Billy Schweim with his brother Bob.
Walters Marine Construction crews continue work on Tuesday to replace a public fishing pier at the county-owned park at Second Street and the bay in Ocean City, NJ.
Crews from Walters Marine Construction are working to replace a public fishing pier on the bay at Second Street in Ocean City.
The City of Ocean City leases the county-owned open space for $1 a year, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency is expected to reimburse Ocean City for the cost of replacing the storm-damaged public facility.
The pier was damaged in Superstorm Sandy in October 2012 and later removed as a hazard to navigation and public safety.
The replacement project is being funded through a storm-related bond, and is expected to be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), according Ocean City Business Administrator Mike Dattilo. The new pier will reflect what existed there before the storm — a T-shaped pier that provides public access to the bay for fishing.
The city leases the county-owned open space — a shell-covered parking lot, small grassy picnic area and bayfront facilities — from Cape May County for $1 a year.
A contract for a proposed public-private partnership to develop a marina at the site was never executed after it was first proposed early in 2012. The city had operated a marina there prior to Sandy.
The city is continuing to explore additional options for public uses of the land, according to Dattilo.
Decking for the T-shaped pier appeared to be about halfway complete as of Tuesday morning.
