Preliminary designs for the proposed Long Beach boardwalk were unveiled at the City Council meeting Tuesday, when the public learned that the new concrete and tropical wood walkway could cost “upwards of $40 million,” according Peter Gerbasi, vice president of LiRo, the Syosset-based engineering firm the city hired to oversee the project.
Follow Long Beach Patch on Facebook.
According to design specifications, the decking of the new 2.2-mile boardwalk would consist of a mix of concrete and ipe wood, described as a “sustainable tropical hardwood,” from National Boulevard to Long Beach Boulevard, and the decking of both the west and east sections would be made strictly of wood. The ipe wood has a lifespan of up to 40 years, Gerbasi said.
The boardwalk specifications emphasized durability and low maintenance and will feature 2 x 6 wooden boards, with one-eighth-inch gaps between them, which would run in an east-west direction, instead of north-south like the prior boardwalk that was damaged in Hurricane Sandy. The new structure will also feature lamp posts of a vintage Bishop's crook style, and aluminum pipe rails with antique-like large knuckles, all evoking the original boardwalk that was built after the turn of the 20th century. The boardwalk is also designed to feature a wave-break wall to protect against future storms.
“This design addresses our core concerns and provides us with the resiliency and durability that were really the focal points of all those involved,” said Jim LaCarrubba, the city’s commissioner of public works.
Bids to rebuild the boardwalk are expected to open March 28 and the city will award the bid the first week of April, LaCarrubba said. Other specifications, such as bathrooms, concession stands and wifi, are to come at a later stage of the rebuilding plans.
Gerbasi estimated that the majority of the boardwalk would be completed by summer’s end, although the city is pressing for a more expedient timeline, in part because Long Beach relies heavily on revenues it receives from beach- and boardwalk-goers. “We do hope to have some sections open this summer,” LaCarrubba said.
The city original anticipated that a new boardwalk would cost about $25 million. Last week, Sen. Charles Schumer held a press conference on National beach, where he declared that he would ask the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide more funds than the agency pays for such a project, which typically consist of base costs to rebuild a structure exactly as it was before a storm. But city officials maintain that they want to build a boardwalk that is “stronger, smarter, safer,” their post-Sandy mantra for rebuilding.
About the proposed structure’s $40 million price tag, Councilman John McLaughlin asked about the percentage FEMA is realistically expected to pay for the rebuilt structure. LaCarrubba explained that features such as the new railing and lighting would not be considered improvements, but part of the base costs, according to code standards.
“[FEMA] will pay upwards of 125 percent based on cost-benefit analysis and other things that they look at,” said LaCarrubba, who noted that the agency will consider damage to the boardwalk during storms stretching back to the 1930’s. He also said the city will apply for funding through the state.
“We have an opportunity to do this once and do this right now and we’ll fight for whatever money we can get to make sure that the city is paid whole on this,” he continued.
The proposed redesign is based in part on public input on the project, obtained during four community meetings with residents and business owners, as well as online surveys, all conducted by Amy Engel, director of Sustainable Long Island, a non-profit organization that city officials asked to assist them in gathering the input. Their findings were submitted to LiRo last month. LiRo engineers and city officials also visited various boardwalks, from Coney Island to the Rockaways to Sunken Meadow State Park, to see how they held up during Sandy.
* This story was updated at 7:20 a.m. on 3.6.13.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
