Lake Wilhelm getting new marina building in $2M overall project

Apr. 17—SANDY LAKE — A new marina building at Lake Wilhelm will help with the flow of visitors, its manager said.

Construction of the new building, costing a little over $1 million, is set to begin in early May, Mark Scarpitti, manager of Maurice K. Goddard State Park, said. Coupled with other upgrades, such as improving the parking lot, shoreline upgrades and walkway paving, the total project will cost about $2 million.

"One of the first things that will happen is demolition of the existing building, which dates back to the early '70s," Scarpitti said.

Officials considered renovating the building but that option proved too costly, he said. The park where Lake Wilhelm sits is operated by the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

The new building, which will be slightly smaller, will have restrooms, a concessions stand and retail space to rent boats, just as the existing marina has, Scarpitti said.

"We're making arrangements so that boat rentals can continue during construction," he said.

One change is that part of the building will be shifted so that it's closer to the docks, Scarpitti said.

Fuel pumps will still be available, along with the piers, and visitors will continue to have access to the shore line.

Completion of the project is set for next year.

The park covers 2,856 acres in Deer Creek, Mill Creek, New Vernon and Sandy Lake townships in northeastern Mercer County.

}It's been an active spring at the park, Scarpitti said. Like the rest of the region, Lake Wilhelm has taken in lots of rain over the past two weeks and is up 2 feet from its normal level. The lake has a dam, tiny compared to the one at Shenango River Lake on the western edge of Mercer County.

Water spills from the dam into Sandy Creek, which empties into the Allegheny River and then the Ohio River in Pittsburgh.

"The dam is operating fine," Scarpitti said.