As final touches are placed on the Treasure Island Marina Building renovations and work progresses on developing the adjacent Treasure Island Park, the city continues to search for a Marina Building restaurant operator.

Planning for 2016 programming for the new park area and a dedication of the Marina-park complex in June also are under way.

Both the Marina Building renovations and the park are within the budgets approved by City Council, Patrick Titterington, city service and safety director, said last week.

The search for the Marina operator extends beyond someone interested in running a restaurant, a search that might require involving a consultant.

“We are still looking at a couple of different folks. We may want to ask a consultant to come in and head hunt for us,” Titterington said. “The reason is we want the right business in here, something that is going to complement the park, something that is going to be reputable and have the assets and willingness to come in here but also do some other things.”

What those other functions might be continues to be hammered out but include being a partner in the Treasure Island program and other events, he said.

The restaurant was operated previously by Tin Roof, which was closed for the renovations. The operators chose to go mobile with a food truck instead of waiting for the project’s completion.

Some who have toured the Marina building have told officials their business plan doesn’t fit and the city representatives have told a couple of others the same, Titterington said.

Most of interior work at the Marina Building by Bruns General Contracting of Tipp City is done. The contract was for $959,274.

Last week, workers were repairing a large glass Marina Building window overlooking the Great Miami River following the window being vandalized.

The interior work has opened up the area entering the building with new restrooms and a Fireplace Room on the north side. The bar area has been redone but not much work carried out in the kitchen area.

“We are finishing it out to the shell. The restaurant, business operator who comes in will take this and do what they want with it,” Titterington said.

The space of the Fireplace Room, which includes a fireplace, was vacant previously. It will have an entrance from a north side balcony for access for functions separate from the restaurant, if desired.

“This area has great potential, as you can see,” Mayor Mike Beamish said adding he could see the area possibly as a lounge or other gathering area.

The space beyond the kitchen on the south side is done and could be used for storage or other restaurant equipment. The area looking to the east toward the river has a sliding window that could be used for walk up service for food, rentals or other purposes.

Outside the building, Bruns has been waiting to complete the rest of the exterior work including the balcony following river flooding last month. Steel beams needed for the work are on site with everything ready to go once the water under the building is down enough to allow adequate space for workers, Titterington said.

The Marina Building work initially was scheduled for completion last summer but was delayed first by a proposed change in the design of the building eaves/awning that was accepted and off and on by weather conditions. Final work on those areas will be done when weather permits.

“There’s nothing here that is delaying us other than weather. That is perfectly legitimate,” Titterington said.

Work on the Treasure Island Park continued on a warmer day last week when crews working with general contractor Double Jay Construction of Englewood were at a large shelter that will accommodate several picnic tables. The contract for the park is for $1.686 million.

Most of the park grading is complete, trails are in and the amphitheater is partially done.

Programming for the park is under way with many ideas involving river use such as canoeing and kayaking.

Donations received so far from individuals and companies will be used for projects such a bike racks and a sponsor still is welcome for exercise stations proposed for along the park path at an estimated cost of around $50,000.

Camping is being explored along with a possible location in the park south area for a monarch butterfly habitat. A habitat also is being considered a city owned land north of Treasure Island.

Beamish said the area would offer wellness, education, preservation and environmental awareness. “It does have an awful lot of key themes that we are trying to develop here let alone bringing the river back to life,” he said.