After 50 years in business on the Colorado River, Topock Marina will be torn down and replaced with a 102-room resort geared to attract Route 66 enthusiasts worldwide.

The Topock 66 Spa & Resort project began in the summer months with partial construction of a new sea wall. Progress will continue until the overall projected completion date of December 2012.

The marina’s boat launch ramp will be replaced and expanded to three lanes. Construction will close the existing launch ramp sometime in January, according to Topock Marina owner Chet Hitt.

Hitt, of Apple Valley, Calif., purchased the ramshackle resort spot six years ago. He embraced promoting it as the “worst boat launch ramp” and “worst building” on the river. Two years into it, a DUI checkpoint effort set up nearby on the Colorado River was an eye-opener for the owner.

“I realized how much of an affect this (business) had on the public … I am an advocate of sending people out of here having had good time, but I am also an advocate of people getting home safe. If I had a hotel, people could come and stay,” Hitt said.

It took Hitt more than three years working with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to obtain a seawall permit and dredging permits for the property.

The owner recently kicked off the project with a farewell bonfire to torch the old wood façade and dilapidated trailers that were former mainstays on the grounds. The bonfire send-off was celebrated with live entertainment from 8 p.m. to midnight Oct. 2, in the parking lot near the boat launch ramp.

“(The bonfire) was a little sad. I like the smallness of it, everybody knows everybody. It will be a good change. I love this park,” said Debbie Payne, of California. Payne said she has been visiting Topock Marina’s RV Park for about 15 years.

The proposed hotel will offer 100 rooms plus two suites. Topock Marina’s existing 44 RV spaces will be reduced to 16 spaces. The grounds will maintain its 100 boat slips, which were recently upgraded, Hitt said.

Capt. Doyle’s River Excursions & Fun Fishing Guide Service has been operating out of Topock Marina for 13 years.

“For us, I think it is going to be good. I think it’s going to be good because it will be a lot bigger,” said Capt. Jamie Gustafson, of Capt. Doyle’s.

The new resort will offer amenities including a spa, motorcycle rentals, watercraft rentals, kayak or off-road excursions, a conference center, a barbecue smokehouse, a microbrewery, nightclub, boardwalk, kid’s play area, wedding packages and the largest Route 66 memorabilia gift shop in the region.

“This is the only exit No. 1 on Route 66 corridor,” Hitt said. “We would have never built this project if we were just dealing with the river business … it’s the winter business we have in mind.”

With the tourism industry in his sights, as much as 60 to 70 percent of Hitt’s advertising budget will be spent to draw in European customers from overseas, he said.

The owner said he has encountered individuals who are disappointed with his decision to tear down the old place. However, Hitt plans to incorporate historical elements from the old Topock Marina into the new Topock 66 Spa & Resort. Elements include old structural wooden beams from the original Needles Bridge, a refurbished bronze dedication for a Route 66 bridge from yesteryear and many of the customer photo posters tacked to the walls and ceiling of Topock Marina’s old bar, the owner said.

The first phase of the project will focus on rebuilding and reopening the restaurant and bar. The estimated project completion date for the initial phase is April 2011.

“I want to create an opportunity for people to stop in our state … its going to be a cool place,” Hitt said.

Topock Marina is located at 14999 Highway 95, Topock, Ariz. For more information, visit www.topock66.com.

You may contact the reporter at jhanson@havasunews.com.