Community Corner

City Unveils 10-Step Boardwalk Rebuilding Plan


The new Long Beach boardwalk will be conceived and constructed according to a 10-step process, the plans for which were posted on the City of Long Beach’s website Wednesday.   

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City Manager Jack Schnirman announced the plan Tuesday before the City Council voted to approve a contract between the city and a Syosset-based engineering consulting firm, Liro Engineers Inc., which will provide everything from design options to inspection services, according to city officials.

Hiring the firm is part of the plan’s fourth step, which also includes assessing the strength of the boardwalk’s existing concrete stanchions to determine their capacity, creating design options for the new seaside walkway, and devising a construction timeline for the first phase of the rebuilding process.  

The three initial steps involved assessing the boardwalk’s damage after it was destroyed in Hurricane Sandy and hiring a firm to conduct the demolition, which have already been completed, and carrying out the demo work, which is ongoing and about halfway completed, the city manager said. 

The middle steps of the rebuilding plan involve determining design specifications, which will involve gathering public input and direction from the City Council, as well as presenting the design specifications to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to obtain approval for funding. The project is expected to cost an estimated $25 million, city officials said.

The ninth and tenth steps call for opening the areas of the completed boardwalk as they are made available, after which Phase 1 will end with the complete construction and opening of a proposed 2.2-mile boardwalk.

A note at the end of the plan states: “Future phases may provide for additional amenities/features on the boardwalk based on available funding and public input.”

10-Step Phase 1 Process

  1. Assess the damage of the boardwalk.
  2. Complete the bidding process for demolition of the boardwalk.
  3. Demolish the existing boardwalk structure.
  4. Accept proposals and select an engineering consulting firm to:
    1. Assess the strength of the concrete pillars to determine their weight capacity.
    2. Create a list of boardwalk reconstruction options:
      1. Design options (including wood, concrete, concrete/wood hybrid, composite, etc.)
      2. Cost of varying options
      3. Availability of materials for varying options
    3. Create a pre-construction timeline for Phase 1 of boardwalk construction.
  5. Determine design specifications.
    1. Gather public input.
    2. Present options and take direction from the City Council.
    3. Move forward with design specifications that satisfy our mission to be stronger, smarter, and safer.
  6. Present FEMA with our selected new design specifications (stronger, smarter, safer) and obtain approval for mitigation funding.
  7. Engineering consulting firm is then responsible for:
    1. Creation of design specifications for the City to put out to construction bid.
    2. Assisting the City in selecting a construction vendor.
    3. Providing the City with construction management services.
    4. Creating a timeline for Phase 1 of boardwalk construction.
  8. The City and the engineering consulting firm will monitor and hold construction work accountable to a tight timeline.
  9. The City will open areas of completed boardwalk, when appropriate, as they become available.
  10. Phase 1 will end upon the complete construction of the 2.2-mile boardwalk.
NOTE: Future phases may provide for additional amenities/features on the boardwalk based on available funding and public input.

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