The contract for the second part of repairs to the portion of Wilmington’s Riverwalk located behind the J.W. Brooks building has been awarded to a company out of Castle Hayne.
Intercoastal Marine, LLC turned in the lowest responsible bid to the city to complete the work, which will include the construction of a 10-foot-wide free-standing boardwalk behind the building, located on Water Street between Market and Dock Streets.
According to Deputy City Manager Richard King, the new section will replace the base that formed the structural foundation for the Riverwalk. That part of the popular outdoor area was closed in Sept. 14 for the demolition “due to public safety concerns following evaluation of the deteriorated structural concrete supports,” according to documents presented to city council. That work formed Phase I of the project.
“We worked out an agreement with the Brooks Building,” said King. “They were the lead in removing the Riverwalk and the concrete cantilever platform that was attached to their building. They supervised that work with their engineer, and now it’s our turn to come in and build the free-standing Riverwalk.”
According to the documents, “Separation of the public Riverwalk from the private building was determined to be the best long-term solution.” However, King said the new section will be raised about three feet to match the height of the windows on the building in preparation for the future.
“[This will allow] them at some point in time, on their dime, to make a connection to the Riverwalk from their building,” King said.
The contract was awarded to Intercoastal Marine for $699,895. Three bids were received by the city, and the next lowest bid was over $100,000 more than the one city council approved. In addition to the boardwalk, which will be supported by helical piers, guard railings, utility lines and shoreline stabilization measures will also be constructed as part of the project.
Councilmembers also approved a $452,665 appropriation of funds from the Fiscal Year 2016 Two-Thirds General Obligation Bonds to the Streets and Sidewalks Capital Projects Fund to help pay for the contract. That amount includes a 15 percent construction contingency totaling $104,985.
This was necessary due to a lack of sufficient funds in the original project budget, which combined money from the Riverfront Assessment Project, the 80/20 Capital Improvements Plan and residual balances in the Visitor Center Bulkhead Project.
Once construction is finished on the project, that section of the boardwalk will open back up to the public, reconnecting the parts north and south of Market Street. Currently, much of the Riverwalk north of Market Street, including Riverfront Park, is closed for renovations as part of the Water Street Improvements project.
