The dock replacement project is underway at Lake Wilderness Park.  The boat launch will have periodic closures the week of February 23-27 as the construction crew removes the old dock.

The project is expected to be complete in late March 2015.

In 2007, the city completed a master plan for Lake Wilderness Park and Lodge. That master plan identified ten different phases of work that were to be designed and built over a 20-year period.

With the recession affecting available funding for park development projects, starting in late 2007, this first phase of development at Lake Wilderness Park was put on hold for several years.

In 2011,  a firm specializing in dock design was hired through a competitive recruitment process and a “condition survey” was completed late that year. The results of the survey showed that the dock and pilings were failing and needed to be replaced in the near future.

In 2012, a preliminary design was developed to replace the existing dock in a similar configuration and add a boat rental float.

In 2013, project staff completed a Joint Aquatic Resources Permit Application and filed that with the state of Washington to start the permitting process.

In late 2014, the project was put out to bid. The successful low bidder was Neptune Marine, LLC and the city entered into a contract with them to remove the existing dock and pilings, and construct the new dock.