Palmetto seawall repair completed ahead of schedule, living shoreline project could start soon
PALMETTO -- Several hundred feet of seawall repair and replacement stretching east and west from the Green Bridge along the Manatee River in Palmetto has been completed ahead of schedule.
Palmetto-based Quality Marine Construction was awarded a $346,610 contract late last year and after a prolonged dispute with one other bidder, equipment was being moved off site Monday. The completed project opens the door for the city to feature what is being called the first of its kind in a living shoreline project that is tentatively scheduled to begin March 1.
"Everything went very smooth," said Harry Blenker, Quality Marine president and owner. "After they got done with the protest, we started Jan. 12 and had until March 14, but with the added days we were given due to weather and the regatta, we could have gone until the end of March. We did a final walk through and received a substantial completion from the engineer on Thursday. Now we are just getting ready for the living shoreline project." Quality Marine was contracted by Reef Innovations to help set up the living shoreline project. Reef Innovations was awarded the contract in late December, but had to wait until the seawall repairs were completed.
"I put my three top guys on this project," said Blenker. "This is what they do and the guys worked really hard."
The city has been under a tight schedule with the Florida Department of Transportation, which will soon begin the first phase of a $10 million multimodal trail from the Green Bridge that will eventually connect all of the city's parks by the time the final phases begin in 2021. The multimodal project's first phase has been fully funded, but work on that also could not begin until the seawall was completed.
This past summer, the seawall was found in a "near failure" state after an initial inspection was done in the planning phase of the multimodal trail. The city declared it a public emergency and sealed it off from public use. The scope of work was mostly replacing the caps to the east of the bridge and an almost full replacement to the west, including along Riverside Park West.
Living shoreline
On Monday, commissioners approved 4-1 the $311,526 contract with Reef Innovations to begin work on the living shoreline. However, the approval is contingent on the Southwest Florida Water Management District approving the contract as well. That approval is expected before March 1. The living shoreline will encompass concrete balls mimicking a coral reef environment about 10 feet off of the seawall. It is expected to generate an environment for marine life and vegetation to thrive.
The project, if it starts March 1, should be completed by July 1. Further improvements to Riverside Park West, including a deck above the mangrove shoreline, will allow the public to view the artificial reef. A concessionaire and bait shop also are planned.
According to the contract, the city should receive 50 percent matching funds from Swiftmud with the balance being funded through the Community Redevelopment Agency. The living shoreline will be about 970 feet long and encompass 9,950 square feet.
Mark Young, Herald urban affairs reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7041 or follow him on Twitter @urbanmark2014.
This story was originally published February 22, 2016 at 11:26 PM with the headline "Palmetto seawall repair completed ahead of schedule, living shoreline project could start soon ."