Popular dock in Old Town Bluffton will remain closed all summer. Here’s why
A new Calhoun Street Dock is coming to Old Town Bluffton.
While the current dock is closed to the public due to the coronavirus pandemic, the town of Bluffton plans to construct a new $854,000 dock this week, the town announced Tuesday.
The new dock will replace the existing one that’s floated on the May River at the end of Calhoun Street since the 1970s, according to town documents. Construction will last through the summer, the town announced.
Long a symbol of Bluffton’s historic fishing economy, a public dock has been at the end of Calhoun Street since the early 1800s, according to town documents. The dock will be built in a part of Old Town Bluffton that’s already experiencing major changes due to the construction of Wright Family Park across from the Church of the Cross.
The project will feature a new bulkhead, 10-by-130-foot boardwalk, 20-by-20-foot covered pier head and a 12-by-120-foot floating dock that can accommodate up to six boats. The current dock accommodates four boats.
The new dock will be similar to the Palmetto Bluff Public Dock, according to the town.
Nix Construction Co. will begin demolishing the existing dock this week. Parts from the dock will be salvaged and reused at Oyster Factory Park, the town said.
The project will be funded with $500,000 from South Carolina Parks, Recreation and Tourism and a $250,000 grant from South Carolina Water Recreational Resources Fund. The rest will be paid for with hospitality tax funds and boat ramp fees.
Initially planned in 2017, the dock improvement project was included in the town’s 2019-2020 strategic plan and will complement the planned Wright Family Park, spokesperson Debbie Szpanka said Wednesday.
Construction on the park, which will provide residents public access to the river, is expected to be completed by the end of May and will include a wooden boardwalk, sidewalk improvements, 28 new parking spots, asphalt paving and lighting.
