Story from Beaumont Enterprise
When surveying the area where the marina once was on Pleasure Island, someone might be hard pressed to find progress on construction of the boat docks.
But according to Jimmy Dike, Pleasure Island Commission director, renovation efforts are in motion.
It might be awhile before that progress can be seen, however.
"We are working with FEMA," Dike said. "But they have processes that I have to follow. We are probably looking at about a four-year project."
With the amount of damage left in Ike's wake, Dike said more than likely, the commission is looking at a cost anywhere between $9 million to $11 million to make all repairs that are needed.
"FEMA is going to cover 70 percent of that cost, but that leaves us looking at how to acquire the other $3 million or so that we will need to complete construction."
Dike said FEMA requires engineers to survey damages before going out for construction bids, and there's a step or two before that. Dike said they now are at the stage of having all debris identified before going out for bids to have the bottom of the marina sounded, or cleaned out.
"We have a lot of metal coverings, iceboxes and freezers and dock boxes out there," he said. "And once we have all debris removed, we will have to bring in engineers for an assessment phase to see what is still usable. But I think about 90 percent of material will need to be replaced."
Dike said there still are about 30 boats up on the levee that cannot be moved until they can have fuel drained out - an environmental consideration.
Sherri Droddy, Sabine Pass Port Authority manager, said after experiencing Hurricane Rita's windy destruction in 2005, officials were able to get the ball rolling a little sooner after Hurricane Ike.
"We were able to get a consultant and engineer in quicker this time," she said. "We had worked with both of them after Rita, so we learned a little bit. The faster you get them in, the faster you see things get done."
Droddy said debris they can see already has been removed and the marina at the south end of First Avenue in Sabine Pass might be usable again sometime this summer.
"We still have a lot of small and large projects to do, but it will at least be functional."
Droddy said the Sabine Pass marina has 89 slips, or boat stalls, and not being able to dock boats is costing the authority about $100,000 a year. Dike said the Pleasure Island marina, which can dock 350 boats, is losing up to at least $289,000 a year.
Droddy said most of the emergency work by FEMA was at 90 percent coverage, while some of it qualified for full reimbursement.
"I'm not real sure how much we are looking at with all of the smaller projects, but right after Ike came through it was estimated we were looking at paying out about $2.5 million," she said. "So, that is still a good number to start from. We are looking at a two- to three-year project."
Although marina docks are in disarray, boat ramps on Pleasure Island are seeing quite a bit of activity, Dike said.
"When it is good weather, you see a lot of fishing going on out there," he said.
Droddy said the boat ramp at the end of Broadway is operational, but that the one located at Sabine Pass Battleground State Park remains closed.
