Xerxes Wilson

The News Journal

New Castle's plan to build a Delaware River pier has been sidetracked by higher-than-expected costs.

City officials had hoped to have a contractor starting construction this year, but offers to build the project came in about three times higher than what the city can afford. City Administrator William Barthel said the long-discussed plan will be nearly dead if more affordable bids don't come in this month.

Late last year, the city solicited bids to build the lighted pier extending 170 feet onto the river from the concrete wharf at the foot of Delaware Street. But the city received only one offer to build the project for approximately $3 million. A design firm hired by the city projected the cost would be $800,000.

"We had one bid come in that was just not acceptable. Part of the reason that we didn't have anyone come it was the time frame on it," Barthel said.

City officials had hoped to have a contractor driving piling for the pier's foundation into the shallows of the river in January because construction work in the river is barred by federal officials from spring until July.

"A lot of companies said they just didn't feel comfortable that they could get in the water and meet the time requirements to start in early January," Barthel said.

The city recently put out another request for bids from contractors with the aim to start work in July.

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"Bids are due back by the end of March and we will find out that we can do it for $800,000," Barthel said.

The city was given about $800,000 from the state and expects to receive another $145,00 from federal emergency response officials.

The city’s previous pier was destroyed during Superstorm Sandy. Part of that money has already been spent on engineering and design. If the new bids reflect costs the city can pay, the project will move forward this year, Barthel said.

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"The intent would start around July and hopefully have it completed in the October, November time-frame," Barthel said.

Barthel said if the current round of bids do not come in closer to what the city expects, the project will be all but dead. He added that the city continues to look for outside funds to help the project. No city money is being used.

The project has been discussed for years and has at times been controversial. Some neighbors fear the pier is the next step toward the hyper-commercialization that would turn the city into the Rehoboth Beach of New Castle County. Others point out that the city had a pier for decades without affecting the historic city's character. As of now, there are no plans to have day slips for private boaters.

Businesses and city officials see it is as another attraction to New Castle's riverfront.

"I think it is a necessity. It would be very good to bring more tourists into town. The businesses need it," said Caroline Dempsey, owner of Caroline's, a restaurant on Delaware Street in old New Castle.

Barthel said the main intent is to attract tall ships like the Kalmar Nyckel. There has also been talk on either side of the river about re-establishing ferry traffic between the city and Pennsville, New Jersey.

Such a ferry was one of the primary routes of travel for Delawareans heading to Wildwood, New Jersey, and the Jersey Shore before the completion of the Delaware Memorial Bridge in the 1950s.

Contact Xerxes Wilson at (302) 324-2787 or xwilson@delawareonline.com. Follow @Ber_Xerxes on Twitter.

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