Paugus Bay Marina to open showroom on Union Ave.

LACONIA — Paugus Bay Marina of Lakeport has begun operating a second showroom at 1258 Union Ave., the waterfront property that formerly housed Fitzgerald Motorsports, which was recently acquired by an investor who leased it to the marina.

Kevin Keenan, who owns and operates Paugus Bay Marina, said yesterday that the business has undergone rapid growth, especially since becoming the only Formula dealership in northern New England five years ago. He said that the property was on the market for more than a decade before it was sold and when the buyer cast about for a tenant "I was in the right place at the right time."

Keenan said that the property includes three boat slips and can be reached by boat from the marina's facility to the south. Apart from the greater visibility afforded by a building of more than 7,000 square feet, which was constructed as a showroom of steel and glass, he said that being next door to Watermark Marine Construction is a "win-win. The two businesses complement one another," he said. "We couldn't have a better neighbor."