PRESS RELEASE: Delaware Street Pier Project
Date Posted: Friday, June 10th, 2016PRESS RELEASE
CITY OF NEW CASTLE
June 10, 2016
The City of New Castle has been entrusted by the State of Delaware with $1,025,000, for the purpose of building a pier at the end of Delaware Street. In addition, the City has received funding for this project from the Delaware City Refinery in the amount of $10,000. The City also anticipates the receipt of $145,000 from FEMA under a federal program payment for the damage to the former pier, destroyed by Hurricane Sandy; for a total of $1,180,000.
With the funds provided by the State, the City has an obligation and commitment to the State to utilize these funds as judiciously as possible, and to construct the pier.
Since the project was put to public bid with the experienced contracting firm of Dissen and Juhn as the lowest bidder, we have had numerous meetings with representatives of the contractor, City engineer Dave Athey, City Solicitor Dan Losco and engineers from Duffield and Associates, to determine a path forward that will allow us to maximize the dollars available to construct a functional pier, and also establish plans to enhance it to permit docking by ships such as the Kalmar Nyckel in the future.
With engineering design and testing costs already committed, the balance of the funds remaining for construction is $1,055,658. With that, the City has agreed to move forward with Dissen and Juhn and construct a pier that will be operational and open for use by the public at a total construction price of $1,005,444. When this first phase of construction is completed, residents and visitors will have full access to walk and utilize the pier. Additional funding will be required to accommodate docking by the Kalmar Nyckel, as originally planned.
To this end, we have requested that the State provide $300,000 to assist with these additional costs, project management expenses, and cover any other potential costs such as remobilization. We are optimistic that these funds will be made available in the upcoming fiscal year, and completion of the entire pier will be done within the same time frame as the construction of “phase one.”
Should that not be the case, the City will continue to pursue other funding options through State agencies, private donors and fundraisers to complete the project.
