facilities will remain at 621 Park Plaza Drive.