Boardwalk reconstruction will wrap by Memorial Day
Southern entrances to Grand Arcade should be open by May 10
Phase two reconstruction of the Asbury Park boardwalk, from Convention Hall south to First Avenue should be fully complete prior to Memorial Day.
Construction has “just about” reached Convention Hall and once all of the decking is in place, the south entrances to Convention Hall’s Grand Arcade will open up again, according to Tom Gilmour, the city’s director of economic development.
Gilmour is “very definite” the decking will be finished by May 10, he said. The steps and the railings may not be done by that point, but will be finished by Memorial Day “for sure,” said Gilmour.
To better accommodate boardwalk businesses, construction workers have installed the decking and opened up the western sides of the boardwalk as much as possible to allow patrons entry from that side [shown at right]. The fenced off area begins just north of the entrance to Style Rocket clothing store.
The repairs finish the sections of the Asbury Park boardwalk that were damaged or compromised by Hurricane Sandy. Phase one repairs took place prior to last summer along the southernmost section, from the Casino structure to just passed the First Avenue Pavilion.
Past City Council members decided to split the work into two phases so that the boardwalk would not be under construction during the busy summer season.
Staten Island-based Reicon Group, LLC, a subsidiary of Reinauer Transportation Companies, LLC, was awarded a 90-day contract for phase two construction and began work at the end of January.
The contract stipulated the work be finished within a 90-day period from project commencement or the company would be forced to pay fines every day it extends beyond the time frame, placing the project completion date to the at the end of April, however, certain “force majure issues,” including snow accumulation and the Army Corps’ recent beach replenishment project, held up construction and pushed the date past the 90-day time frame with no penalties incurred, according to City Manager John “Jack” Kelly.
“While we were hopeful that the boardwalk would be done by the end of April, we had a very long, cold, wet winter, and so my goal now is to make sure it is absolutely, positively done by Memorial Day weekend — if not earlier,” said Councilwoman Amy Quinn. “Memorial Day weekend is the absolute latest, anything else is unacceptable.”
“They are down there working like hell,” said Councilman John Moor.
————————————————————
Follow the Asbury Park Sun on Facebook and Twitter.
