What’s next for Beaufort’s condemned promenade? Check out these five options
The city of Beaufort is considering five options — two of them the most financially realistic — to overhaul its condemned promenade and make it stronger in the face of rising sea levels.
Now it just needs to pick one of those alternatives. Depending on which one is chosen, the cost could be as much as $30 million, far less than initially feared.
Pictures of the possible solutions will be presented to the public for the first time next Wednesday. The city wants to get feedback before proceeding. That meeting is at the Waterfront Park pavilion, where city officials and consultants will be on hand to explain the options that will be displayed on easels.
The 36-foot-wide, 1,200-foot-long promenade became the city’s most prominent amenity after it was constructed in 1974, drawing residents and visitors to the Beaufort River and downtown businesses.
But it’s been closed since last July because deteriorating concrete pilings make it unsafe for pedestrians and docking cruise ships.
What the massive project will address
The massive project will address the failing piles and 50 years of environmental changes since Waterfront Park was built, Bill Barna of McSweeney Engineering, a city consultant, said at a Waterfront Park Advisory Committee meeting Monday.
Since it opened 52 years ago, sea levels in Beaufort have risen 7 inches, Barna said. The new design, he said, must consider the new environmental realities and cost as well as what residents want out of the park. A recent city poll found that 56% of residents visit the park at least once a week.
“Flood conditions and deteriorating piles, that’s the need for this project,” Barna said.
Barna, who first disclosed the scope of the problem to the city two years ago, unveiled renderings of five alternative solutions to committee members. That’s down from eight that were initially discussed in September.
The options are based on a “deep dive” that took into account cost, maintenance, design life, permitting and input from the public via the city survey, Barna said.
Option 1: Repair
This option focuses on repairing the existing structure and restoring access to the promenade. It would, Barna said, amount to throwing “good money after bad.” Repairing and replacing the deteriorating piles would cost more than building a new relieving platform, he said. It also doesn’t address the rise in sea level, he added.
“Sea level is a thing, it is occurring, and it’s projected to keep going up,” Barna said.
Option 2: A raised platform
A new “high performance elevated platform” could last up to 75 years. It would be at least 2 feet higher than the current promenade, which would make its elevation 8 feet. The top of the deck now is 6 feet, which is flood stage for king tides. The city is seeing tides at that elevation four to five times a year these days, Barna said.
This option would better handle flooding and also be the most affordable, Barna said. “We’re trying to anticipate future conditions and then balance the economics somewhere to that,” Barna said.
Reinforced concrete piles would support the new platform. Fewer piles would be installed to limit maintenance.
Visually, not much would change in the park and that’s important based on public sentiment in the survey results, Barna said. The transition between the park and the raised promenade could be addressed with ramps and steps, Barna said.
“Materially, were trying to keep the exact feel that we have now,” Barna said, mentioning the red brick and the swings.
Duncan O’Quinn of O’Quinn Marine called the raised platform option “the way to go” because it’s the cheapest option and would be the quickest to build.
Option 3: Seawall and backfill
Alternative 3 involves building a large seawall and backfilling the areas underneath the platform where saltwater flows. That open space can’t be seen now because of the fascia or skirt covering the front of the promenade.
This option would require the removal of the concrete, dirt and decades of silt buildup. It’s considered an expensive alternative because of the amount of material that would need to be removed, and the challenges of getting a permit to fill in the area, which is considered a wetland, Barna said.
Option 4: Splash pad, expanded shipping berths
Option 4 would include amenities like a splash pad, expanded shipping berths and a new dock that would extend farther into the river from the promenade. He acknowledged it will likely be too expensive. Residents, he predicted, won’t like it. But, he added, “These are just ideas to foster the discussion.”
Option 5: Do nothing
Barna has said previously this isn’t much of an option because “it’s just going to get worse.”
How much will fixing the promenade cost?
Barna estimates that fixing the promenade and its support structure will be far less the $100 million city officials said might be possible when they were first learning about the scope of the problem in 2024.
“It’s going to be in the millions, but I think you’re going to be less than a third of the $100 million number would be my guess,” McSweeney said. “But every time I turn around things are more expensive.”
That could put the price tag in the neighborhood of $30 million.
Is the promenade in danger of collapsing?
During the meeting, Barna was asked if there was a danger of the promenade collapsing.
It’s a hard question to answer, he said. Personally, Barna doesn’t think it will collapse while the city is coming up with a design for the solution. But the possibility, even if it is small, is why the city fenced off the promenade he said.
“Things are fine -- until they’re not,” Barna said.
How long will it take to fix?
Barna was also asked how long the work would take. He pointed to the answer he gave in September when he said the promenade would need to remain closed for five years.
What’s next
The city is inviting residents to attend a meeting from 5-6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 22 at the Waterfront Park pavilion where the concept designs will be presented. City Hall, 1911 Boundary St., is the backup location in the event of inclement weather.
This story was originally published April 15, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
