FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. – Work on the Fernandina Harbor Marina is officially scheduled to begin in the next few days. The marina was damaged when Hurricane Matthew hit the area more than two years ago.
Fender Marine will be removing and replacing the southern attenuator over the next few months. They will start the bulk of the work after Thanksgiving but will begin some of the prep work this week and next week.
FEMA estimates it will cost $6.4 million. The city said FEMA and the state will reimburse them for about 90% of the cost.
At the same time, Brance Diversified will be dredging and replacing the docks in the southern basin behind the attenuator. The city manager said the project will cost about $3 million.
Before the hurricane hit, Marina Manager Joe Springer told News4Jax roughly 12,000 boats were coming through the marina each year. Now, they only have a couple hundred that come through.
Springer said they are excited for the work to begin.
“I know the path that we were on before the storm so we’ll pick up where we left off and make it an even better marina then it’s ever been,” said Springer.
Starting Nov. 26, the boat ramp will be closed to all operations while repairs are made. The projects are expected to be complete around late May or early June.