HUBBELL — The seaplanes heading to Isle Royale this summer will be taking off from a different spot.

Isle Royale Seaplanes is moving to a new location on 16th Street in Hubbell starting this season, which starts May 19. The 6-acre site will include hangar and office space, docks, boat ramp, staff housing, expanded customer parking and a covered outdoor customer waiting area.

“We’ve been trying to find a waterfront location for a few years, and we finally were successful in finding a place that suits our needs,” said director of operations Jon Rector. “Our lease was up at the previous location, so we had to make a move this year.”

The company had most recently operated out of Ripley, though it had also attempted to relocate to sites in Houghton and Portage Township. Those attempts were dropped after opposition from some residents, who cited noise concerns and in the case of the Portage Township location, possible disruption to a nearby eagle nest. Rector said he has not heard any complaints so far from residents near the new site.

Rector said, compared to the Ripley base, operating on Torch Lake makes more sense. The narrowness of the canal had restricted their operating area for takeoffs and landings. It had also forced takeoffs to be due west or due east, regardless of wind direction.

Being in Hubbell also greatly reduces the potential for conflicts with boaters, Rector said.

“Not to say that Torch Lake has less boat activity, it’s just not concentrated to a confined area like the canal, so it’s a much better operating area for us,” he said. “In addition, the landside property is much larger, so it gives us plenty of land for our facility and the parking lot, which was also a problem at the old place.”

Isle Royale Seaplanes had previously decided to return to the airport, where it had once operated before moving to Ripley. However, the lengthy timeline of the build required there would mean they wouldn’t have had a place to operate this year.

The company would also have had to speed up its plans to move to a larger, more expensive turbine aircraft. With the Hubbell site secured, that will now happen in 2025 or 2026, Rector said.

Everything Isle Royale Seaplanes needs to operate should be finished at the Hubbell site by the time the season starts May 19, Rector said. Construction should be fully complete in June.