Holly Kisby, general manager at the Shriver's salt water taffy and fudge shop, has been keeping store customers updated on the construction project with Facebook postings.
By Donald Wittkowski
There were no cheers, no applause, no speeches. There was absolutely no hoopla at all.
At 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, union carpenters Joe Kurtz and Aaron Taylor unceremoniously removed the last remaining barrier that had blocked access to the Boardwalk between Ninth and 10th streets during a reconstruction project.
The lack of fanfare, however, did not detract from the importance of the occasion. The 2.5-mile Boardwalk is now open from tip to tip just in time for the Presidents Day holiday weekend.
“Obviously, this is the centerpiece of everyone’s vacation, as well as a way of life for year-round residents,” city spokesman Doug Bergen said of the Boardwalk.
Bergen noted that Mayor Jay Gillian had placed a high priority in getting the project completed in time for the annual rush of summer tourists to the beach town.
“Failure is not an option in meeting deadlines to get this done,” he said.
Come spring and summer, tourists will walk on brand new timber planks as part of a $3 million redecking project that is finishing up between Eighth and 10th streets.
Workers are putting the finishing touches on the project, which is scheduled to wrap up in late March.
With the entire length of the Boardwalk now open, pedestrians, joggers and bicyclists will no longer have to detour around the construction zone between Ninth and 10th streets. There is also full access to the row of Boardwalk shops in the same area.
The Boardwalk is being reconstructed as part of a multiyear facelift that will stretch from Fifth Street to 12th Street and cost more than $10 million. The most recent phase involved the section between Eighth and 10th streets. The final part of the project, between 10th and 12th streets, will be done next fall and winter.
From left, Doug Bergen, the city's public information officer, talks with Carlo DeFeo, a foreman on the project.
Although the full length of the Boardwalk has reopened, work still must be done before the entire project wraps up by the end of March. The contractor still must reconstruct the Boardwalk entrances at Eighth Street and Ninth Street, build five new pavilions and re-install light posts and railings.
With its array of retail shops, amusement parks, restaurants and other amenities, the Boardwalk is the most heavily visited attraction in town. But the myriad walkers, runners and bikers who traverse the boards each year inevitably add to the wear and tear, requiring an overhaul from time to time. The Boardwalk’s reconstruction includes not only a new deck, but also a new substructure.
Typically during the summer, the Boardwalk is packed with tourists. On Wednesday, though, the section between Eighth and 10th streets was ghostly quiet, with only a few stores open to greet the occasional shopper.
Shriver’s, the iconic Boardwalk salt water taffy and fudge shop between Eighth and Ninth streets, has remained open seven days a week during the construction. Holly Kisby, Shriver’s general manager, said business dropped off when the Boardwalk project began in October, but has begun picking up in recent weeks now that the construction work is winding down.
Kisby has been posting live video feeds on Shriver’s Facebook page to update the store’s customers on the progress of the construction project.
“I try to keep customers in the know about what’s going on,” she said.
The last barrier that was removed from the Boardwalk on Wednesday was right in front of Shriver’s. One of the most recent photos posted on Shriver’s Facebook page shows the Boardwalk clear of construction.
Holly Kisby, general manager at the Shriver's salt water taffy and fudge shop, has been keeping store customers updated on the construction project with Facebook postings.
