Members of the U-District community congregated at the grand opening of the new marina on Portage Bay and were entertained by the sound of live Latin American music from the Aqua Verde Restaurant.

“For years, it was only the boats that were keeping our marina afloat,” joked Steve Kennard, assistant director of asset management at the UW Real Estate Office.

A christening was performed on the main gangway of the marina, just east of the UW’s Bryant Building on Boat Street, to commemorate the remodeling of the century-old marina, which took place this past winter.

The marina now boasts 71 slips and more room for kayaks.

Recyclable plastics were used to replace 100-year-old logs, and 51 steel pilings replace the original 156 wooden piles. All of the floats are made from recycled materials. During the remodeling, garbage was cleaned from the bottom of the lake.

The decks are porous, allowing light to penetrate the water, creating a better environment for fish and plants. Salmon have returned and can be seen swimming under the docks.

The five-year project and six-month construction also brings the public to the water’s edge, increasing University and community interaction, Kennard said.

Visitors to the new marina can enjoy Mexican cuisine at the Aqua Verde Restaurant behind the marina, rent kayaks from the next-door Aqua Verde Paddle Club, rent motorboats from the Jensen Motorboat Company or set their own boats into the water.

Since the new marina has more room for kayaks, the paddle club can put more customers in the water quicker, Kennard said. It will also attract more people who may want to dine at the restaurant, he said.

Not only is the new marina better for business, but it also helps environmental stewardship, said Rey Lopez, co-owner of the paddle club.

Many of Lopez’s employees are UW environmental studies students.

“Their primary mission is to put you in a boat and their secondary mission is to clean up the lake,” Lopez said. “They love it and share it with people.”

The reconstruction took place during the winter, so there would be the least possible interference with salmon runs.

The University funded the $3 million project. All of the land, including the Aqua Verde Restaurant and Aqua Verde Paddle Club properties, is owned and leased by the UW.

“There’ll be significant recovery costs,” said Bob Roseth, director of UW News and Information.