Queen Mary to get $1 million more in repairs ahead of reopening in Long Beach
Long Beach will receive $1 million in repairs over two years to a seawall that has been affected by Hurricane Irene, officials said Thursday.
The repairs are included in a bid by the city to reopen the landmark on the northern end of Ocean Boulevard that was closed during the disaster.
“We wanted to get it reopened last year, but the economic downturn was taking its toll on the city,” Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster said. “I thank the public and the council for the support they showed us.”
The repairs are in addition to about $1 million already provided over two years for the damaged pier, part of a deal struck in the wake of the hurricane that restored the pier without significant repairs to it for at least 10 months.
About $1.4 million in repairs are being provided for the damaged seawall along with new seawalls along the oceanfront, the mayor said. The $1 million in repairs are to begin later this year and will run through the end of 2013, he said.
“The seawall is holding up quite well. It’s really important because it’s going to be part of our sea wall,” Mayor Foster said. “It’s a beautiful building and it’s been a big part of our beach.”