The city of Dunkirk is trying to get developers interested in Lake Shore Drive East parcels recently eyed for a water park.

Mayor Kate Wdowiasz announced this week that developers can submit Expressions of Interest (EOI) from now until June 20 for the 2.3-acre site near the Clarion Hotel and Steelbound Brewery.

Hanna Commercial Real Estate’s Paula Blanchard is marketing the site, which is composed of eight parcels. She offered some ideas for developers in a press release touting “Dunkirk’s Last Prime Lake Erie Waterfront Site.”

“The site is an optimal location for a mixed-use residential and retail development, potentially resort-style condos and apartments with pool and marina access,” she wrote. “The site also sits on the busy Lakeshore Drive corridor, making it commercially viable for a host of retail opportunities. It also presents the possibility for a tourist attraction with the potential to become a regional destination. Immediately adjacent to the 128-room Clarion Hotel Conference Center on Lake Erie, and near the Steelbound Brewery… as well as the Chadwick Bay Marina, City Pier, and the Dunkirk Yacht Club, this location is already designed to serve the needs of both tourists and residents.”

Local planners considered an indoor water park for the site in early 2023. That plan started to float away when it was left off a list of preferred alternatives for use of Dunkirk’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative award from the state.

The city Common Council approved a grant-funded study of the feasibility of a water park on the site in October 2023. However, Vince DeJoy, city planning and development director, acknowledged at the time that plans for a water park were basically dead due to a lack of funding.

City Hall has basically been silent about the parcels ever since – until now.

DeJoy said, “We are undergoing a resurgence in the City of Dunkirk, having already invested millions of dollars to transform the waterfront with major upgrades to the pier and the storefronts at the Boardwalk Markets as well as improvements to Wright Park.”

He added, “Clearly, the right developer, from inside or outside of Western New York… will greatly benefit from the synergy of what is happening at this vibrant destination.”

Blanchard stated that the Expressions of Interest process will “vet prospective purchasers, encourage development quality and maximize sale price, potentially above appraised value. (It) will encourage prospective purchasers’ creativity regarding proposed uses by keeping it open to any type of development that can enhance the waterfront in a synergistic way. Numerous additional development incentives and funding sources may be available for a qualified developer.”

Developers who want an Expression of Interest application package are asked to email Blanchard at PaulaBlanchard@HannaCRE.com, and submit the completed application by 5 p.m. on June 20.