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Out with the boards, in with concrete
Phase one of the renovation would tackle the oldest section of the boardwalk, which is at least 30 years old.
The plan is to replace most of the decaying boardwalk with a mainly concrete walk built to last 50 years. Metal grates would be placed throughout, allowing sunlight " which is desirable for fish survival" to peek through, Anchor Environmental’s report says. Most railing would be metal, and decorative pavers and lighting would also be added.
Most of the concrete walk would be placed over land instead of water, extending the life of the project because it would be out of the saltwater. A city block of boardwalk would be recycled and reinstalled over land in the greenspace block between Olympia and Thurston avenues. No wood would be over water. A maritimethemed bathhouse would be built, Associate Parks Director David Hanna said. The whole project is designed to be accessible to people with disabilities.
The Olympian
$15.1 million vision of Percival Landing's future
Plan calls for concrete, metal design to replace current boardwalk
By Matt Batcheldor | The Olympian
OLYMPIA – Envision a Percival Landing boardwalk with mostly concrete and metal instead of wood, and most of it not over water. Picture shorelines restored with native plants. Imagine rustic pavilions providing momentary shelters from the rain or sun.
Those elements are included in a detailed design just released to rebuild Percival Landing, Olympia's downtown waterfront park, which has a decaying wooden boardwalk that has been partly closed because of structural decay.
It is expected to cost $15.1 million in 2008 dollars to build the first phase of the project, from the Oyster House restaurant to the edge of the greenspace block at Thurston Avenue, said Parks Director Linda Oestreich. Associate Parks Director David Hanna said it would be possible to complete the project in 2011 or 2012.
The department proposes to pay for the first phase with $4.8 million from the city of Olympia, $3 million from the state, $3 million from the federal government, $1.2 million in grants, $700,000 from private foundations and $500,000 from community fundraising.
The city needs to find $1.9 million for the project, and might need to find more than that if other funding sources don't come through.
An additional proposal to rebuild the adjacent moorage area is estimated to cost $5 million more because dredging is necessary. But the city could do the first phase without the dredging.
"We need to replace what's falling down and that's our No. 1 priority," Oestreich said.
Olympia City Council members were briefed on the plan Tuesday, and they'll discuss how to pay for it in the next two months before adopting a 2009 budget. The city is planning a public meeting for early November to get input on the design.
Design on all phases of Percival Landing is 30 percent complete, which gives city leaders firmer cost estimates and helps them break the project into phases. It's unclear how many phases would be needed or how expensive the entire project will be.
The city already has spent $1 million on the 30 percent design, from Anchor Environmental of Seattle. It includes engineering, field surveys, soil testing and design features — including building materials.
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