News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Dale Hollow Marina at Cedar Hill is expanding with 120 new boat slips on the way.
Owner Dennis Wilbert was approved for a $950,000 loan from UCDD to make the $1.1 million project possible. Wilbert said the need for extra space is high with over 300 boaters on a waiting list.
“We’ve had pretty much a full occupancy for a couple of years, but COVID has kicked it into a whole other gear” Wilbert said. “People going out and bought new boats, and people are getting in the lake life and the house boat life. There’s just been a huge demand, and there is just not an empty slip on this lake.”
Wilbert said the expansion should be complete by the summer and will bring the marina to a total of 360 spaces. Wilbert said to help with the additional space, four new jobs will be created.
“It helps the local economy around here,” Wilbert said. “You get this many more people coming from out of of town, spending the money in town and helping out. It just generates, not only for us, but everybody in this town.”
Wilbert said the 860 foot walkway included in the expansion will allow for more future growth, as well. Wilbert said the materials have been ordered for the project with the majority of work taking place in the off-season.
“We have manufactures up in Indianapolis that is manufacturing all the steel and sending us the components,” Wilbert said. “We put it together in the parking lot and float it around and set our own anchors and cables to them. Then we have to run all the electric to them and put roofs on it.”
The marina became known as the Dale Hollow Marina at Cedar Hill when Wilbert purchased Cedar Hill Lake Resort in 2019. For perspective, the Dale Hollow Marina has 200 boat slips.
